The IL AHEC CARES Program is an opportunity for students to gain additional education and experience while completing their studies to prepare for a healthcare career. This is a 12-month program available to students at any time during their undergraduate or graduate education to add to their learning and skill set.
CARES stands for:
- Community
- Advocates
- Reaching
- Educational
- Success
The IL AHEC CARES Program is designed to provide participants the following:
- An in-depth understanding of current healthcare needs and interventions
- Field experience and exposure to the healthcare field as a student.
- Acquire increased knowledge and appreciation for a variety of health professions disciplines.
IL AHEC CARES Program Objectives:
- By the end of the IL AHEC CARES program, students will be able to:
- Describe how healthcare is delivered in their community
- Identify the U.S. healthcare payment structures
- Detail the social determinants of health in their community
- Explain the causes of health disparities
- Describe the most prevalent chronic diseases in the U.S. and how they impact healthcare
- Understand the importance of inter-professional practice in healthcare
- Discuss the most effective ways to work on a team
- Define cultural humility and the ways to practice it
IL AHEC CARES Program Design:
- Students will complete 20 hours of online didactic learning asynchronously on five core topics. The content will be available through the online learning platform, Teachable.
- In addition to the online didactics, the student will complete 40 hours of experiential, community-based training.
Eligibility Requirements for Students:
- Undergraduate or graduate Illinois students with a pre-professional or healthcare major that do not meet the AHEC Scholars eligibility requirements.
- Undergraduate students can be freshman, sophomores, juniors, or seniors.
