National Health Service Corps Tennessee S.E.A.R.C.H. Program

*Student/Resident Experiences & Rotations in Community Health

The Tennessee Primary Care Association is a not-for-profit corporation with the goal of strengthening community-based primary health care systems in Tennessee.

For/About SEARCH Partners

Program Description

Tennessee SEARCH provides health professions students with community-oriented, primary care rotations in medically underserved health professional shortage areas and other areas of need in Tennessee.

Over 450 students and over 300 preceptors have participated in Tennessee’s SEARCH program since its inception in 1995.

Tennessee SEARCH is funded by the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and awarded through a government contract to the Tennessee Primary Care Association.

The MAIN GOAL of the program is to provide opportunities for health professions students and residents to serve in interdisciplinary primary health care teams within underserved communities.

The OBJECTIVES of the SEARCH program are to:

1) facilitate and strengthen community-academic linkages; and
2) increase the recruitment and the retention of health care professionals in health professional shortage areas and others areas of need by expanding the number of high-quality service-linked training opportunities in these communities.

Frequently Asked Questions about SEARCH

See our Frequently Asked Questions
PDF FILE HERE

In addition to the sponsorship of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), SEARCH could not exist without the help of other partners.

SEARCH Advisory Committee

The backbone of our Program is our SEARCH Advisory Committee. Composed of representatives from the state’s health professions programs, these individuals promote SEARCH to their students and work with the SEARCH Coordinator to strengthen the Program. Click here for a list of our current ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PDF).

Primary Care Office

SEARCH works with our state’s Primary Care Office to insure access to information about NHSC sites, health professional shortage designations, etc. This Office helps students interested in NHSC loan repayment and NHSC scholarships identify possible sites. Click here for more information about Tennessee’s Primary Care Office, located at the Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Health Access. http://health.state.tn.us/rural/index.html

NHSC Ambassadors

NHSC Ambassadors play a crucial role in promoting SEARCH, especially in our health professions schools. They also act as mentors to students who want to make their careers in underserved communities. A list of NHSC Ambassadors from every state may be found on the NHSC web site at http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/ambassadors.

Tennessee Primary Care Association Members

Tennessee SEARCH has worked with hundreds of sites and preceptors since its beginning in 1995. These sites/preceptors have provided invaluable experiences to students interested in working with underserved populations. Many students have been inspired to choose a career in underserved communities because of their SEARCH experiences. We cannot list every health center and preceptor, but we want to acknowledge our core sites, the members of the Tennessee Primary Care Association. Click here for a map.

For more information about the NHSC Tennessee SEARCH Program, please click on the appropriate link:

Student/Participant Information (includes application, program requirements, stipend information, etc.)

Preceptor Information (includes eligibility, preceptor tools, availability form, etc.)

Rotation Site Information (includes site availability form, site stipend information, etc.)

NHSC Information (provides links to information on loan repayment, scholarships, ready responder program, etc.)