The Illinois Student/Resident Experiences and Rotations in Community Health (SEARCH) program was funded by the National Health Service Corps and offered training opportunities to qualified health professional students and primary care residents at community health centers. Since 1999, IPHCA member health centers have participated in the SEARCH program. While the formal SEARCH program is no longer in operation, IPHCA staff will use their expertise and experience in working with health professions training programs and health centers to facilitate student placements at health centers.
Student training and rotation opportunities are available to health professions students at community health centers in both urban and rural settings. While completing clinical rotations, students are exposed to multidisciplinary culturally diverse settings, public health issues impacting access to care, a unique patient population and clinic structure and exposure to future employment opportunities. Training sites utilize experienced, knowledgeable, and well trained preceptors.
We will work with National Health Service Corps and Illinois Department of Public Health Scholars to try to facilitate their placements at appropriate sites. We encourage students to contact us at least three month in advance of their rotation dates.