Teacher Externships

The KU Medical Center Area Health Education Center developed the Teacher Summer Externship to provide an opportunity for health career cluster teachers to obtain continuing education hours toward in accordance with the Kansas State Department of Education's approval process for implementation or continuation of the Health Science Career Pathway/Cluster curriculum.

The externship was piloted in 2009 with 3 teachers from the Kansas City, Kan. school district. It was expanded in 2012 offering the externship duing two separate weeks. The goals of the Teacher Summer Externship are:

• To increase understanding of the academic preparation necessary for health professions programs
• To increase understanding of admission requirements and selection procedures for health professions programs
• To increase effective transmission of relevant information from industry to the secondary health science classroom
• To increase effective transmission of relevant information from post-secondary health professions programs to the secondary health science classroom
• To provide health science teachers contact with current students in health professions programs
• To enhance relationships with key stakeholders including Kansas State Department of Education, KU Medical Center, the Area Health Education Centers and Kansas high schools

To meet the goals listed above, the Teacher Summer Externship includes:

• Observing lectures in the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing and the School of Health Professionals
• Participating in activities in the Nursing Clinical Learning Lab, Neis Skills Lab, the Respiratory Care Learning Lab, and the Orthopedic Research Lab
• Meeting with recruiters from the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the School of Health Professionals and the School of Pharmacy
• Touring many areas of the University of Kansas Hospital, the University of Kansas Cancer Center, Hoglund Brain Imaging Center and Hemenway Life Sciences Innovation Center
• Meeting with a panel of current KU Medical Center students from School of Nursing