The first of 2023’s two Six-Week Preceptorships kicked off last week at KSB Hospital in Dixon, Illinois.

Four health professions majors from around the state are learning about rural health care for the next six weeks through job shadowing, didactic discussion sessions, and the completion of a community service-learning project.

Dr. Kunal Patel, a Public Health faculty member in the School of Health Studies at NIU, will be leading the students through the weekly discussion sessions and completion of their community service-learning project. The weekly discussion topics include rural health care delivery and payment systems, rural health disparities, working with the rural population, cultural competence, and rural mental health.

The students are learning through job shadowing and completing a community service-learning project.

The Six-Week Interprofessional Preceptorship is offered annually at two Illinois locations through a collaboration with the National Center for Rural Health Professions and the Illinois AHEC. Learn more.