Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools Announces Its Summer Class of 2009
33 students have been selected for opportunities to work in areas of Hispanic health with the CDC and other HSHPS member institutions.
ARLINGTON, VA. – Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools will be welcoming thirty-three students for its annual summer internship and fellowship program starting in June. This year’s program is the most anticipated with the inclusion of the first international project site in Quito, Ecuador.
“The program has grown every year. By growth, I mean the number of students, the number of sites, and the diversity of projects,” said Program Director Arlenin Dushku.
For the international program in Quito, HSHPS will be collaborating with the University of South Florida College of Public Health to work with public health students in specific areas of tropical diseases and global health.
“Most of the developing countries face many challenges to building robust and reliable health systems,” said Program Coordinator Jose Cardenas. “These challenges include insufficient financing, lack of inter-agency coordination, poorly-functioning information systems, health worker shortages and supply interruptions .”
In the Quito program, students will identify several maladies in three different ecological areas and observe and compare health care services and systems and technological aspects of the rural and urban hospitals.
“With this training, the future health professional will be able to provide health services to immigrants from all regions of Central and South America,” said Cardenas.
This year’s candidate pool has been one of the most diverse. Summer 2009 applicants hail from the United States, Puerto Rico, and Australia and have brought with them a spectrum of personal, professional, academic, and research backgrounds and experiences. The growth and diversity of the candidates is reflected in the changes the program has undergone since its inception in 1996 with only CDC programs. Today, in addition to programs with CDC , NIOSH, and NCHS, HSHPS works with its member universities in Tucson, Ariz.; San Diego, Calif.; San Juan, Puerto, Rico; and Laredo and Harlingen, Texas, to develop programs that focus more on disease specific and border health issues.
Working at the CDC allows students access and knowledge about public health policy, program development, and CDC public health research activities and federal government careers. Working with universities gives students field experience in more specialized areas depending on their health interests.
“The purpose of the program is to increase knowledge of public health and to equip students and recent graduates with the necessary tools needed to enhance their careers in medicine and public health,” said Dushku. “We hope that individuals see this program as not just another internship but rather an opportunity to make a mark in the public health arena. The relationships that students make with their mentors and peers are long lasting.”
For more information about HSHPS' summer programs, please visit the programs page at http://www.hshps.org/internships.html
###
Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools
By providing essential resources for academic and career development to students, faculty, and other health professionals including internships, fellowships, and professional development seminars, HSHPS addresses the health disparities that exist in the Hispanic community . HSHPS works diligently to accomplish its mission by forming strong partnerships with member institutions, federal agencies, foundations, corporations and other non-profit organizations.
|
