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LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Learning experiences in clinical and non-clinical opportunities are available for learners (students, residents, interns, externs, etc.) to work and learn in medical services, behavioral health, tribal and community-based services.

Applications for the Summer 2025 to Spring 2026 learning experiences are now closed.

Please reach out to the Nuka Learning Program Team at:  SCFNukastudent@southcentralfoundation.com, should you have any questions or to request further information.

Completed applications must include:

A 2025 Learner Rotation Request, a current resume and a letter of intent.

For the letter of intent, please briefly describe, in 500-1500 words, why you chose to have your learning experience at Southcentral Foundation and how this opportunity will help you meet your personal and professional goals.

If you wish to apply for more than one learning experience, please complete a 2025 Additional Rotation Request.  Additional requests can only be considered if the learner has completed the 2025 Learner Rotation Request form.

Once an application is received, it will be vetted by SCF’s Nuka Learning Program Team and final approval will be determined in partnership with supporting SCF departments.

A SCF representative will contact you with the approval decision and appropriate next steps.

Please note:

Compliance with SCF’s Employee Health Procedure is a condition of participating in a learning experience at SCF.  You are required to comply with all employee health screenings and immunizations including the Covid-19 Vaccine, prior to starting your learning opportunity. 

SCF Employee Health Requirements: 

  1. PPD skin test or QuantiFERON Tuberculosis blood test completed within the last 12 months (and date of last test, needs to be within the last year)
  2. Varicella 2 vaccines, medical documentation of illness with date of illness and provider signature, or titer results showing immunity
  3. Hep B Hepatitis B Series (3 vaccines) or positive titer results
  4. MMR Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (2 vaccines each or 2 MMR series) or proof of immunity
  5. Tdap Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (within last 10 years)
  6. Influenza Seasonal vaccination (current season)
  7. COVID-19 (Documentation of completed vaccination, rotation cannot start within two weeks of final vaccination)

A criminal history/civil proceeding record check is a condition of SCF learning experience. You are required to agree to a criminal history/civil proceeding record check, including agreeing to submit your fingerprints and all other necessary forms. Municipal, county, state, and national databases may be searched as part of your criminal history record check.

For more information on learning experiences available at SCF, please see info below:

Services: Southcentral Foundation’s Primary Care Clinics provide services for all ages in acute and chronic disease treatment and preventive care. Primary Care offers same-day appointments for their customer-owners. They practice the Nuka Integrated Care Team Model and work with a large variety of integrated resources including: Pharmacists, Behavioral Health Consultants, Midwives, Registered Dietitians, Community Resource Consultants, Physical Therapists, Psychiatrists, and Pediatricians.

There are multiple locations for opportunities in Primary Care:

  • Anchorage Native Primary Care Center
  • Benteh Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center

Learning Experiences: MD/DO Residents, MD/DO Students, Nurse Practitioner Students, Physician Assistant Students, Nursing Students (Case Management), Medical Assistant Externs, Dietetic Students, limited job shadowing opportunities, and limited observation opportunities.

Southcentral Foundation provides a variety of behavioral health care services, ranging from outpatient to emergency behavioral health services. Services are available in Anchorage and Wasilla.

  1. Benteh Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center Behavioral Health Clinic: an outpatient behavioral health clinic providing behavioral health care for adults and children. 
  2. Integrated Psychiatry in Primary Care: providing consultation services to customer-owners in primary care clinics in Anchorage at the Anchorage Primary Care Center, the Valley at Benteh Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center, and rural communities via telemedicine, in collaboration with the integrated primary care team, the integrated psychiatry team provides psychiatric assessment and recommendations for treatment, including medications, therapies, and referral to other levels of care.
  3. Intensive Case Management: a community-based program serving adults with behavioral health diagnoses causing challenges in daily living. ICM utilizes a strength-based approach to provide case management support, therapy, skill building, psychiatric assessment and medication management services.
  4. Quyana Clubhouse: a day treatment program for adults with severe persistent mental illness that provides integrated behavioral health and primary care services, including case management, individual and group therapies and skill building, psychiatric assessment and medication management services.
  5. Four Directions: with clinics in both in Anchorage and the MatSu valley, the Four Directions Program provides comprehensive substance use disorder assessment and treatment services, including medication for addiction treatment, individual therapies, and group therapies.
  6. Behavioral Health Fireweed: an outpatient behavioral health clinic caring for adults utilizing a psychiatric integrated treatment team model comprised of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, clinicians, case managers, and nurses, and providing psychiatric evaluation and medication management, psychotherapy, case management, and brief crisis intervention. 

Student Experiences: Depending on the rotation, there are a variety of experiences available, including outpatient behavioral health, consultation liaison and emergency psychiatry, outpatient consultation in primary care, outpatient intensive treatment, and outpatient day treatment for customer-owners with severe persistent mental illness. Learner rotations are available to psychiatry residents, family medicine residents, medical students, nurse practitioner students, and physician assistant students.

To review standard objectives for behavioral health clinical rotations at SCF, please click here.  Please review listed objectives prior to applying for a clinical rotation. Clinical rotations do not provide opportunities for psychotherapy, group therapy or home visits.

Services: Southcentral Foundation dental services include examinations, cleanings, fillings and dental surgery, limited crowns, bridges, root canals, orthodontic procedures and dentures. There are five locations that provide dental services:

  • Alaska Native Medical Center focuses on pediatric dental care, dental emergency care and dental surgery.
  • Fireweed Clinic focuses primarily on dental care for adults.
  • Children’s Dental Clinic focuses on children and young adult customer-owners up to 21 years of age, including general dentistry, pediatric dentistry and orthodontics.
  • Chugach Square Dental Clinic provides general dental services for Elders and Head Start
  • Benteh Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center Dental Clinic provides general dental services.

Student Experiences: Dental Assistant Training Program DATP and limited observation opportunities

Services: Southcentral Foundation’s Physical Therapy and Exercise Department provides outpatient physical therapy (orthopedics, neurologic, pelvic health), occupational therapy, speech therapy, exercise, and customer-owner and employee wellness services. Medical/clinical professions that support the clinic include direct referrals from SCF primary care providers and specialty services.

Learning Experiences:

  • Full-time DPT student clinical rotations (outpatient orthopedics, ortho/neuro, and ortho/pelvic – 3rd year only)
  • Full-time PTA student outpatient clinical rotations (final two rotations only)
  • Full-time OTD or MOT student clinical rotations (outpatient orthopedics- hands/neuro, home health – Level IIB and Capstone experiences only – starting 2026)
  • Full-time OTD or MOT student clinical rotations (outpatient orthopedics- hands/neuro, home health –Level 1 a,b,c or d 40 hour rotation)
  • Full-time Exercise Science/Exercise Physiology internships
  • Clinical Observation Hours (up to 40 hours for learners interested in applying to PT/PTA/OT/Exercise Physiology programs).

Services: Southcentral Foundation Obstetrics and Gynecology Department provides a full range of health services for both pregnant and non-pregnant people throughout the life continuum. We provide low-risk and high-risk obstetric care as well as comprehensive gynecologic care. We also partner with the Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic and the Gynecologic Oncology clinic for more specialized care needs.

Learning Experiences: Depending on the rotation, the experience may be a combination of clinic care and inpatient care including Labor and Delivery, gynecologic surgical services and postoperative care. The experience may be a combination of weekdays, nights and weekends. MD/DO Residents, MD/DO Students, Student Nurse Midwives, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Students, CMA Externs, limited observation opportunities.

Services: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDNs) provide services within Southcentral Foundation Anchorage Native Primary Care Center, Pediatrics Specialty Clinic, and the Benteh Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center. RDN specialty services include advanced diabetes educators for children and adults, in addition to specialty roles in pediatrics and OB/GYN. RDNs work within an interdisciplinary team to support the needs of customer-owners and their families and provide medical nutrition therapy for preventative care, acute needs, and chronic disease management. Students may expect to gain experience in medical nutrition therapy for diabetes, weight management, metabolic disorders, cardiac disease, oncology, failure to thrive, lactation, adult and pediatric tube feeding, and general nutrition education. Additional experiences may include menu reviews for SCF programs, group education, and nutrition education material development.

Learning Experiences: Dietetic students and limited job shadowing opportunities

Services: Southcentral Foundation’s Radiology Department provides X-ray and Ultrasound services.

Student Experiences: Sonographers, Radiology Technologists and limited observation opportunities

Services: Our inpatient pediatrics department provides a broad range of inpatient pediatrics services at the Alaska Native Medical Center. Our pediatric hospitalists cover admitted sick children, infants in a level II NICU, consults in the ED, consults with regional hospitals, attend high risk deliveries and pediatric traumas, and hold pediatric field clinics across the state. Because we are a tertiary care facility, we provide care to sick infants and children, including medically complex children from across the state of Alaska. Students participate in the daily care of admitted children, including attending multidisciplinary rounds and participating in the admission and discharge process. This is a high volume and busy rotation. Students will leave with a broad range of pediatric clinical knowledge as well as a better understanding of the Alaska Native Health Care delivery system.

Learning Experiences: MD/DO Residents and Fellows, MD/DO Students, Physician Assistant Students, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Students, limited job shadowing opportunities, and limited observation opportunities. Rotations are scheduled in 4 week blocks. Typical schedule is Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm. We welcome applications from any medical school or residency program.

Services: Southcentral Foundation’s Complementary Medicine Clinic is a referral-based clinic providing Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Clinical Massage Therapy services to customer-owners in partnership with the Primary Care Clinic’s, OBGYN, and Specialty Pediatrics.

Learning Experiences: Full-time DC student internship clinical rotation and limited observations.