Community-Based Internships to Address Environmental Issues

Background: The health status of the nation's poor is significantly less than the health status of the remainder of the population. Statistics indicate that disadvantaged populations suffer disproportionately from hazardous waste facilities in their community and the adverse health effects that accompany them. To understand the consequences of exposure to health hazards, health professionals should consider the experiences of individuals in local communities. To gain this understanding, it is important to provide training through practical experience, fellowships and internships. The aims of this program are to: 1) Provide a graduate internship that gives students the opportunity to utilize their didactic skills in a community-based setting on important environmental issues; and 2) Educate and empower the community with the tools needed to address their environmental concerns and protect their health. Methods: The year-long program emphasizes graduate training and development of research regarding disease and health problems that primarily affect disadvantaged persons. Students acquire experience in community environments that included research, political action, community organization, information dissemination and social change. Results: Approximately 17 students were able to critically examine environmental issues while gaining the necessary skills to identify and manage the effects of environmental toxins on the health of communities. Conclusions: The combination of experiential community-based learning and quality classroom efforts creates the qualified professional who, after graduation, is uniquely prepared to impact greater public health issues. This project was funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools.