Frequently Asked Questions
Who should apply?
Health Equity Scholars Program seeks participants from a wide range of clinical fields and practices. We encourage early & mid-career physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, dentists, dietitians, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers and other practicing clinicians to apply for the program.
As a requirement, Health Equity Scholars should:
Have completed all required clinical training;
Be currently active: seeing patients, training health professional students, and/or supervising other providers.
I’m a practicing clinician, am I going to be able to fit this program into my clinical work?
Mid-Career Health Equity Scholars Program is designed to accommodate a very demanding schedule of practicing clinicians. On average this program will require up to 8 hours/month time commitment.
All Online Monthly Sessions are scheduled on Fridays from 1-3pm ET in order to accommodate different time zones. This time was also selected in consultation with many practicing clinicians. To learn more check our Program Schedule
What is Health Equity?
Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care. (source RWJF)
What is Community Organizing?
Community Organizing is a form of leadership practice that enables a group of people to turn it's own resources into the power to achieve it's goals through recruitment, training, and development of leadership. Organizing is about equipping people (constituency) with the power (story and strategy) to make change (real outcomes). Organizing people to build the power to make change is based on the mastery of five key leadership practices: telling stories, building relationships, structuring teams, strategizing, and acting. In order to develop our capacity for effective community organizing, we must learn: The Five Leadership Practices
How to articulate a story of why we are called to lead, a story of the community we hope to mobilize and why we’re united, and a story of why we must act.
How to build intentional relationships as the foundation of purposeful collective actions.
How to create a structure that distributes power and responsibility and prioritizes leadership development.
How to strategize turning your resources into the power to achieve clear goals.
How to translate strategy into measurable, motivational, and effective action.
If you want to learn more click here
Do I need to be a healthcare professional to apply?
Yes, all health equity scholars need to be actively working healthcare professionals in order to apply for this program.
What type of institutional support do I need?
The Health Equity Scholars Program is tuition based. The tuition for the course is $3,750 and is expected to be paid for by the participant's institution.
In case you are willing to begin the process of seeking institutional support, here is a template letter you can feel free to use when reaching out to your supervisor, medical director, or human resources.
Institutional Support Template Letter
Why is Health Equity important for clinicians?
Health equity is important because health inequities - differences in health that are both avoidable and unjust - are pervasive in the US and around the world. We must strive for health equity so that all individuals are empowered by social structures, including health care systems, to live their fullest, healthiest lives. Health professionals have important vantage points from which to understand the ways social and systemic factors impact health outcomes, a perspective that can allow them to be effective agents of change in improving health equity. Greater fluency and skills in health equity will improve quality of treatment, and help providers develop rooted strategies to solve inequities due to structural determinants of health.
How is community organizing different from traditional advocacy?
Traditional advocacy and service delivery are both characterized by doing things FOR people. Professionals like lawyers, social or healthcare workers will address a problem on behalf of those perceived as unable to speak for themselves. Although traditional advocacy has it’s role and importance, it doesn’t focus on building leadership, power and capacity among those affected by the problems to address them.