The MHP Salud Border Community Health Summer Fellowship Program provides current professional or graduate students pursuing clinical and/or public health careers the opportunity to be part of an interdisciplinary team partnering with a MHP Salud Promotor(a) de Salud (Community Health Worker) to design and implement community-based health programs in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.
The 2015 program will run for 8 weeks from May 28th – July 24th, 2015. Fellows must be available to work full-time but flexible hours during this period. Fellows cannot undertake clinical or other school obligations or competing employment during the program. No exceptions will be made.
For Summer 2015, MHP Salud intends to award as many as 6 Summer Fellowships.
Stipends of up to $3,000 per fellow will be awarded to offset travel and living expenses during the fellowship.
What does this Fellowship offer you?
During the Summer of 2015, MHP Salud Border Community Health Fellows are expected to work collaboratively to design and implement community-based health research/projects in four South Texas counties along the United States-Mexico Border. Fellows will work closely with MHP Salud staff, including Promotores(as) de Salud, throughout their time in Texas.
Enrichment activities include, but are not limited to, presentations and informational meetings with key community leaders and organizations in the Rio Grande Valley as well as MHP Salud staff, educational activities with key stakeholders in the area, and other learning opportunities related to fellows’ particular interests in the clinical health and public health fields.
In addition to possibly fulfilling an internship requirement, students will benefit from exposure to life in border communities in South Texas, gain a better awareness of barriers to health and health issues faced by the Latino population in this region, and be exposed to the Community Health Worker model that is at the core of MHP Salud.
Upon completion of the Summer Fellowship, selected students will have made useful contributions to expanding the knowledge and programs of MHP Salud in the Rio Grande Valley. Their cohort will become part of the ever-expanding group of Community Health Worker allies.
Background on MHP Salud
MHP Salud is a national nonprofit that has implemented Community Health Worker programs for over 30 years. These programs provide peer health education, increase access to health resources and bring community members closer. Together, health providers, employers and policymakers create positive changes. Community leaders, called Community Health Workers, or Promotores(as), provide the inspiration, direction and vision necessary to build stronger, healthier communities from within. MHP Salud also has extensive experience offering health organizations training and technical assistance on Community Health Worker programming tailored to their specific needs.
Fellow Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must be enrolled as a matriculated graduate or professional student in a degree program at an accredited college or university in the United States (Medicine, PA, Public Health, Nursing, Social Work, and Health Administration).
- Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States throughout the award period.
- Applicants must be in good academic standing (GPA above 3.0).
- Bilingual English/Spanish applicants are preferred.
- Applicants should have experience working with minority or hard-to-reach populations.
Important Dates:
- Completed Fellowship applications are due April 6, 2015
- Brief Interviews for Finalists will be held April 8th-10th, 2015 and will be hosted virtually
- Recipients will be notified no later than April 15, 2015
Application Process:
Applicants must complete an on-line application as well as upload the following support documents:
- A personal statement (Max 1500 words) about their interest/qualification in this program
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation (one academic, one professional, one additional) including contact information for the person completing the letter (name, email, phone number)
- Current Resume/CV
- Graduate Transcripts (Unofficial)
The online application can be accessed at: http://mhpsalud.org/get-involved/job-postings/
Questions about this Fellowship opportunity can be submitted to Ashley Martin, Chief Strategy and Analytics Officer at amartin@mhpsalud.org
