Health Professions Extern Program

Napua Gonzalez-Aponte
napua.gonzalezaponte@ihs.gov

Area scholarship coordinators

The IHS Health Professions Extern Program provides externship opportunities for Indian Health Scholarship recipients, as well as other interested health professions students. Students are assigned to Indian health programs in their chosen health career categories.

Externships will take place from May through August, 2025.

Duties include:

• Gain working knowledge and experience in a chosen health profession or field with Indian Health Service during non-academic periods for up to 120 workdays per calendar year
• Assist preceptor with daily duties
• Assist and prepare reports on assigned projects
• Assist on day to day administrative operations by performing tasks related to department functions

Applicants must be:

• US citizens
• Enrolled in an eligible health profession degree program
• In good academic standing - undergraduate or graduate students with a 2.0 grade point average or above

Eligible degree programs include:

• Nursing
• Environmental Health
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist
• Dental Hygiene
• Diagnostic Radiology
• Nurse Midwife
• Social Work (LCSW)
• Nurse Practitioner
• Physician Assistant
• Occupational Therapy
• Clinical Psychology
• Dentistry
• Nurse Anesthetist
• Nurse Practitioner (DNP)
• Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Physician, Allopathy
• Physician, Osteopathy
• Physical Therapy
• Podiatry

Placement preference is given to recipients of Indian Health Service scholarships and health professions students who identify as American Indians or Alaska Natives.

Participants will be employed as an IHS extern during the summer. The salary range is equivalent to between a GS 3 - 9.

Participants may request travel reimbursement for one round trip to the externship site.

Follow the steps to apply online through USAJOBS.