Educational Opportunities
Part of CommUnityCare’s vision is to be a teaching center of excellence, helping to train the healthcare workforce of the future for Central Texas.
The center is home to nine medical residency programs affiliated with the University of Texas Dell School of Medicine, including pediatrics, family medicine and internal medicine. A number of CommUnityCare providers have joint appointments at the medical school.
We also partner with a variety of other higher education institutions and school districts, including Austin Community College and the Austin Independent School District, helping to train frontline healthcare workers.
For more information about educational opportunities and partnerships, email EducationandResearch@communitycaretx.org.
Residency Programs
Residents are doctors in training. They have graduated from medical school, been awarded an M.D. or D.O. degree, and are now conducting additional training in a specific specialty. All residents are supervised by teaching physicians.
A teaching physician is referred to as a preceptor or attending. The teaching physician supervises and educates resident doctors in delivering high-quality, safe, and efficient patient care, identifying the best care plans and treatment for each patient. The teaching physician is ultimately responsible for every patient.
A resident doctor learns in both outpatient clinics and hospitals. Resident clinics serve to educate future doctors while caring for current patients. Residents are scheduled in clinic regularly and far in advance to maintain stable teams and provide patient continuity. Patients can see their primary resident doctor as much as they need. However, if the patient has an acute or urgent need, there are other resident doctors available to address their health concerns in a timely manner.
CommUnityCare delivers care by way of a team-based approach. Evidence demonstrates that when health care experts work in a collaborative fashion with the patient, his/her family and the community, outcomes are better. Members of our health care team include:
- Medical Assistants
- Physicians/Advanced Practice Providers
- Nurses
- Clinical Pharmacists
- Clinical Dietitians
- Behavioral Health Counselors
- Community Health Workers
- Health Care Professional Students
Research & Affiliated Schools
At CommUnityCare Health Centers, we are dedicated to providing evidence-based care. This includes facilitating research projects across health institutions to create better tools and treatment practices for our patients.
If you are looking to do research at CommUnityCare, please fill out and submit the Research Proposal Form. Our organization will match your project with an internal expert to provide feedback and establish whether the project is aligned with our current initiatives. If the project aligns, we will contact you about giving a short oral presentation in our monthly research committee meeting.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Department of Education and Research at: educationandresearch@communitycaretx.org
CommUnityCare is affiliated with the following schools:
- Austin Community College
- Austin Independent School District
- Concordia University – Texas
- Huston-Tillotson University
- Texas State University-San Marcos
- Texas Tech University – Health Science Center
- University of Texas – Arlington
- University of Texas – Austin
- University of Texas Health Science Center – San Antonio
- University of Texas Medical Branch
- University of Texas – Tyler
*Please note this list may not be all-inclusive of our affiliated schools through CommUnityCare. However, we are unable to expand the student placement program with other universities at this time.
Clinical Placement & Internships
Clinical placement is defined as any arrangement of medical field students present in an environment that provides health care to patients or the public. It provides a practical experience of working with patients.
The student must attend a school that has an affiliation agreement or memorandum of understanding with CommUnityCare. The Department of Education and Research will determine the number of students the clinic can accommodate.
- Nurse Practitioner
- Medical Assistant
- Dental Assistant
- Dental Hygienist
- Community Health Worker (CHW)
- Pharmacy Technician
*Because of preceptor availability and clinic capacity, available spaces are limited.
*An affiliation agreement/MOU and a request do not guarantee a clinical placement in a CommUnityCare clinic.
Our organization has transitioned to a new process for receiving and reviewing clinical placement requests. Students seeking clinical placement rotations will submit a completed online application for consideration.
Please note The Department of Education and Research at CommUnityCare has deadlines for each applicable term for accepting requests.
- Spring Term Deadline: November 30
- Summer Term Deadline: March 30
- Fall Term Deadline: June 30
Clinical Placement & Internship Application Form
After each semester deadline a member of our team will be in contact with all applicants regarding their placement status. If approved by our department directly, students must provide all of the supplementary paperwork required at least 30 calendar days prior to your start date.
Please note that the Department of Education and Research will evaluate each application on a case-by-case basis to determine candidates appropriately. Deadlines are critical in meeting the follow-up requirements in the event the student’s rotation request is approved. A completed form does not guarantee placement. Limited to one application per term, per student.
Observerships
An observer is a student who is involved in health care education through a formal officially recognized, educational program who requests approval to observe patient care in a CommUnityCare Clinic in a strictly nonmedical capacity (i.e., this is a one-way experience with absolutely no physical contact with the patients). The student must attend a school/university and be enrolled in courses toward a degree. An example of an observer is a premedical college student, or any student interested in pursuing a medical profession in the future.
Observation is limited to 24 hours. It does not need to be three consecutive days and can be spread over multiple days (within one month) but cannot exceed 24 hours. Observers must be 16 or older. Observers will not assist in any procedures or take part in any action other than passive observation. Stipends are not offered.
Who is NOT an Observer?
- Clinicians with a Texas medical license who expect to practice medicine or engage in education.
- Visiting fourth-year medical school students.
- Those in physician residency or fellowship training.
- Individuals who are observing patient care at the request of a patient or a patient’s legal representative.
- Media or vendors.
- CommUnityCare associates observing patient care in a manner related to their job duties.
*Because of preceptor availability and clinic capacity, available spaces are limited.
Please note The Department of Education and Research at CommUnityCare has deadlines for each applicable term for accepting requests.
- Spring Term Deadline: November 30
- Summer Term Deadline: March 30
- Fall Term Deadline: June 30
After each semester deadline a member of our team will be in contact with all applicants on their placement status. If approved by our department directly, students must provide all of the supplementary paperwork required at least 30 calendar days prior to your start date.
Please note that the Department of Education and Research will evaluate each application on a case-by-case basis to determine candidates appropriately. Deadlines are critical in meeting the follow-up requirements in the event the student’s rotation request is approved. A completed form does not guarantee placement. Limited to one application per term, per student.
Be sure to send a copy to yourself for your own records.
Questions?
Please contact our Education and Research Department at: educationandresearch@communitycaretx.org.
Area Health Education Centers (AHEC)
Area Health Education Centers, better known as AHECs, are academic and community partnerships that address health care workforce issues. CommUnityCare currently hosts Texas AHEC East – Capital Region, which collaborates with organizations and educational institutions to improve the supply, distribution, retention and training of varied health professionals in medically underserved areas.
Our activities include:
- Promoting health careers to high school students.
- Enhancing the health care workforce quality with its AHEC Scholars program.
- Supporting rural/undeserved clinical rotations for health professions students.
- Offering academic enrichment opportunities for students planning to enter the health care field.
- Providing health care professional development.
Why AHEC?
Because…
- Too few students enter careers in health care.
- Too few health care professionals choose employment in underserved areas.
- Too few racial and ethnic minorities and underprivileged people choose careers in the health workforce.
- The population does not appropriately use the existing health care resources.
- Divisions exist between the missions of health profession training programs and community needs.
The AHEC Scholars Program is a two-year program for current health profession students interested in gaining additional training and team-based clinical experiences working in rural areas and/or with underserved populations. It requires 40 hours of didactic learning and 40 hours of experiential learning each year. A few notes:
- This program supplements students’ existing health professions programs.
- Participation commitment is for two years and culminates in completion or graduation from a certificate or degree program.
- Students must have at least two years remaining in their degree program prior to graduation.
For more information on AHEC or AHEC Scholars, please visit our website.
AHEC Scholars Flyer: Download the file below.
More information