Become an AHEC scholar.

The AHEC Scholars Program accepts new applications May 1-July 30 each calendar year. Students interested in the AHEC Scholars program should apply via the application link.

The AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) program was established by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train, and retain a health professions workforce dedicated to improving access to care. The program connects academic medicine with local communities to help address their specific health needs. As part of this effort, MWCHC serves as a training site for health professions students, providing hands-on experience in delivering comprehensive, community-based care.

Become AHEC Scholar

• $500 Participation Award upon completion of Year 1 requirements and an additional $500 Participation Award upon completion of Year 2 requirements
• Opportunities to participate in training programs designed for MWCHC staff providers and the opportunity to become part of a network of current and future leaders in health care
• Increased understanding of attitudes, such as mistrust, subconscious bias, and stereotypes which practitioners and patients may bring to the patient encounters
• Heightened awareness of the existence and magnitude of health disparities, including the multi-factorial causes and the many solutions required to diminish or eliminate them
• Skills to effectively communicate and negotiate across cultures, languages, and literacy levels, including the use of key tools to improve communication
• Certification as a TN AHEC Scholar, which sets the student apart in an increasingly competitive work environment
• Information about Loan Repayment Programs

Eligibility

• Have at least two years remaining in their required health professions program
• Be in good academic standing in a graduate level health professions program (e.g., medicine, dentistry, nursing, social work, physician assistant, public health, and other allied health professions) 
• Commitment to participate in the two-year AHEC Scholars program

For more information about the AHEC program you can visit (the HRSA site currently listed on the page). To speak with someone regarding Matthew Walker CHC’s AHEC program you can contact Rosalind Shelton-Drummond at rdrummond@mwchc.org.