Community Health Experience (CHE)

The CHE program was developed summer 2005 through a partnership with the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and collaboration with the NY Metropolitan Regional AHEC office and the three AHECs serving New York City; (Brooklyn/Queens/Long Island AHEC, Bronx/Westchester AHEC, and Manhattan-Staten Island AHEC). In 2009, we expanded our program to Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. This program is a six-week summer program geared towards medical school students who have completed their first year, and are interested in obtaining exposure to diverse community and public health experiences.

The Metro AHECs place students in various community based health and health related organizations that would not only expose them to underrepresented populations, but give them a hands-on approach to becoming aware of an array of issues and concerns, affecting health, of the community.

Given that their academic training in medical school will focus on science and clinical medicine, students are strategically placed in non-clinical settings to enhance their learning experience. The Metro AHECs believes that health professionals with an understanding of community health issues will have a great impact on minimizing healthcare disparities in the future. In addition to placement in community organizations, students are also provided a didactic lecture series once a week, which covers different community/public health centered topics and field trips.

Since 2009, the Metro AHECs has worked with nearly fifty medical school students.

The Metro AHECs are looking to expand the Community Health Experience Program to other health professions schools and community organizations. If you are interested please contact any of the three Metro AHECs for more information.