Northeast Ohio Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), located on NEOMED’s campus, started the AHEC Scholars Program to enhance undergraduates’ education through hands-on activities and professional experiences in their own universities, at NEOMED and in their communities.
The partnership between AHEC and NEOMED will allow undergraduate students from partnering universities to experience health care professions in their communities and a taste of the full medical school experience. Scholars will focus on important health care topics such as behavioral health integrations, social determinants of health, cultural competency and current and emerging health issues like poverty and health, infant mortality and opioid/substance abuse through various activities and discussions.
According to Patti Thornborough, Northeast Ohio AHEC Regional Program director, “The AHEC Scholars Program is designed as a supplement to students’ existing health professionals program to learn interprofessional team-based education to areas that affect both urban and rural populations in underserved communities’ access to health care.”
Applications can be submitted by students who are beginning their last two years of undergraduate studies and attend one of the following universities: Cleveland State University, Kent State University Stark, Youngstown State University or The University of Akron.
The program spans two years, with activities running from September to May. Participation in the AHEC Scholars Program is free.
If you know of a student who would be interested, direct them to neomed.edu/AHEC/scholars-program. For questions, contact Denise Mead at dmead@neomed.edu.