Alaska AHEC Scholars 2019-2020 Student Handbook 2 Contents 3 Recommended Sources 149 Chapter 1: About AHEC Scholars and AHEC in General 4 Works Cited 150 What is AHEC Scholars? 4 What is AHEC? 5 For more information about AHEC Scholars 152 Frequently Asked Questions 6 Outline of the Schedule for a Typical Student 10 Application and Registration Process 11 Costs 12 Contact Information 13 Chapter 2: About the Curriculum 14 Basic Curriculum Requirements 14 Curriculum Checklist for Complete Two-Year Program 14 Comparison Chart for Academic Courses 17 Coursework Provided by AHEC and Partners 44 Chapter 3: About the Community-Based Learning 102 Basic Requirements for Community-Based Learning 102 Participating Communities 103 Quick Comparisons Chart 104 Chapter 4: About Alaska 136 Weather 136 Wildlife 136 Alaska Native Cultures 137 Healthcare 141 Chapter 5: Packing 142 Packing Advice 142 Recommended Packing List 142 Airline Baggage Rules 143 Chapter 6: General Advice 145 Alcohol 145 Tobacco 145 Marijuana 145 Host Families 145 Advice from Past Students 145 Contact Information 148 4 Chapter 1: About AHEC Scholars and AHEC in General What is AHEC? 5 Th e Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) are federally-funded, state-administered offi ces that work What is AHEC Scholars? on improving healthcare services across their respective states. Every state and most territories have at least one AHEC. Alaska’s AHEC program offi ce is located in Anchorage. Th ere are also regional AHEC offi ces in AHEC Scholars is a two-year program designed to supplement and broaden a student’s healthcare training. Anchorage, Bethel, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Juneau and Utqiaġvik. Th e Alaska AHEC addresses its mission by An abbreviated form of the program, requiring half as many hours, is available to students enrolled in a degree or working in the following areas: certifi cate program of less than 12 months’ duration. AHEC Scholars covers six topic areas related to the practice 1. Engaging Alaskans into health careers to evolve the future health workforce of healthcare (interprofessional education, behavioral health integration, social determinants of health, cultural competency, practice transformation and current and emerging health issues). 2. Training health professions students by supporting clinical rotations that occur in rural communities or with underserved populations Each year, students are required to complete 40 hours of classroom or online training and another 40 hours of community-based learning out in the fi eld. Many students will complete their community-based learning in 3. Retaining Alaska’s health workforce by increasing access to and providing CE/CME opportunities statewide. a small rural community, but there is also an option for working with urban underserved populations. Students Alaska’s AHEC runs healthcare-education camps for middle- and high-schoolers, assists practicing providers may be able to double-count some academic coursework to meet AHEC Scholars requirements (see Chapter 2 for with continuing education, gathers data on the state of healthcare across Alaska, and cooperates with schools and details). professional organizations to address issues related to training, recruitment and turnover. More detailed information about the curriculum and community-based learning can be found in Chapters 2 and 3 of this Handbook. Northwest AHEC (Utqiaġvik) Who can participate? Students must be currently enrolled in a degree- or certifi cate program related to healthcare. As of September 2018, AHEC recognizes all the following programs: • Behavioral Health Aide • Nursing Practice • Certifi ed Nursing Assistant • Occupational Th erapy • Children’s Mental Health • Outdoor Leadership (AAS) • Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M. Ed.) • Paramedicine (Certifi cate, AAS) • Clinical-Community Psychology • Pharmacy • Community Health Aide/Practitioner • Physical Education Interior AHEC (Fairbanks) • Community Health Worker • Physical Th erapy Assistant • Dental Assisting • Physician Assistant • Dental Health Aide/Th erapist • Public Health • Dental Hygiene (BS) • Radiologic Technology Yukon-Kuskokwim AHEC (Bethel) South Central AHEC (Anchorage) • Diagnostic Medical Sonography • Social Work (BS, MS) • Dietetics (Certifi cate, BS, MS) • Speech-Language Pathology • Emergency Medical Technician • Health Sciences • Human Services (AAS, BHS) • Justice Alaska Program Offi ce (Anchorage) • Justice Administration Southwest AHEC (Dillingham) • Medical Assisting • Medical Coding Southeast AHEC (Juneau) • Medical Lab Science (AAS, BS) • Medicine • Nursing (AAS, BS, MS) 6 Frequently Asked Questions Community-Based Experience 7 Academic Scheduling and AHEC Scholars What if I want to work in an urban area? You can, as long as your experience involves working with underserved populations. We have placed AHEC Scholars is a two-year program. What does that mean? scholars at facilities in Anchorage and Fairbanks before. For AHEC Scholars purposes, you need to be enrolled in the program for two continuous academic years. (An academic year begins on Sept. 1 and ends the following Aug. 31.) For example, if you join Can I request a specifi c job site? AHEC Scholars in spring of 2020, you would be considered a scholar for the period of Sept. 1, 2019 Yes. You can note in your application that you’re interested in a particular healthcare facility or through Aug. 31, 2021. You would be able to transfer in coursework and community-based experience as contact us directly to let us know. We do our best to accommodate students’ interests, but we can’t always far back as Sept. 1, 2019, and you would need to fi nish all AHEC Scholars requirements before Aug. 31, match people with exactly where they want, so we can’t absolutely promise you’ll get to work there. 2021. You need to be enrolled in an academic program of study for the entire time you are also enrolled in What if I have a confl ict with my job site or hosts? AHEC Scholars, with some exceptions. See the questions below for details. First, try to be diplomatic and understanding. Many students encounter culture shock when arriving If I’m enrolled in a healthcare program that lasts two years or less, can I still be an AHEC in their job sites for the fi rst time. It may be something you can talk through. Scholar? If you can’t resolve the confl ict through dialogue, contact your local regional AHEC offi ce and see if they can arrange a diff erent job site or housing within the same community. (Th is is rarely possible, but it Yes. Students whose healthcare program lasts less than 12 months can complete their AHEC Scholars has been done in the past.) requirements by doing just 40 hours of community-based experience and 40 hours of coursework, with a minimum of fi ve hours coursework in each of the six core topic areas. Finally, if nothing else works, call the Alaska AHEC program offi ce. If we have to, we will put you on a plane back home. Students whose academic program lasts more than 12 months still have to complete the full 80 hours of community-based experience and 80 hours of coursework, with a minimum of fi ve hours coursework I work in a healthcare facility. Can I count my work hours as community-based experience? in each of the six core topic areas. Yes! You can count your work hours as long as they occur during the same academic years that you I’m a part-time student doing a two-year degree on a four-year schedule. Can I divide my are enrolled in AHEC Scholars and they serve a rural and/or underserved population. AHEC defi nes an AHEC Scholars requirements into smaller chunks so I don’t have to do as much each year? academic year as the period between Sept. 1 and Aug. 31. Unfortunately, no. AHEC Scholars requires a minimum of 40 hours didactic coursework and 40 hours Curriculum of community-based experience each year. You can be enrolled in the program for more than two years, but you’ll have to do 40/40 hours each and every year. The curriculum says we cover “Current and Emerging Health Issues.” What does that Can I complete the entire AHEC Scholars program on an accelerated schedule? mean? No. AHEC will only count 40 hours of community-based learning and 40 hours of didactic Th e topics covered under Current and Emerging Health Issues include: coursework each year. You can do more if you wish, but you must complete 40 hours within the timeframe • Substance use disorders, particularly opioids of each year. • Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and other obesity-related conditions I’m graduating shortly. Can I fi nish my AHEC Scholars requirements after graduation? • Geriatrics • Suicide You need to be enrolled in an academic program for at least part of each of the two years of your AHEC Scholars participation. If you are just joining Scholars now and you will be graduating in a few • Oral health months, you would not be eligible to enroll because you would not reach the second year of the Scholars • Trauma-informed care and and the other considerations that go along with it, such as Adverse program. Childhood Experiences (ACEs), resilience, FASD, etc. If you are already into your second year but will be graduating before the end of it, that is acceptable. For example, if you graduate in May, you can still fi nish up your last AHEC Scholars requirements by the Some of the coursework requires registration and/or fees. Do I have to pay to take these following August. classes? It is possible to meet all the AHEC Scholars requirements using only free resources, but the website 8 also links to some courses which charge fees. AHEC sets aside some money to help students pay for course Our Expectations for Students 9 fees; the limit is generally $100 per student per year, but sometimes additional funds are available on a case by case basis.