AHEC Scholars Program - Alabama

Enhancing Alabama Healthcare One Patient, Professional, & Student at a Time

At AHEC, our mission is clear: recruit, train, and retain the Alabama healthcare workforce while broadening the distribution of the health workforce, enhancing the quality of care, and improving health care delivery to rural and underserved populations in Alabama.

An Opportunity to Advance the Rural Healthcare Workforce

Developed by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train, and retain a health professions workforce committed to serving underserved populations, Area Health Education Centers work to creatively adapt national initiatives to address local and regional health care issues. Our education, recruitment, and retention programs serve as a bridge between academics and communities, connecting students to health careers, health professionals to communities, and communities to better care.

The purpose of each program is to meet the needs of the communities we serve through robust partnerships with a focus on exposure, education, and training of the current and future health care workforce. We work closely with each state’s institutions of higher education, healthcare providers, community partners, and others to build and support the healthcare workforce needed for every community to have access to high-quality, patient-focused care.

As an AHEC scholar, you’ll learn together as an inter-professional team, completing both didactic and clinical training in addition to your regular curricula, with a focus on preparing you to work with Alabama’s medically disadvantaged populations. With this two-year commitment, you’ll participate in 40 hours of online training as well as 40 hours of team-based service learning per year.

AHEC scholars will engage in team-based clinical experiences, providing care to vulnerable and underserved patients in settings such as homeless shelters, free clinics, community health centers, health fairs, and more. From dental and nursing programs to speech therapy and public health professions, our Health Professions Student Programs aim to enhance your knowledge and competence in all areas of public health.

AHEC Scholars Community Impact Projects

Real Projects. Real People. Real Impact.

This year our Alabama AHEC Scholars participate in Community Impact Projects designed to address real health needs within underserved communities across the state. These projects are the heart of the AHEC Scholars experience—where knowledge meets action, and passion meets purpose.

Working in interprofessional teams of 3–5 students from at least three different disciplines, our Scholars collaborate across fields and across regions to develop creative, hands-on solutions that make a meaningful difference. Whether conducted in person or virtually, each project reflects a unique commitment to service, cultural competency, and community engagement.

There are no limits on innovation—only the shared goal of advancing health equity and improving lives. From hosting educational workshops to launching virtual health campaigns, Scholars take the lead in forming community partnerships, identifying local health disparities, and implementing sustainable interventions tailored to their communities’ needs.

See how Alabama AHEC Scholars are driving change from the ground up

Amanda Neal

Integrating Adverse Childhood Event Scores in Care of Underserved Communities in Mobile, Alabama

Integrating Adverse Childhood Event Scores in Care of Underserved Communities in Mobile, Alabama. As members of the Delta AHEC region in Alabama, we sought to evaluate Adverse Childhood Event (ACE) Scores present in underserved populations within Mobile, AL. We also aimed to provide education around what ACEs are and how they may impact care and support needs. In conjunction with University of South Alabama’s student-run free clinic, we aim to collaborate with a men’s rehabilitation center and a women’s emergency shelter to collect and disseminate information. As of the presentation date, we have led a session at the men’s rehabilitation center with plans to lead a session at the women’s emergency shelter in the near future. In the data collected at the men’s rehabilitation center, we found evidence of significantly elevated ACE Scores which is in alignment with previous research suggesting a link between ACE Scores and experiencing homelessness. It also reaffirms the need for ACE evaluations when working with patients to better tailor interventions to the person and their unique backgrounds.

Patient-Focused Care for All

At AHEC, we have made it our mission to enhance access to quality healthcare, particularly primary and preventative care, by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals via strategic partnerships with academic programs, communities, and professional organizations.

Workforce Development

AHEC recruits students through our programs. Partnering and collaborating with high schools and community colleges, AHEC provides opportunities to students in order to develop a trained healthcare workforce.

Continuing Education

AHEC supplements and promotes education by creating networks between two and four-year institutions. When education is consistent and abundant, career ladders are created for healthcare professionals, strengthening their retention rates and lifting individuals and communities beyond traditional disenfranchisement. 

Bridging Educational Gaps

By supplementing healthcare specific educational resources, AHEC attempts to reduce the academic achievement gaps and support a robust workforce serving historically underserved communities.

Expanding the Workforce

AHEC works to expand the workforce through the recruitment of individuals in disadvantaged and rural communities, promoting various professions across the healthcare industry.

Economic Development

Healthcare is a primary driver of economic development. Each family medicine physician placed in a rural community creates 24 new jobs on average. AHEC improves healthcare access and hyper-local economies by connecting communities with the providers they need.

Application Process

2025-2026 AHEC Scholars Application Open Now!

You will be asked to provide personal and contact information.  This information will be used both to screen applicants to the program, and for federal reporting purposes.

You must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher to apply for AHEC Scholars.

On the application, you will be asked to submit the following:

• One-page personal statement.
  • Describe the experiences, reasons and/or events that led you to choose a career in the health field. Why are you interested in joining the AHEC Scholars Program? What are your plans following graduation and completion of your training? How will participation in the AHEC Scholars Program contribute to your career plans?

All candidates must undergo a scheduled interview with their applying regional center.

Eligibility

First and foremost, we want to ensure that everyone participating in the AHEC Scholars Program has an interest in underserved rural healthcare.

• Are you looking for an opportunity to further prepare yourself for serving in the primary care workforce?
• Are you passionate about delivering high-quality care in the ever-transforming healthcare system?
• Are you passionate about improving care in rural and underserved communities?
• If you answered ‘YES‘ to any of these questions, you might be interested in becoming an AHEC Scholar!

In order to participate in this program, you must currently be enrolled in a health professions program with a minimum 2.5 GPA in one of the following fields:

• Medicine (MD/DO)
• Dentistry
• Clinical Psychology (PhD)
• Physician Assistant
• Nurse Practitioner
• Nurse Midwifery
• Pharmacy
• Optometry

Other disciplines may apply. Priority will be given to the disciplines above.

The Alabama AHEC Network is dedicated to recruiting, training, and retaining the Alabama healthcare workforce while broadening the distribution of the health workforce, enhancing the quality of care, and improving health care delivery to rural and underserved populations in Alabama. The following centers are members of the Alabama AHEC Network and are federally funded HRSA AHEC Programs and nationally recognized Area Health Education Centers: Alabama Statewide Network Program Office, North Alabama AHEC (NAAHEC), East Central Alabama AHEC (ECAAHEC), Black Belt Alabama AHEC (BBAAHEC), Wiregrass Alabama AHEC (WAAHEC), Delta Alabama AHEC (DAAHEC).

Regional Centers

EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AHEC
NORTH ALABAMA AHEC
BLACK BELT ALABAMA AHEC
WIREGRASS ALABAMA AHEC
DELTA ALABAMA AHEC