National Center for American Indian Health Professions

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Supporting Indigenous Scholars at ATSU and beyond!

The National Center for American Indian Health Professions (NCAIHP) was established by A.T. Still University (ATSU). The NCAIHP ensures a community of support to current and prospective American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) graduate students pursuing a health-related career. The NCAIHP was developed with community in mind and a strong commitment to community service and engagement, which have ensured community-centered approaches in outreach, support, and collaboration with tribal communities and/or tribally affiliated organizations. Such approaches continue to guide the NCAIHP and ATSU to consider a forward-thinking and responsive mindset in its training and educating of future Indigenous healthcare professionals and its University-wide impact in addressing the health-related challenges faced by many tribal communities.

Purpose

The NCAIHP maintains a long-standing commitment to advancing workforce diversity through increased Indigenous representation in health care. This commitment is realized by:

Providing inspiration, support, and mentorship to AI/AN graduate students to ensure retention and increase recruitment of prospective AI/AN students in an ATSU healthcare professions program.
Providing a community of support at ATSU to ensure AI/AN graduate students thrive in their education and training to later return to tribal communities as healers of their unique professions.

Mission

NCAIHP strives to foster a responsive and personalized environment to meet student needs and encourage Indigenous students to actively engage and shape their journey in becoming a healthcare professional who honor traditional healing principles and osteopathic principles of body, mind, and spirit.

ATSU NCAIHP offers a mentor program connecting high school and college students to ATSU alumni who can answer questions and help find volunteer opportunities in healthcare. Alumni are also invited back to campus as both honored speakers and guests for continuing education opportunities.

NCAIHP Student Engagement and Support

Current ATSU Students
- 1:1 support
- Networking with Indigenous health sciences students and healthcare professionals
- Career and financial advising
- Student organization involvement
- Healthcare and educational events at local tribal clinics and communities
- Indigenous healthcare speakers
- Cultural events
Prospective Students
- Program introductions and campus tours
- Relationship building with current students, staff, and faculty
- Assistance with admissions application
- Financial advising
- Guidance on application process

NCAIHP Enrichment and Immersive Programs

To cultivate early interest in health care careers among Indigenous high school and undergraduate students, the NCAIHP conducts targeted outreach through programs and initiatives such as:

Pathways to Admissions Workshops (PAW)
Dreamline Pathways

NCAIHP External Partnership and Outreach

The NCAIHP offers unique opportunities to ensure collective efforts with tribal communities and their stakeholders to increase the American Indian and Alaska Native healthcare workforce and address health-related challenges. Opportunities offered are:

Support of community initiatives
Support of and collaborate with initiatives for student success offered by local and national organizations (workshops, immersive programs, etc.)

Interested in collaborating or have questions? Contact NCAIHP today!

Funding resources

Graduate school is an investment in the future of the student and of the community. Although most graduate students take out federal loans to cover their tuition and living expenses, the following resources can specifically assist American Indian and Alaska Native students:

ATSU Student Resource provides information for various University-wide, ATSU program specific, and external scholarships and external loan repayment resources to enrolled ATSU students.
Graduate Health Professions Scholarship is offered to students who have accepted an admission offer at an ATSU healthcare program and demonstrates a commitment to serve an underserved community.
American Indian College Fund provides scholarships for American Indian and Alaska Native students in undergraduate and graduate programs.
American Indian Education Fund provides scholarships and supportive resources for graduate and undergraduate students
American Indian Science and Engineering Society provides scholarships and resources for Native American students in STEM fields.
Indian Health Services Scholarship Program offers scholarships and loan repayment programs for enrolled American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Tribal Scholarships may be offered with tribal offices and/or tribal scholarship offices. Contact your affiliated tribal office to learn more.

Connect to a mentor

Considering a career in healthcare? The National Center for American Indian Health Professions (NCAIHP) can connect you with a mentor to support your journey! You may be matched with an ATSU alumnus or current student who can provide insight into graduate school applications, explore specific health careers with you, and share opportunities for volunteering or shadowing.

Email the NCAIHP and we can connect you with a mentor!

Outside the classroom

Society of American Indian Dentists - Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health Chapter (SAID-ASDOH Chapter)

The SAID-ASDOH Chapter serves to build a community of support and strives to increase the representation and workforce of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentists and dental professionals. The SAID-ASDOH Chapter encourages students to commit to a lifelong involvement in organized dentistry and interprofessional collaboration. The SAID-ASDOH Chapter fosters recruitment and support of Indigenous students pursuing a career in and/or interested in the field of dentistry.

Project RISE (Reaching in Student Excellence)

Project RISE is a mentorship-focused student organization at ATSU that is dedicated to academic and personalized support to prospective American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. Project RISE also serves as a conduit between the National Center for American Indian Health Professions and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to ensure enhanced support is provided to prospective Indigenous students.

ATSU’s American Indian heritage

Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO
Dr. Andrew Taylor Still was recognized as the father of osteopathic medicine and founder of A.T. Still University (ATSU), pioneered a revolutionary approach to healthcare centered on the connection between the body, mind, and spirit. His philosophy paralleled the teachings of the Medicine Wheel. This is a sacred symbol used by many tribal communities to represent the continuous balance of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Dr. Still’s beliefs were deeply influenced by his time living among the Shawnee Tribe, who honored him with the name “Hoconethowa,” meaning healer. Through his interactions with the Shawnee Tribe, Dr. Still adopted their methods of nonverbal communication and deep observation, which are principles that became central to his educational philosophy. Rather than relying solely on spoken instruction, he emphasized learning through careful observation and connection to the natural world.

His holistic perspective and focus on the body’s innate ability to heal itself continue to resonate with traditional healing practices among American Indian and Alaska Native communities, reflecting a lasting legacy built on mutual respect and shared values.

William C. Blueskye, DO, ATSU-KCOM Class of ‘54 | Seneca Nation
Dr. William Blueskye was the first documented American Indian physician to graduate and earn a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine from Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery (now ATSU-KCOM). Dr. Blueskye graduated from ATSU in 1954 and eventually set up practice in Mentor, Ohio. While he was at ATSU, he became a member of the Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, which now has chapters on more than 350 campuses across the United States.

George Blue Spruce Jr., DDS, MPH | Pueblo (Laguna/Ohkay-Owingeh)
Dr. George Blue Spruce was the first recognized American Indian dentist in the United States and the first to hold the prestigious title of Assistant Surgeon General. A passionate advocate for Indigenous representation in healthcare, he served as the Assistant Dean for American Indian Affairs at A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Mesa, Arizona. Committed to mentorship and support, Dr. Blue Spruce founded the Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID) to build a strong network for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentists, dental students, and pre-dental students.

Through many years of dedicated service, Dr. Blue Spruce became a changemaker in improving oral health initiatives across tribal communities. His leadership not only advanced public health but also opened doors for AI/AN students pursuing careers in dentistry and healthcare. His legacy lives on in the continued growth of Indigenous representation in the health professions and in the inspiration he provided to generations of Native healthcare professionals.

Pathways to Admissions Workshop (PAW)

Pathways to Admissions Workshops (PAW)

Through the ATSU National Center for American Indian Health Professions (NCAIHP), the PAW strives to support AI/AN youth and pre-health students in their educational and career exploration journey and has set a long-standing goal of enhancing workforce diversity through increased Indigenous representation in health care. Through personalized programming, the PAW offers experiential learning to youth and equips pre-health students to successfully navigate graduate school applications (specifically master’s and doctorate-level health professions degrees). The NCAIHP meets young people where they are in their academic journey through:

Experiences for youth:
- Hands-on experience
- Interactions with allied health professionals
- Relationship building with a supportive network
Experiences for pre-health students:
- Insight into the various ATSU healthcare programs
- Networking with peers, current ATSU students, academic deans, admission representatives, financial aid advisors, etc.
- ATSU Mesa campus tour
- Participate in mock interview session
- Receive 1:1 support with personal statement, transcript review, etc.
- Hands-on experience
- And much more!

Interested in learning more or have questions? Contact NCAIHP today!

NCAIHP Advisory Council

The NCAIHP Advisory Council was established to guide the Center’s efforts in building a strong, supportive community for Indigenous students. The NCAIHP Advisory Council offers strategic insight and professional expertise to advance student success and guide future growth. Its members include ATSU alumni, tribal health leaders, and AI/AN health professionals who serve as vital bridges between the NCAIHP, ATSU, and tribal communities.

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*Note: On this page and throughout our tabs, we use the term Indigenous and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) interchangeably. The NCAIHP acknowledges and honors that there are distinct differences, beliefs, and traditions across all tribal nations.