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The various activities of the South Central AHEC encourage medical and other health professions students to practice in rural and medically underserved communities. |
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Students at the summer bio-medical camp learn to start IV lines as part of a nursing school experience. | |
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Experience tells us that health professions students who receive their clinical training in rural or other community sites (in clinics, private practices, etc. away from the university) are more likely to consider those settings professionally and personally attractive, and are more likely to want to practice there. Furthermore, students educated and trained in or near their own home communities are more likely to work in those communities following graduation. For these reasons, the South Central AHEC supports the clinical training and education of medical and other health professions students in the rural and medically underserved communities within its region in two ways:
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- Clinical Training. AHEC staff and project directors collaborate with regional health facilities and practitioners in establishing clinical rotation sites for health professions students and residents. All remote training sites are approved by and affiliated with either UTHSCSA, other health science centers, or other institutions of higher education. The South Central AHEC provides support for the following types of students: medical, dental, nursing, physician assistant, occupational therapy, respiratory care, pharmacy, physical therapy assistant, etc. AHEC funds support the development of affiliations and curriculum, student supervision, travel, faculty development, student housing, and other expenses related to training students in remote settings.
- Support of Educational Programs. Residents in nearby rural counties often have trouble accessing the widely available educational opportunities in Bexar County due to family, employment, and/or socioeconomic constraints. As one example of how the South Central AHEC functions, past community assessments in our region have indicated an on-going need for nursing and emergency medical education and training. The South Central AHEC has responded by supporting students in local LVN educational programs and by providing advanced training courses for employed and volunteer emergency medical personnel. Almost all students trained in these community-based programs remained to work in their communities following graduation. Depending upon available resources, students in these as well as in other professions are either trained on-site, through interactive teleconferencing, or through Web-based instruction.
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