Charlotte Austin1, Elizabeth Berg2, Loretta Heuer3, Linda Cushman4, Cynthia Lindquist5, Jonathan Ripp6. 1. Department of Surgery, Monmouth Medical Center, 200 2nd Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740, USA charlotte.austin@gmail.com. 2. Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, NYP/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 W 168th St. PH 17-119, New York, NY 10032, USA liznofiberg@gmail.com. 3. Population and Family Health at Columbia University Medical Center, 60 Haven Avenue B-2, New York, NY 10032, USA loretta.heuer@ndsu.edu. 4. Cankdeska Cikana Community College, 214 1st Ave, Fort Totten, ND 58335, USA lfc2@cumc.columbia.edu. 5. School of Nursing, North Dakota State University School of Nursing, NDSU Dept 2670, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58102, USA president@littlehoop.edu. 6. General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA jonathan.ripp@mountsinai.org.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Native Americans have some of the worst health outcomes of any minority group in the USA, and are severely under-represented in the health professional workforce. From 2009 to 2015, partners from a tribal college in rural North Dakota and academic institutions in New York collaborated to create a program wherein non-Native health professionals traveled to the reservation to teach a summer course to Native students. This study assessed the impact of the program on both the Native students who took the course and the non-Native health professionals who taught the course. METHODS: Focus groups composed of former students in the program were held in Spirit Lake, North Dakota. Non-Native student teachers were surveyed using an online survey tool. Focus group data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Fifteen former students participated in the focus groups. Participants stated that their experiences in the course increased interest in health professions and knowledge of public health issues. Participants also described barriers to entering health professionals for Native students and the benefits of close interaction with non-Native individuals. Eighty-six percent (24/28) of former course teachers responded to the survey. Survey respondents stated their experiences in North Dakota increased their understanding of underserved populations and their interest in working in rural areas. CONCLUSION: This study assessed the successes and limitations of a collaborative, interprofessional immersion program in rural North Dakota. Similar programs may increase the number of Native Americans in health professions and increase non-Native health professional interest in and engagement with rural communities.
INTRODUCTION: Native Americans have some of the worst health outcomes of any minority group in the USA, and are severely under-represented in the health professional workforce. From 2009 to 2015, partners from a tribal college in rural North Dakota and academic institutions in New York collaborated to create a program wherein non-Native health professionals traveled to the reservation to teach a summer course to Native students. This study assessed the impact of the program on both the Native students who took the course and the non-Native health professionals who taught the course. METHODS: Focus groups composed of former students in the program were held in Spirit Lake, North Dakota. Non-Native student teachers were surveyed using an online survey tool. Focus group data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Fifteen former students participated in the focus groups. Participants stated that their experiences in the course increased interest in health professions and knowledge of public health issues. Participants also described barriers to entering health professionals for Native students and the benefits of close interaction with non-Native individuals. Eighty-six percent (24/28) of former course teachers responded to the survey. Survey respondents stated their experiences in North Dakota increased their understanding of underserved populations and their interest in working in rural areas. CONCLUSION: This study assessed the successes and limitations of a collaborative, interprofessional immersion program in rural North Dakota. Similar programs may increase the number of Native Americans in health professions and increase non-Native health professional interest in and engagement with rural communities.