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Preparing for Admission : Advisor & Student Resources : Visit SOMA : Requirements : Accreditation : Hometown Applicants
Hometown Partnerships for Health
Do You —
Want to help improve the health of your community? Desire to Work in Your Community’s Health Center as a physician?
If you answered “yes,” then Hometown Partnerships for Health may be for you!
The School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona was started in response to a request from, and in partnership with, the nation’s healthcare safety net of Community Health Centers. The purpose of Hometown is to help the innovative new medical school meet the needs of Community Health Centers by attracting and training dedicated, motivated, and qualified community-minded physicians. This information is designed to help you explore how you might become a Hometown endorsed applicant.
Hometown Applicants are those who have:
* Located a Community Health Center (CHC) to stay involved with
* Developed relationships with CHC staff and leadership
* Learned about the working environment of a CHC
* Gained valuable volunteer or work experience
* Gained SOMA application endorsement from a CHC leader
A Hometown endorsement lets the medical school know which applicants Community Health Centers believe could become the compassionate community-minded healers they would like to employ. If you are interested in seeking a Hometown endorsement, visit the Bureau of Primary Health Care web page to identify a Community Health Center to connect with as a volunteer or employee. In this way, you can learn about that health center’s approach for improving community health, develop health center relationships, and (hopefully) gain the endorsement from that CHC.
A Community Health Center leader can advocate for your acceptance into the medical school by sending a Hometown endorsement letter to Gary Cloud (address below). Hometown letters of endorsement do not replace the regular application process. Hometown endorsement letters parallel the regular application process – a process that requires its own letters of support.
What is a Community Health Center?
CHC Mission
To promote the provision of high-quality, comprehensive healthcare
that is accessible, coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent,
and community directed for all under served populations.
More information and related links:
School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (SOMA)
http://www.atsu.edu/soma/
National Association of Community Health Centers
http://www.nachc.com
Bureau of Primary Health Care web site through the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services
http://bphc.hrsa.gov
For more information about the Hometown program, contact:
Gary Cloud, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost
Associate Dean
School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
5850 E. Still Circle
Mesa, AZ 85206-3618
Phone: 480.219.6013
E-mail: gcloud@atsu.edu
For more information on the D.O. program at SOMA, please contact a representative at 866.626.2878 x2237 (toll free), 480.219.6000 (direct dial), or via email at admissions@atsu.edu.
