The Illinois SEARCH Program is currently accepting applications for rotations beginning by September 30, 2008 and for the period January 1 - December 31, 2009. 

Illinois SEARCH Program- The Illinois Student/resident Experiences and Rotations in Community Health (SEARCH) program is a nationally recognized program that increases recruitment and retention of health care professionals in health professional shortage areas.

By participating in the SEARCH program, health professions students are able to gain valuable hands-on clinical and/or community health experiences at health clinics in the Chicago and other areas of Illinois.

Health professions students in their clinical years complete one or more clerkship rotations (from 4-8 weeks) and medical residents spend one year or more learning in these medically underserved settings while also expanding clinical services.  Health professions students in their non-clinical years can participate in the SEARCH SERVE (Student Enrichment Rotation through Vocational Experiences) program during the summer months.

The Illinois SEARCH program offers many benefits to students/residents including:

• An opportunity to train in multidisciplinary, culturally diverse community settings
• Receiving information that impacts the delivery of care to underserved populations
• Training in cultural competency and community health issues
• The prospect of exploring future residency/employment opportunities
• Priority on the IPHCA’s job recruitment list for community health centers
• A modest stipend upon the completion of the rotation and Curriculum

There are two components to the Illinois SEARCH program: the Clinical Rotation at a SEARCH Site and the Illinois SEARCH Curriculum.