Health Careers

We Educate, Explore and Engage

The Health Careers and Workforce Diversity Equity and Inclusion program (HCWDEI) recruits, trains, retains, and supports a diverse group of North Carolina students. Our program is funded through a model state-supported grant to improve the supply and distribution of the healthcare workforce with an emphasis on teaching underrepresented minorities and economically and educationally disadvantaged populations about health careers.

At Piedmont AHEC, our initiative is to educate all youth, from pre-college to college and beyond. We aim to develop and maintain community initiatives and identify gaps in the educational pathway. We offer these services by facilitating health-career exposure and enrichment, academic preparedness through math and science, enrichment of critical-thinking skills, clinical observations, leadership skills, and other activities related to emerging and trending healthcare topics.

We work with colleges, universities, county school systems, and regional healthcare agencies on health-career efforts all across our eight-county service region. We welcome new partners and teacher champions to assist with our programs. The HCWDEI program continues to strengthen a health-career workforce that reflects the communities it serves.

Featured Programs and Activities

Opportunities for Middle and High School Teachers, Coordinators, and Staff

Piedmont AHEC Teen Health Career Club

Piedmont AHEC is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Teen Health Career Club through November 6, 2023. There are a limited number of slots available.

The Piedmont AHEC Teen Health Career Club is designed for high school students (grades 9–12) interested in learning more about careers in healthcare. Students will enjoy health science workshops, health career speakers, site visits, and scholarship and leadership information. The curriculum will include exploration of and exposure to various careers and topics in the health professions through exposure to local health care providers and students in professional and graduate programs, as well as leadership, service learning, and professional training in personal branding and networking.

Students are accepted each academic school year. Piedmont AHEC is now accepting applications for the in-person Piedmont AHEC Teen Club 2023–24 academic school year, November 13 - May 8, 2024. There are a limited number of slots available. We encourage students to apply now. Eligibility requirements:

Enrollment in 9th–12th grade during the 2023-24 academic year
2.8 GPA requirement
Residence in the counties served by Piedmont AHEC: Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Montgomery, Orange, Randolph, Rockingham

To apply, register through your NC AHEC account and complete this participant form to provide additional information. If you have any questions, please contact Gabrielle Steele at gabrielle.steele@conehealth.com or Patricia Parrish at patricia.parrish@conehealth.com.

HC Program Registration

Youth Health Service Corps

Camp Med

Piedmont AHEC’s Health Careers program allows your students to participate in a Camp Med Experience in 2024. Camp Med is a healthcare career exploration experience for middle and high school students held in other regions of the state and country. Now, Piedmont AHEC provides funding to bring Camp Med Experiences to our eight-county region.

This year’s program will follow the Camp Med Student Group Model, which brings together a selected group of students (rising 8th through 12th graders) to attend synchronous and asynchronous programming following national, state, and local COVID guidelines. Coordinators will support and follow students as they complete a minimum of 20 required hours of programming, using any or all of the provided virtual or in-person curriculum.

If you are a middle or high school teacher, coordinator, or staff member in Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Montgomery, Orange, Randolph, or Rockingham County, and you’re interested in bringing Camp Med to your area, please download the detailed information packet (which includes a link to the online proposal form) here: Piedmont AHEC Camp Med 2024 RFP Information (PDF). If you have questions about the program, please email Gabrielle Steele (gabrielle.steele@conehealth.com).

What Campers Say...

For College Students

Check out our Scholars Program page.

More Piedmont AHEC Health Careers Programs

Cultural Diversity Workshops

These workshops are designed upon request for educators, community volunteers, and health and human service professionals working with minority populations. Emphasis is placed on cross-cultural mentoring and communication.

For more information about Health Careers or to schedule a program:

Contact Patricia Parrish, MS, CHC, CDP, Director for Health Careers, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, at patricia.parrish@conehealth.com.

PIEDMONT AHEC REGION COUNTIES