Our Programs

Programs for College Students

The Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) aims to identify, recruit, mentor and prepare American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) college students into medicine and other health professions.  The purpose of the AAIP College Programs is to provide activities that alleviate common educational barriers for AI/AN college students in efforts to increase the number of qualified applicants, which in turn will result in increased admission and enrollment of AI/AN students into medical and other health professions school.

AAIP College Student Activities

Pre-admission Workshop

The Pre-Admission Workshop is held during the AAIP Annual Meeting & National Health Conference, which is an event held annually to bring together AAIP member physicians; AI/AN college (undergraduate, graduate, and/or medical) students; traditional healers; public health employees; and other interested individuals, with the goal of networking and discussing the current state of Native health and health education.

The AAIP partners with the The University of Minnesota’s Center of American Indian and Minority Health to conduct the Pre-Admission Workshop. The Pre-Admission Workshop (PAW) is a 2-day workshop aimed at addressing common challenges encountered by students in the health professional application process. The curriculum focuses upon skills necessary for successful application and admittance to health professional school. AAIP awards scholarships to college students, as a part of the PAW held during the Annual Meeting, to cover the cost of airfare, hotel accommodations, conference registration and materials, and most meals.

Topics of discussion include:

Cross Cultural Medicine Workshop

The AAIP Cross Cultural Medicine Workshop (CCMW) is a workshop designed to identify strategies to improve communications between American Indian/Alaska Native patients and health professionals; describe current health issues affecting Indian communities in both reservation and urban settings; compare and contrast Western & Traditional Medicine views of health; and improve understanding of the role of traditional healers. AAIP awards scholarships to college students (undergraduate, graduate, and/or medical students) to cover the cost of airfare, hotel accommodations, workshop registration and materials, and most meals.

AAIP Annual Meeting and Health Conference

The AAIP Annual Meeting and Health Conference is a conference for AAIP’s member physicians, partner organizations, health professionals and students. This conference is designed to identify strategies to improve knowledge of health professionals, and describe current health issues affecting Indian communities in both reservation and urban settings. This conference will offer a Pre-Admission Workshop for Native students along with informative and educational sessions.