by William H. Burnett

Charles Q. North, MD, MS

Students may not be aware of the variety of opportunities available within the Indian Health Service (IHS).

To learn more about IHS and the volunteer, scholarship, and employment opportunities available, the Student Doctor Network recently spoke with Dr. Charles North, retired Chief Medical Clinical Officer for Indian Health Services.

Charles North attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh and completed his residency at the University of Minnesota.  Currently, he serves as Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Would you explain what the Indian Health Service is?

Gladly. The Indian Health Service (www.ihs.gov) is an agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since IHS is designated as an agency or “Operating Division” within HHS, it is a parallel organization to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several others. Read the full story