Students enhance their healthcare education through AHEC Scholars Program

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By: Brittany Bell
Creative Services Student Writer

AHEC Scholars

Opportunities for community engagement are a part of the educational process at JMU. Students constantly learn ways to connect their classroom experiences to the community around them. In the growing effort to transform healthcare in the state of Virginia, the AHEC (Area Health Education Center) Scholars Program gives students in health-related majors additional training to establish deeper connections with coursework and field experiences.

AHEC Scholars is a two-year program that focuses on training students to provide healthcare services in rural or underserved areas. Students within two years of finishing their degree can enhance their education by delving deeper into six core topics — such as social determinants of health or cultural competency — and applying them to their clinical training.

“Once students complete the program, they’ll have a better understanding of how to work in an interdisciplinary manner, which is critical, especially the way that health care is changing,” said Nancy Owens, the program coordinator. “They’ll be able to provide services to a variety to people, and address the issues that are affecting a person’s health and life.” 

This year marks the first full year that the program has operated, having officially started in fall 2018. Students in the program are required to complete 40 hours of online coursework and 40 hours of clinical trainings or field placements each year.

Students from many types of health-related programs can apply to the AHEC Scholars Program. Instead of following a semester-based schedule, the program is self-paced, allowing students to complete their hours at any time during the year. Because of this, the program has rolling admissions, allowing students to join throughout the year.

Caitlyn Morris, a dietetics major, said, “I didn’t find out about the program until later in the spring semester, but I was able to do a lot of the AHEC module work online over the summer. In order to finish before the deadline, I had to work on it every single day. But, I’m a very goal-oriented person and I’ve always been really interested in working with the community and underserved populations.”

The second cohort starts this fall, and any student who meets the criteria is encouraged to apply. Students in the program will receive a $500 stipend for their efforts. Upon completion, participants also receive a certificate from the program to add to their resume.

The AHEC Scholars Program aims to bring together students from different healthcare professions and teach them how to work as a team with patients from rural and underserved areas.

“Growing up and working in a rural area prior to starting PA school, I saw firsthand the challenges that patients faced in order to comply with their medical treatment and how it affected the healthcare system,” said Peyton Parish, a physician assistant student. “I always wanted to know the best way to approach the situation and how to help.”

By learning about issues in the field, students develop cultural competency that is crucial in their clinical training. The hope is that these additional experiences can motivate future professionals to work toward a solution for better healthcare.

“This program has given me a greater awareness of the challenges that both providers and patients face in all areas,” said Parrish. “It is important to know how to address those challenges to not only treat the medical condition, but to improve their overall quality of life.”

For more information about the program, go to the AHEC scholars page or contact Nancy Owens at owensne@jmu.edu.

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Published: Monday, September 30, 2019

Last Updated: Sunday, May 23, 2021

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