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/or educationally disadvantaged populations about health careers.

At Piedmont AHEC, our initiative is to educate all youth, from pre-college to college and beyond. Our goal is to develop and maintain initiatives in communities and work to 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

Camp Med 2023

Piedmont AHEC’s Health Careers program offers your students the opportunity to participate in a Camp Med Experience in 2023. Camp Med is a healthcare career exploration experience for middle and high school students that have been held in other regions of the state and country, and now Piedmont AHEC is providing funding to bring Camp Med Experiences to our eight-county region.

This year’s program will follow the Camp Med 2023 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 2023 RFP Information (PDF). If you have questions about the program, please email Gabrielle Steele (gabrielle.steele@conehealth.com).

For Rising 9th–12th Grade Students

North Carolina Pre-Scholars Summer Institute

The North Carolina AHEC Pre-Scholars Institute aims to provide professional development and mentoring to historically underrepresented students interested in pursuing healthcare careers. Students will thoroughly enjoy health science workshops taught by health science faculty from across the state of NC, health care professional guest speakers, games, and more! Our goal is to expose and prepare teens for various careers in healthcare in a fun and exciting way. We believe in funrichment (fun+enrichment)! The content will be delivered via live webinars and online modules.

For High School Students

2022–23 Teen Health Career Virtual/Hybrid Club

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 Piedmont AHEC Teen Club 2022–23 academic school year. We encourage students to apply now. Eligibility requirements:

• Enrollment in 9th–12th grade during the 2022-23 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 MyAHEC account and then complete this participant form to provide additional information. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Gabrielle Steele at gabrielle.steele@conehealth.com or Patricia Parrish at patricia.parrish@conehealth.com.

For College Students

The Piedmont AHEC Scholars Program

Registration for the 2023–25 Cohort 6 is now open.

Please get in touch with Patricia Parrish at patricia.parrish@conehealth.com for more information.

Part of the NC AHEC Scholars Program

• Want to be part of a community of lifelong learners, responsible global citizens, and an interprofessional network dedicated to improving healthcare?
• Wondering how to set yourself apart in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive healthcare system?

The NC AHEC Scholars Program is for you if you ask these questions. Scholars will develop new skills and be introduced to an interprofessional framework that will be crucial to improving health and health care. We teach, model, and encourage a love of learning, collaboration, and compassion for others. Working collaboratively to ensure every student achieves academically, socially, and emotionally. Students enrolled in a health and science program at the university or community college level are encouraged to apply.

Apply Now

Learn More About the Piedmont AHEC Scholars Program

More Piedmont AHEC Health Careers Programs

YHSC (Youth Health Service Corps)

The Youth Health Service Corps is now offered in the Piedmont AHEC region. We invite high school students and teachers in health and science programs to partner with us and become a part of YHSC. Students help to create healthier communities through service learning. This program is aligned with the Health/Sciences curriculum. The YHSC program requires support from a designated teacher champion at your school. For more information, download the Youth Health Service Corps (YHSC) Brochure.

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

Alamance | Caswell | Chatham | Guilford | Montgomery | Orange | Randolph | Rockingham