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West AHEC conducts several programs designed to promote student interest in careers in healthcare. These programs include:

College/Career Days

AHEC staff members are available to develop exhibits promoting health careers at area college and career days.

Tours

West AHEC staff members are available to arrange field trips to the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, tours of local hospitals and colleges.

Ground Hog Shadow Day

The ground hog shadow day program provides opportunities for middle school and high school age children of Regional Medical Center employees to shadow their parents and participate in various hands-on health career presentations each ground hog day.

First Step Nursing Program

The First Step Nursing program provides an opportunity for seniors attending Hopkins County Central and Madisonville North Hopkins High School to take the first step toward a future career in nursing. Students are paired with a nursing preceptor/mentor while learning basic skills used daily by nurses. Following successful completion of the program students are eligible to sit for the Certified Nurses Aide exam.

Shadowing Experiences

West AHEC staff members can arrange shadowing experiences for students interested in a future career in healthcare. Shadowing opportunities are usually 2-4 hours experiences designed to help students see the day-to-day activities of healthcare professionals. Often, these shadowing experiences fulfill application requirements for many healthcare training programs.

Health Career Presentations/Guest Speakers

West AHEC staff members are available to attend area school functions to deliver presentations promoting health professions to students within our 14 county service area. Additionally, West AHEC staff can help arrange guest health professional presentations at school functions (i.e. PTA meeting, health professions club meetings, etc).

High School Rural Scholar Program

The High School Rural Scholar Program is for rising high school seniors. Scholars are selected by each participating county's (Webster, Hopkins, Caldwell, Muhlenberg and McLean) Health Career Advisory Council. Each council consists of community leaders who review the applications and select the students for the program. Potential scholars submit a written statement, interest in a health career, interest in returning to a rural community as a health care provider and through an interview process. High School Rural Scholars have the opportunity to shadow health professionals, work at a host site, and complete ACT preparation work via the Internet and CD ROM.

Summer Employment Program

The summer employment program provides opportunities for college age students in pre-professional healthcare related college programs to gain valuable experiences working in the Emergency Room and/or the Operating Room at a local hospital and help with AHEC summer programs. Positions availability various based on yearly grant funding. Applications are available each spring at www.troverhalth.org.

Prematriculation Program

The Prematriculation Program is a 3-week summer program in Madisonville for rising first year medical students at U of L. During the program, students are assigned to area physicians for shadowing experiences, are exposed to classroom activities that include medical case studies, research, and discussions about health care needs in rural communities all designed to help better prepare them for medical school.

Preclinical Program

The Preclinicial Program is a 3-week summer experiences in Madisonville for rising second year medical students at U of L. As part of the program, students are involved in shadowing experiences, attend hands on learning modules and case discussions with local faculty and physicians and participate in community health care assessments, all helping to better prepare them for medical school.

Health Career Guides

The West AHEC has new updated materials regarding scholarships for students pursuing careers in health care and updated information on colleges and universities that offer health career programs.

For more information contact Jamie Knight at 270.824.3418 or jknight@trover.org.