Local program helps student become health professionals
By Sandra Jordan Of the St. Louis American
To address the nation’s health worker shortage and to keep quality healthcare professionals in the state, the East Central Missouri Area Health Education Center is dedicated to helping students pursue primary and preventative health fields through training, financial support and resources.
The St. Louis site is unique because it is located in an urban setting. It is one of a network of 17 mostly rural regional sites in the state. There are 50 state centers in the nation.
“Underrepresented and rural areas are hard-to-place areas for medical care,” said Alfreda Brown, executive director of the East Central Missouri AHEC. “We are trying to get them to go back and practice in their communities.”
The St. Louis region recently held a Medical Explorations in Science and Anatomy training workshop series at Saint Louis University Medical School in conjunction with the A.T. Still University of Health Sciences at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Thirteen high schools and students in six locations across the state participated via Interactive TV to learn about the musculoskeletal system of a mink.
“Many students in schools today do not have the opportunity to participate in complex science experiments and dissections,” said Shearon Holmes, coordinator for the program. Holmes said the workshops are designed to expose students to hands-on science enrichment activities that will prepare them for the rigor of a medical education.
An upcoming distance learning workshop on March 24 will focus on organ transplantation process, to include the dissection of a kidney or liver.
“What we try to do is nurture them and help them become the doctors, nurses or physical therapists so they can be of service to our community,” Brown said.
Another way AHEC accomplishes its mission is by assisting college students seeking medical careers to secure forgivable student loans through the Primary Care Resource Initiative for Missouri, known as PRIMO.
“Any student who is interested in pursing a career in health and participates in our program can apply for a PRIMO forgivable loan at the college level, even in medical school,” Brown said.
“They are forgivable loans if the person goes to school in the state and stays in the state of Missouri to work or practice.”
St. Louis primary care physician Fred W. Rottnek, M.D., is a former teacher who changed careers and obtained a PRIMO forgivable loan when he pursued a medical degree.
“MAHEC provides the structure and ability to pursue my personal and professional goals by providing direct patient care to undeserved populations with the assistance of students, and facilitating leadership development for my peers in primary care and public health,” Rottnek said.
Rottnek is now the medical director for the SLU AHEC program office.
Brown said many nurses have benefited from PRIMO loans as well.
Work begins with students in their freshman year of high school through the AHEC Career Enhancement Scholars or ACES program by offering certification training, workshops, leadership projects and shadowing in a health facility. A similar program, ACES+, is for college students. Both require a 3.0 GPA.
“Club MED stands for Medical Exploration and Development, and it’s an opportunity for students to expand their knowledge, abilities and interests,” Brown said. It is an in-school program open to all students who are interested in medicine, nursing or allied health careers.
Brown said she hopes Club MED will serve as feeder programs for ACES, which is for students who will eventually want more in-depth exposure.
Brown said their programs are underway in several area school districts, including St. Louis Public Schools, Clayton, Ferguson-Florissant and Special School District and several private schools.
“Students are referred from high school counselors, teachers, former participants and parents as well,” Brown said.
“We are building skill sets and helping the kids build portfolios to help them be attractive to post-secondary schools and their medical school.”
For additional information about ECMO AHEC, call 314-772-9979. Find more information on PRIMO loans at www.dhss.mo.gov/primo.
Boxes:
East Central Missouri AHEC connects high school and college students to careers, professionals to communities and communities to better health through training, support and resources. Call 314-772-9979 for more information.
PRIMO loans are forgivable loans for students attending schools in Missouri who are interested in medical or allied health careers and want to work in underserved areas in the state. Go to www.dhss.mo.gov/primo for more information.