2012 CHIP Program - Student Application Information

2012 CHIP Student online application is now available. The due date was Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

The 2012 CHIP Site Description List - updated 3.12.12

 

The full application will require:

1. Completion of the online application

2. Two letters of recommendation

3. A complete set of official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended

 

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements:
-Wisconsin resident or student attending a college or university in Wisconsin (see exception* below- SEARCH)
-U.S. citizen or permanent resident
-Currently enrolled in a technical, undergraduate, or graduate program (may participate the summer following graduation)
-GPA of 3.0 or higher
-Demonstrated and/or well-articulated interest in public health

 Key program dates for the 2012 Statewide program:

  • Friday, February 24, 2012 - Application deadline for applicants to the Statewide program and those who wish to be considered for either the Statewide or the Milwaukee program. 

* We hope to finalize all matches by the end of April *

  • Friday, June 1, 2012  - Orientation and Training on UW Madison campus (all day) for Statewide program participants; hotel accommodations will be provided if needed.
  •  Monday, June 4, 2012 - Interns report to agencies. If your academic year has not concluded at this time, another start date is possible.
  •  Friday, July 27, 2012 - Last official day of work for interns

 

Key Program Dates for the 2012 Milwaukee program:

  • Thursday, March 15, 2012 - Extended application deadline for those who are ONLY interested in the Milwaukee program (with sites in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties).  Please note that applicants who wish to be considered for either the Milwaukee or the Statewide program must apply by February 24.
  • Monday, June 4, 2012 through Friday, July 27, 2012 - Milwaukee program internship dates.  An orientation is held in Milwaukee on the first day of the program.

  

Where to send letters of recommendation and transcripts:

The CHIP application requires two letters of recommendation submitted by individuals who have supervised and evaluated your work in an academic or professional setting. Relatives and friends may not serve in this capacity. 

 

Letters should be sent by your recommenders directly to the AHEC Program Office in Madison. They may be sent via email (preferably as a pdf document on letterhead) to internships@ahec.wisc.edu or via regular mail to the WI AHEC Program, 750 Highland Ave., Rm. 4251, Madison, WI 53705.  You will also need to provide a complete set of official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.  You should wait to send your current transcript until after the fall semester 2011 courses and grades have been posted.  Transcripts may be sent to the AHEC Program Office at the above address. 

 

Applicants for SEARCH program placement should also send their letters and transcripts to the address above.  

 

Stipend:

Interns receive a stipend of $1,200 per month, or $2,400 for the eight week program. A few of the Statewide program internships have an option of a third month.  See detailed site descriptions.

 

Interns work full-time (generally, 40 hours per week) at the host site, and participate in core seminars.  In Milwaukee, these seminars are held on Tuesdays.  Statewide program interns will participate in an online course which includes 2-3 academic webinars and several assignments including: an interview, a letter to a legislator, and a final presentation (via webinar).

 

Available sites (Statewide Program only):

Applicants to the Statewide Program will indicate their site assignment preferences in their application - up to 4 and will write an essay on their top 2.  The 2012 site list is posted in the left-hand column under "2012 Program Announcement" or http://wisc-ahec.typepad.com/2012_CHIP/2012%20CHIP%20site%20list%20as%20of%2012-7-11.pdf.  We may have a few additional sites to add during the application process, so you may wish to check the list again before you submit your application.  [Milwaukee program interns will receive a list of projects and sites to select from after acceptance to the program.]

 

Housing (Statewide Program only):

Students selected for the internship are responsible for making their own housing arrangements.  Interns are often able to find local housing with friends or family.  The Statewide program application provides you with an opportunity to indicate where you will have housing.  You may, however, indicate internship choices in locations where you do not have housing.  If you are offered an internship in a location where you do not have housing available, the local AHEC office may be able to assist in finding suitable housing.

 

Questions?

Please direct questions about the application process and specific questions about the Statewide program sites to Mandy Meloy at the AHEC Program Office in Madison:

Mandy Meloy
ameloy@wisc.edu
(608) 265-6323

 

 

Questions about the Milwaukee CHIP program should be directed to Virginia Thomas at Milwaukee AHEC:

Virginia Thomas
vthomas@milahec.org
(414) 344-0675

 

 

SEARCH Program placements in the Community Health Intern Program

Through a National Health Service Corps SEARCH (Student/Resident Experiences in Community Health) program contract, Wisconsin AHEC is currently working to develop elective opportunities during the summer at Community Health Centers (CHCs) and other health care delivery sites in underserved areas. These opportunities will be available to National Health Service Corp scholars and other eligible students as CHIP program placements and/or as supplemental experiences.  Interested students should apply through the on-line application for the CHIP program and check the options for SEARCH-eligible students.

To be eligible to participate through the SEARCH program, students must have matriculated into and/or begun health professional training in one of the following disciplines:

o      medical students who are candidates for the MD or DO degree,

o      primary care certified nurse practitioners (NPs) who specialize in adult, family, pediatric, psychiatry/mental health, geriatrics, or women’s health;

o      psychiatric nurse specialists;

o      certified nurse-midwives (CNMs);

o      physician assistants (PAs) who specialize in primary care;

o      general practice dentists (DMD or DDS); pediatric dentists; dental hygienists;

o      health service psychologists;

o      licensed clinical social workers;

o      marriage and family therapists; licensed professional counselors.

 

Wisconsin’s CHCs are located in communities across the state.   (For more information on Wisconsin’s CHCs, see www.wphca.org )

 

For more information about program requirements, please see "2012 CHIP program - Student Application Information."  SEARCH students may apply through the CHIP program and will be given preference for Community Health Center sites.  SEARCH students should expect to participate in the CHIP orientation and all other elements of the AHEC intern program, unless specific alternative arrangements have been authorized by the AHEC Office.

 

Research opportunities in the Community Health Intern Program

Whether at health departments, community health centers or community service agencies, AHEC interns are often involved in assisting in research on implementation of evidence-based community health improvement projects.  For 2012 we are actively recruiting sites and projects that provide students with an opportunity to participate in community-based research.  If you have an interest in research, be sure to note that in your application and continue checking the project descriptions as they are updated.  We often hear about research opportunities fairly late in the application process.

 

What is CHIP?

Wisconsin AHEC operates two separate Community Health Internship Program (CHIP) programs each summer.  The Statewide program is coordinated though the Wisconsin AHEC Program Office in Madison and serves a 67-county area that encompasses southwest, central, and northern Wisconsin.   Milwaukee CHIP is coordinated through Milwaukee AHEC and serves a cluster of five urban counties (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth counties) in the southeast corner of the state.

Both programs recruit undergraduate and graduate students interested in gaining real-world public health experience and link them with public health agencies, organizations and clinical practice sites to work on a variety of public health projects. Both programs run full time for eight weeks and provide a $2400 stipend. 

The AHEC intern program creates a 3-way partnership among local public health agencies or providers, student interns, and the Wisconsin Area Health Education Center System. The success of the program depends on partners having both an appreciation for the roles they play in the partnership and a commitment to collaborative learning.

This program offers a wide range of opportunities for students interested in community health.  Previous interns have engaged in:

  • Chronic disease prevention (e.g., implementation of a community physical activity promotion campaign)
  • Environmental health programs (e.g., sampling and analysis of beaches, pools and wells)
  • Local policy and program development (e.g., community health assessments)
  • Health education (e.g., planning and curriculum development of training for day care providers)
  • Improving access to healthcare services (e.g., development of a free clinic)
  • Photovoice projects (e.g., using photography to enable members of underserved communities to provide their perspective in the community health assessment process)
  • Marketing and communication (e.g., development of social media tools and videos)
  • Research (e.g., survey design, focus groups, literature searches, statistical methods, and program evaluations

For details on the opportunities available at intern program sites in summer 2012, please see the list in the left sidebar.

The 2012 Statewide program will kick-off on Thursday, June 7th (tentative) with a full day of orientation and training on the UW Madison campus. The program will conclude on Friday, August 3rd (tentative).

The 2012 Milwaukee program is scheduled to begin with an orientation in Milwaukee on TBD.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements:
-Wisconsin resident or student attending a college or university in Wisconsin (see exception* below)
-U.S. citizen or permanent resident
-Currently enrolled in a technical, undergraduate, or graduate program (may participate the summer following graduation)
-GPA of 3.0 or higher
-Demonstrated and/or well-articulated interest in public health

*We will consider applications to the CHIP program from non-resident students who have completed at least one year of training in one of the SEARCH-eligible disciplines.  See "SEARCH Program" above.

The online application will be made available on this website in December.  To assure full consideration for the Statewide program, your application and supporting materials must be received by midnight on Friday, February 24, 2012. Placements will be finalized by the end of April.  Applications for the Milwaukee program ONLY will be accepted through TBD.

You may use the on-line application to apply for either program, or to request consideration for both. 


Please direct questions about Statewide CHIP to:
Mandy Meloy
ameloy@wisc.edu
(608) 265-6323

Please direct questions about Milwaukee CHIP to:
Virginia Thomas
vthomas@milahec.org
(414) 344-0675