Tennessee Area Health Education Center

Meharry Medical College

Growing Generations of Health Professionals

Course Documents

Instructions: Click on a title below to view the document in PDF.

• Course Syllabus
• Clinical Training Form (due before the rotation begins)
• Preceptor Letter Agreement (due before the rotation begins)
• Preceptor Evaluation (due at the end of the rotation)
• Patient Log Book (electronic log book due at the end of the rotation)
• Web-based Student Course Evaluation (due at the end of the rotation)

At the conclusion of the rotation you should return the following documents:

• Preceptor Evaluation (Ask your preceptor to complete the evaluation and return via fax to 615-327-6131)
• Patient Log Book (Submit the electronic log book via email to tnahec@gmail.com)
• Student Course Evaluation, web-based (Complete the evaluation using the link provided above)
• Reflection Paper (Submit the reflection paper as an attachment via email to tnahec@gmail.com)

Theme 1: Community Service Project Selection

Overview: The purpose of the Community Service Project is to provide students an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of community identified needs and concerns and gain an understanding of the context in which those needs and concerns exist.

Instructions: Identify a project in consultation with your preceptor. The project should be beneficial to your target audience and identified as a need. Complete the Community Service Selection form and return via email to tnahec@gmail.com.

Assignment Files:

Community Service Project Guidelines

Community Service Project Selection Form

Resources/Tools:

National Health Observance 2011 Calendar (National Health Information Center)

Patient Education Information (American Academy of Family Physicians)

Tar Wars, A Tobacco-free Education Program (American Academy of Family Physicians)

Healthy People 2020

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles (American Medical Association)

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Theme 2: Cultural Competence & Personal Bias

Overview: Cultural and linguistic competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations. 'Culture' refers to integrated patterns of human behavior that include the language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups. 'Competence' implies having the capacity to function effectively as an individual and an organization within the context of the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and needs presented by consumers and their communities. (Adapted from Cross, 1989).

Instructions: Complete the cultural competency assessment and review the answers provided. Please be sure to keep a copy of your responses as you will address the results in your reflection paper.

Assignment Files:

Quality & Culture Quiz

Resource/Tools:

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Serivces in Health Care (CLAS Standards)

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Theme 3: Understanding the Determinants of Health

Overview: The determinants of health as defined by the Department of Health and Human Services are factors that contribute to a person's current state of health. These factors may be biological, socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioral, or social in nature. Scientists generally recognize five determinants of health of a population:

• Biology and genetics. Examples: sex and age
• Individual behavior. Examples: alcohol use, injection drug use (needles), unprotected sex, and smoking
• Social environment. Examples:  discrimination, income, and gender
• Physical environment. Examples: where a person lives and crowding conditions
• Health services. Examples: Access to quality health care and having or not having health insurance

Instructions: Review the links under resources/tools below regarding the determinants of health. Consider how the determinants of health have an effect on the patient population at your clinic site and with the audience of your community service project. 

Assignment Files:

Reflection Paper Guidelines & Grading Rubric

Resources/Tools:

Healthy People 2020

Health Disparities/Inequities Report, United States, 2011 (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)

Health Disparities in Income and Education Fact Sheet (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)

       Tennessee AHEC Mission:

To improve the supply and distribution of health care professionals with an emphasis on primary care - in urban and rural Tennessee.

        Tennessee AHEC Goals:

• Establish productive links between academic health centers, health professionals, community-based organizations, and consumers to the benefit of the underserved and rural populations.
• Identify local health needs and responses through community input and participation.
• Promote health and prevent disease through culturally appropriate interventions.
• Increase the number of underrepresented, low income and racial/ethnic minorities entering into health education programs
• Implement inter-disciplinary,continuing education and training for health professionals.

              Map of Tennessee

                        West          Central              East