Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Application Process for

Indian Health Service Rotations

Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (EMSOP) of Rutgers is privileged to offer it's students the opportunity to apply for a rotation at the Indian Health Service (IHS). The Indian Health Service is a federal health program for American Indians and Alaska Natives and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. This rotation provides the student with the opportunity to get hands on experience in the area of public health, including disease state screenings, medication therapeutic management, patient compliance/adherence programs, and provision of patient education.

You may find out more information regarding the IHS and its mission, goals and services by clicking on the IHS logo above or going to http://www.IHS.gov. Please note: these rotations are separate from the IHS program "PHS Commisioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program" which is an IHS scholarship program.

EMSOP accepts IHS rotations for ambulatory clinical and elective rotation credit. Generally, our students are assigned to sites in New Mexico, Arizona or North Carolina. As these rotations are in short supply and are very highly sought after across the country, we have instituted an internal application process for these rotations. Be aware that we cannot guarantee that all interested students will be given an IHS spot, due to the limited number allocated to us. Also, we must warn you that sometimes these rotations are cancelled by IHS due to lack of housing or other reasons or sites are switched and we are not responsible for any travel arrangements you have made based on your initial assignments. All costs of travel, room and board incurred for this rotation are the responsibility of the student. We recommend that you do not purchase airline tickets or make other non-refundable travel arrangements until approximately 1 month prior to the rotation in case cancellations occur.

In order to apply for the IHS rotation, you must submit an essay answering the following questions:

1. Why are you interested in completing an IHS rotation?

2. How do you plan to use the skills and experience gained in an IHS rotation in your future career as a healthcare professional?

3. What unique attributes do you possess that would make you successful on this rotation?

You may include a preference for site; however, students willing to go to any IHS site (ie. state) will be given priority. You may also request a certain cycle; however if you are flexible you have a greater chance of getting a spot.

Essays are due October 1, 2007 and must be submitted electronically to the rotation rci email account with IHS application in the subject line. Please be sure to include your full name and student number on your essay.