NACHC has a partnership with A.T. Still University (ATSU) to train high-quality, community-minded healers. This partnership includes a strategy to recruit applicants from populations served by Community Health Centers. The strategy is called Hometown Partnerships for Health.
The dental and medical schools were started at the urging of the nation’s health centers. The schools utilize a variety of efforts aimed at attracting and molding high-quality, community-minded healers. These efforts include: service-education opportunities in health centers, coursework specific to community-oriented primary care and the health center movement, faculty and speakers from the health center world, careful selections processes that seek compassionate qualities, and applicant endorsement opportunities for health center leaders.
Health Center Recruitment and Endorsement Activities
Twice yearly, NACHC requests health center leaders to consider patients, employees, and children as the next generation of healers, and to assist in recruitment of these individuals by encouraging them to apply to the dental or medical school. Furthermore, health centers leaders are requested to send letters of endorsement for interested individuals directly to Gary Cloud at 5850 E. Still Circle, Mesa AZ, 85206, gcloud@atsu.edu, fax 480-219-6110.
If you know an individual that you believe could become a compassionate, dedicated, motivated health center dentist or physician – please consider nominating that individual for admission. Student selection, for Hometown endorsed applicants, involves four main steps:
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Initial application - The initial application is completed through central processing cooperatives that screen dental and medical school applicants.
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Secondary applications - Prospective students who meet minimum requirements are invited to submit a secondary application including letters of support.
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Nominating a Hometown applicant – Health center letters of support during the secondary application will help ATSU identify individuals to interview who could become the next generation of healers.
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The interview – a process that is designed to help identify students with the character and drive to become compassionate, community-minded healers.
For further information on Hometown Partnerships for Health, contact Gary Cloud at gcloud@atsu.edu.
