Training Future Professionals

AHEC Scholars Program

The AHEC Scholars Program is an opportunity for certain health profession students (medical, advanced practice nursing, registered nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, dentistry, graduate psychology, CHWs, graduate public health, and social workers) to participate in interprofessional healthcare team activities. The duration of the program is 1-2 years (depending on discipline), runs concurrently with a student’s academic curriculum, and concludes when the student graduates from their respective health profession program. In addition to educational and professional enrichment, the AHEC Scholars Program offers a $500 stipend, per year, to help offset student costs.

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Why Scholars Program?

• Be a part of a federally recognized program
• Opportunity to engage with medically underserved communities
• Learn about different populations living within South Texas
• Network and train interprofessionally with various health profession students
• Gain knowledge of working with underserved and rural populations
• Learn about community resources that can improve patient care

What’s Involved?

• Commitment to completing 1 or 2 years of the program (depending on discipline)
• 40 hours of didactics (online) each year of the program
• 40 hours of experiential learning (community-based activities, clinical rotations) each year of the program
• Completion of the program MUST be concurrent with the student’s graduation from health profession program

Who Can Participate?

• Students currently enrolled in a health profession program
  Examples of eligible programs: medical, advanced practice nursing, registered nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, dentistry, graduate psychology, CHWs, graduate public health, and social workers (undergraduate pre-health professions are NOT eligible)
• Students underrepresented in healthcare are STRONGLY encouraged to apply
• Students willing to take on extra-curricular activities in addition to their academic commitments

Please contact Roni Vela by e-mail at VelaV4@uthscsa.edu for more information.

Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Institute

The AHEC Promotores of South Texas Training Program is certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) as a certified Community Health Worker (CHW) Training program. The program was developed to train CHWs/Promotores to help bridge the healthcare gap for our rural and underserved communities with an overarching goal of a healthier community. The program is head quartered at the South Coastal AHEC and is directed by Belinda Flores.

Opportunities offered include: 160-hour CHW Certification course and CE programming tailored to meet the needs of the community. The program is available in 26 counties serviced by Southwest Border AHEC, LRGV AHEC and South Coastal AHEC.

Upon graduation from the CHW Certification Program, certified community health workers have worked in a variety of settings including:

Health promotion projects
County health departments
Hospitals and clinics
Non-profit organizations

Please contact Belinda Flores by email at FloresB3@uthscsa.edu for more information.