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.

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]

VIRTUAL JOB SHADOWING is the next best thing when unable to shadow in person. We can provide access to VirtualJobShadow.com, with its interactive tools to help students develop career paths. Learn more.

CAREER ADVISING is available to health profession students from working professionals who can share their day-to-day experiences and provide real life insight into their chosen field. Contact us today to connect with a health care professional.

COLLEGE PREP includes a lot more than getting good grades and test scores. Volunteering, shadowing, and other experiential learning opportunities are important aspects of pre-professional preparation. We help students learn what prep is required for most health professions, and we can connect you with those experiences. Contact us to learn more.

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, PA 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. [note]

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.

EDUCATORS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

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 West Central 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 do activities throughout the region with Health Career Occupation Programs at the college level, science or health clubs in high school or partnering with community colleges, hospitals and others in the region to offer scrub exposures with students. Our summer programs include JDUB Academy – a four-day program for junior high and high school students – and two events a year with Knox Health Professions Advising at Knox College. We can also 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.

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID is a course that teaches youth and adults how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. This program is for anyone who wants to make their community healthier, happier and safer. We have several trained instructors and offer courses on a regular basis. To find out when our next courses are and to sign up, contact us.

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, is the West Central Illinois AHEC Director Mary Jane Clark (left), and the Memorial Hospital HR representative Melissa Meister-Brennan, attending a career fair to share information about local healthcare job opportunities.)