Our programs and activities work to recruit, support, and maintain a diverse health care workforce.
PRE-COLLEGE STUDENTS
Interested in a career in health care? AHEC can help you find your career path.
HEALTH CAREER SUMMER CAMP gives young students who have a budding interest in a health profession a unique opportunity to gain more knowledge about the health professions they may want to pursue, meet peers with the same goals, participate in various hands-on activities and go on a tour of a local hospital or clinic. We do a summer day camp here annually with staff from local health facilities. If interested contact us.
HEALTH CAREER CLUB are school-based opportunities for students in grades in 9-12 to explore health careers and become involved in a variety of science workshops. The clubs are managed by the schools where they are located. See if your school has one, or contact us to help you set one up.
FUTURE HEALTH HERO AWARDS are given to motivated individuals from local communities who are pursuing a health career. The intent of the award is to assist students as they follow their path to becoming health professionals who will work in our rural communities. Providing this opportunity encourages interest in rural health careers, increases rural health employment opportunities, and overall helpsaddress our own community health concerns. If you are a student interested in this opportunity, contact us.
CNA TRAINING is available for enrolled students at two local high schools. There is a growing demand for certified nursing assistants and this rewarding career can be started while in high school. It is challenging and requires commitment but its a great way to jumpstart your career in healthcare. Contact us to learn more.
JOB SHADOWING is a great way to explore the challenging and rewarding positions that the health care field has to offer. By experiencing a “day in the life” of a health care professional, you learn about the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to work in that field. You get the opportunity to ask questions, observe job tasks, and see how professionals provide team-based care. We can help arrange shadowing experiences through partnerships with hospitals, local clinics and other health care facilities. Contact us to set up a shadowing experience and see if a career in health care is for you. [note]
COLLEGE LEVEL HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS
The health care work environment is changing rapidly, and students often need additional training to enhance their current curriculum. AHEC has those opportunities for you.
JOB SHADOWING experiences are not only for those considering a health career. Many students continue to shadow to learn more about the field and make connections with professionals who might be their colleagues in the future. Some graduate schools (for example, DPT programs) even require a certain number of shadowing hours to be completed before you apply, and others require job shadowing as part of their degree program. We can help arrange shadowing experiences through partnerships with hospitals, local clinics and other health care facilities. Contact us to set one up.
FIELD PLACEMENTS, INTERNSHIPS AND COMMUNITY-BASED-ROTATIONS are opportunities to experience health care delivery and population health in community settings. We work with partners in primary care settings, hospitals, county health departments, and other local organizations to provide placements – often formal rotations – and service learning opportunities. Through interaction with patients, students learn first-hand about economic and cultural barriers to care and the specific needs of underserved populations. Contact us to discuss.
AHEC SCHOLARS is a two-year program for students who are committed to improving health care in rural and underserved communities. It uniquely blends community-based experiential opportunities with online training on key topics such as cultural competency and social determinants of health. Being an AHEC Scholar gives students the opportunity to distinguish themselves and to make meaningful connections that can lead to future employment and career growth. See details and apply.
RURAL HEALTH EXPERIENCES (RHE) is a three- to five-day opportunity for students to fully immerse themselves in rural health care at a site in Illinois. Participants shadow professionals of various disciplines in a rural hospital or clinic as well as observe interprofessional team meetings. This collaboration between AHEC and the National Center for Rural Health Professions is open to AHEC Scholars (priority), undergraduate juniors and seniors, and gap year students. Learn more.
6-WEEK RURAL INTERPROFESSIONAL PRECEPTORSHIP is a full-time, paid rural immersion experience in a rural community. Students shadow a variety of health professionals in hospital and clinic settings, county health departments and other organizations. They discuss core topics in underserved health care and develop and implement a community service learning project focused on a real-life health priority in the community. The program, offered annually through a collaboration with the National Center for Rural Health Professions, is open to AHEC Scholars and students in the third or fourth year of their academic program. Learn more.
AHEC is here to help you prepare the students of today to be the health care professionals of tomorrow.
HEALTH FAIRS AND EXPOS are ways for Southeast AHEC to participate in your health-themed celebrations, such as having a booth that promotes health and wellness activities. Contact us about how we can work together to promote the health and wellness of your audience.
CLASSROOM-BASED ACTIVITIES are an essential part of our promotion of health careers. We can come to your school or organization and teach students in a fun and engaging way about the vast opportunities in health care. Contact us to schedule a date to speak with your group.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICING PROFESSIONALS
CONTINUING EDUCATION sessions, in the classroom and online, are designed to support the educational needs of practicing health care professionals in rural and underserved communities. The IL AHEC network provides educational opportunities for current health professionals. Contact us for details.
(Shown at top, students learn from Air-Evac representatives what it is like to care for patients being transported via helicopter.)
Illinois Area Health Education Centers