Eastern Ohio AHEC awarded national grant to launch 'Future Docs Initiative'

Eastern Ohio Area Health Education Center (AHEC), an affiliate of the Northeast Ohio AHEC Regional Office at NEOMED, has been selected as one of only nine sites nationwide to receive funding through the Boston Scientific Foundation’s prestigious Advancing Healthcare Careers Initiative. This competitive one-year grant is administered by the National AHEC Organization’s National Training Center (NTC) and will support the implementation of the AHEC Future Docs Initiative.

The Future Docs Initiative is a transformative program designed to build a robust pipeline of support, mentorship, and career development for students from underserved communities. Its core objectives include:

• Expanding access for underrepresented students to advanced healthcare career pathways that have a direct impact on patient care.
• Equipping post-secondary students facing significant barriers with tools, guidance and enrichment opportunities to successfully prepare for, apply to and enter rigorous professional programs.
• Improving academic outcomes through individualized support, targeted enrichment and mentorship aimed at increasing both matriculation and graduation rates.

Leading this initiative at the local level is Maureen A. Drummond, director of Eastern Ohio AHEC, alongside Julianna Sandine, a rising third-year medical student at NEOMED and accomplished alumna of the Eastern Ohio AHEC Scholars Program. Julianna brings valuable leadership and experience through her role with the AHEC LINKS Mentoring Program, which connects early-assurance pre-med students with NEOMED M1 and M2 mentors. This program plays a critical role in easing the transition to medical school and fostering both academic and personal success.

Recruitment for the Future Docs program will be supported by Mollie Hartup, Ph.D., director of the Sokolov Honors College at Youngstown State University. Dr. Hartup also leads the YSU BaccMed program and other high-impact initiatives focused on preparing and empowering students for careers in healthcare.

This grant marks a significant opportunity to deepen regional impact by supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals from historically underserved backgrounds.

To learn more about the AHEC pipeline activities, please visit neomed.edu/ahec.

The Area Health Education Center Program is supported nationally by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of an award totaling $43 million with an additional 100% percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.” For more information, visit HRSA.gov.