Gap Year Opportunity - National Health Corps

[HydroFlaskGirl]

Hey Everyone!

Its never too early to start planning for your gap year! I wanted to share some information with you about a fantastic gap year opportunity to gain real world exposure!

I’m serving with the National Health Corps AmeriCorps program in Florida and we’re starting to recruit members for next year! Applications for the 2020 – 2021 year open in March, but we are actively recruiting for open spots for this program year (the program specifics for the open positions are slightly different - ask me for more information).

A thread like this has been posted before but I wanted to make it more active this year. I will post about our experiences throughout the year.

Some basics about the program:

• 10.5-month commitment perfect for gap year (September-July)
• 1700 hours of direct service to medically underserved populations
• Monthly (or more) group service projects, including Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, sports for the developmentally or physically disabled, etc.
• Diverse host sites that you can choose from to serve different populations (children, mentally ill, homeless, those with substance use disorder, pregnant, domestic violence, etc.)
• Professional and leadership development through committees with other members
• Professional networking opportunities
• Time off for holidays, personal days, and medical school interviews
• Living in Florida is awesome
• $6000+ education award at the end to use toward school!

A lot of public health graduate programs require post-bac public health experience to show that you are dedicated to the field of public health. This program is a great way to get that experience while serving the community. If you are undecided on a concentration, this program is also a great way to get exposure to the field and to narrow down your interest. It’s definitely something that will make you stand out in your applications, and if you’re lacking volunteering of any kind, this is perfect.
Besides service at my ‘host site,’ there’s a myriad of outside service opportunities to choose from, including volunteering at a free clinic for the uninsured, at UF Health, at the Salvation Army homeless shelter, and several other places, which count toward the 1700 hour commitment.

Feel free to PM me with questions about applying, or ask them here and I’ll answer them as soon as possible!

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[HydroFlaskGirl]

Hello all,

Positions for the National Health Corps Florida AmeriCorps program will be opening soon!

I wanted to talk about a typical week in my position. I serve as a Care Coordinator in the Women's Services unit at a hospital here in Jacksonville. I usually arrive at my host site between 8:30-9:00 am.

Monday: I go to the postpartum unit and do risk screenings with patients. This includes discussing any substance use, gaps in prenatal care, and socioeconomic risk factors. I then do education on safe sleep practices, nutrition, and exercises. I also refer families to home visiting programs during this time.

Tuesday: I work on documentation and prepare materials for my client visits throughout the week. I have a walking club that I facilitate with some pregnant and parenting moms, so I also do that. I also meet one on one with clients and work on resumes, job applications, and whatever else they might need help with.

Wednesday: I provide nutrition education to pregnant women at their first appointment. This is a fast-paced environment with nurses, medical assistants, and other staff members seeing patients in a rotation.

Thursday: I work on documentation again, and also do another walking club. I meet one on one with a client and workout.

Friday: I go to a jail clinic and do risk screenings with patients at their first appointments, provide more education about various community programs, and refer to home visiting services as needed.

In addition to my regular host site service, I also meet regularly with two committees. One of which is recruitment for new members and outside volunteers and the other is to plan social events for the corps. We are required to serve on one committee, the other is optional. This week, I did an outside service project at a race for differently-abled individuals. This upcoming weekend I will be participating in a river clean-up.

I will be posting about some of the other positions when they open. Mostly, you can expect to be working with vulnerable populations, providing education and connections to services in the community. Not to mention hanging out with some pretty cool people.

If anyone has questions, feel free to post here or direct message, I'll be happy to answer all of them.

Link to the website where you can read some blogs from current members: National Health Corps Florida Blog | National Health Corps