Health Careers Opportunity Program

The UIC School of Public Health is dedicated to the training of a diverse cadre of public health professionals. To this end, and in collaboration with the UIC Urban Health Program, an initiative to recruit, retain, and graduate students from minority groups historically underrepresented in the health professions, the school has developed a comprehensive career pipeline into public health, consisting of the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) and the Health Professional Partnership Initiative. These programs are supported through grants from 1) the Health Resources and Services Administration, Division of Education Development and Diversity, 2) the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and 3) several public health partners.

The model will increase the pool and the competitiveness of African-Americans and Latinos who are enrolled, retained, and graduated with master's and doctoral degrees in public health. The comprehensive plan includes individuals from all educational levels, K-20.

The Elementary/Middle School Program includes:

1) Public Health Assembly; 2) Public Health Curriculum, a health education program in over ten elementary schools taught by public health graduate students; 3) Public Health Week; 4) a six-week intensive Summer Public Health Institute and a thirty-week, all-year-round Saturday College for sixth to eighth grades at both the Early Outreach Program of UIC and Chicago State University.

The High School Program includes:

1) Public Health Clubs, a leadership training organization for 250 students from nine participating high schools); 2) a Saturday College at both the Early Outreach Program of UIC and at Chicago State University; and 3) a six-week High School Summer Public Health Institute.

Public Health Education for Teachers

Public Health Education for Teachers helps teachers to incorporate public health science into the K-12 curriculum and to increase their understanding of the impact of prejudice and stereotypes on the delivery of health care and the improvement of public health. Participating teachers receive lane credit promotion.

The Undergraduate College Students' Program includes:

1) Bi-annual conferences organized to disseminate information on how to prepare for a career in the public health workforce, address cultural competence in public health, access educational and professional opportunities in public health, and address public health issues facing disadvantaged minorities; 2) Public Health Sciences Satellite Centers (Brides to Baccalaureate, funded by NIH through City Colleges of Chicago) provide preliminary education to community college students to strengthen their performance in the sciences as they are connected to biomedical sciences at UIC. City Colleges of Chicago students receive stipends for their participation; 3) a Pre-Application/Admission Program to increase the competitiveness of disadvantaged undergraduate juniors and seniors in preparing for graduate study; and 4) a Summer Residential Enrichment Program, an eight-to-ten-week summer program that facilitates the entry of disadvantaged and underrepresented minority undergraduate juniors, seniors, and post-baccalaureate students into professional and graduate training in public health.

Participants are also given a stipend of $300.00 per week if they are from the Health Professions Shortage Areas of Illinois and/or demonstrate financial need.

The UIC SPH Matriculated Students' Program includes:

1) The Pre-matriculation Program, an intensive six-week preliminary course to strengthen the academic competitiveness of disadvantaged and underrepresented minority students admitted to the UIC SPH; and 2) student support groups, a retention program focusing on biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental calculations, and writing.

Financial Aid and Job Placement

A minimum of two seminars is held every semester to provide opportunities for students to: 1) access financial assistance; 2) network with federal, state, and local agencies, and with private organizations; and 3) attend professional conferences.

For further information, contact Shaffdeen A. Amuwo, PhD, MPH, Associate Dean for Community, Government, and Alumni Affairs, at 312-996-6625 or the HCOP director at 312-996-5955.