REAL-WORLD EXPOSURE & ADVOCACY IN COMMUNITY HEALTH (REACH)
REACH is a nine-week paid summer internship program offered by AHS for those interested in a career in public health or health-related fields. The program’s goal is to encourage pre-health professionals to choose careers that will focus on the undeserved Asian American community.
Through direct clinical experience, community health advocacy activities, and self-directed projects, REACH will introduce interns to the dynamic environment of a community health center. REACH is a program of the Pipeline Committee, an advocacy group of AHS employees formed in 2006 to address the ongoing need for linguistically and culturally competent health care professionals in our community.
Direct Clinical/Operational Experience:
Interns will rotate through various aspects of a community health setting, as described below:
- Clinical Services: Interns will follow select patients through their clinic visits by shadowing a medical assistant, observing the physical-patient encounter, and by sitting in on behavioral therapy sessions.
- Development/Policy: Interns will work closely with the management team to learn the operations os a community health center, including advocacy-building, policy-making, and fundraising.
- Community Services and Research: Interns will assist with community-based programs that address the multifaceted issues facing the local community. This includes attending the meetings of our Patient Leadership Councils, helping with civic engagement campaigns, observing staff at the Youth Program, and other activities.
- Membership: Interns will learn about health care access in the safety net system by doing outreach to patients to enroll them in health insurance, including Medi-Cal and Covered California.
Special Projects:
Interns will have the opportunity to develop a special project that will benefit AHS and the community at large. By working directly with a mentor, interns will gain enhanced skills in research, as well as in program development, implementation, and improvement.
Community Health Seminars:
To complement the education experience, community leaders will guest lecture on the many facets of community health issues important in today’s political climate, and essential to the delivery of care to the Asian-American underserved.
Question: Do you provide housing?
Answer: No, we do not. However, we do try to provide assistance in locating affordable housing.
Question: I am an international student. Can I still apply?
Answer: International students must have a valid working permit/visa to be considered for this paid internship. International students with student visas will only be considered as a volunteer. They may participate in the internship but will not be paid.
Question: Can my letters of recommendations be sent via email?
Answer: Yes, as long as it comes from that email account of the person writing the email. If you plan to include your letters of recommendations in your entire application packet, we ask that it be in a signed and sealed envelope.
Question: How much are is the internship stipend?
Answer: The financial compensation varies from year to year, but is approximately $2500-$3000.
Question: What are the work hours during the internship?
Answer: 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday. There may be rare events on weekends or evenings, but attendance is not required.
Question: Can I take courses at same time as internship?
Answer: We expect all interns to be present during the entirety of the 9 weeks and during regular work hours.
Question: Why should I do the REACH internship?
Answer: Our prior REACH interns say it best:
“I love the REACH program! It provided invaluable hands-on learning experiences that really taught me the reality of what it looks like to work with communities of color in a culturally competent way. The preceptors and mentors are always willing to help and answer questions, and made me feel welcome.”
“Interning at AHS has been an invaluable experience in both public health and medicine. I was exposed to a variety of areas relating to how a community health center functions, including shadowing physicians and community programs. I had to opportunity to pursue my own interests, while also discovering new areas of interest!”
“This was really fun opportunity, and I got to learn a lot about community health while exploring Chinatown! This really solidified my decision to go into medicine, and I got a lot of different perspectives on health while working here.”
REACH Summer 2019 Intern Profiles & Projects
SCARLETT HUR
Texas A&M University in College Station, TX | Class of 2019
CLARA VOONG
University of California, San Diego | Class of 2021
JACKLIN HA
University of California, Berkeley | Class of 2019
VICTORIA LEE
University of California, Davis | Class of 2020
Applications Are Now Being Accepted for the REACH Program 2023!
Important Dates:
Program Dates: 6/12/23-8/11/23
Application postmark deadline: 03/10/2023
Interviews: 03/27 – 04/07 /2023
Acceptance notifications: 04/22/2023
How to Apply:
The application is available online at https://asianhealthservices.org/internships/ (Download Here)
Documents Requested:
- Cover letter and Curriculum Vitae
- REACH Application
- Official Transcript
- Personal Statement
- TWO Letters of Recommendation (academic and non-academic)
Application POSTMARK DEADLINE: 3/10/2023
All application materials, including letters of recommendation and transcript, can be emailed to kwang@ahschc.org or mailed to:
REACH Internship
Attention: Katie Wang
101 8th Street, Suite 100
Oakland, CA. 94607
United States
If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Katie Wang at kwang@ahschc.org. Our program leads look forward to reviewing your application.
CANCELLED: 2021 REACH Summer Internship Program
We are sad to announce that we have decided to cancel our 2021 REACH Summer Internship Program. Please check back in Fall 2021 for 2022’s program information. Any updates will be posted here.
Important Dates:
- Program Dates: mid-June to mid-August
- Application postmark deadline: March
- Interviews: March and April
- Acceptance Notifications: late April
Please refer to the FAQ on this page if you have any questions about the internship program or application process. If you have further questions, please contact Kwang@ahschc.org.