Why It Matters

From actively participating in the care of a diverse patient population, to helping with weekly COVID vaccination outreach, the AHEC Rural Family Medicine Rotation was an immersive educational experience for me. In the rural setting, students are able to appreciate the broad scope of practice afforded to family medicine physicians, who serve as urgent and longitudinal care providers, diagnosticians, counselors, coordinators, community leaders, and educators. The value of learning from a rural primary care provider cannot be overstated, nor can their importance to their communities.

Going through medical school has shown me that there are a small number of students that want to pursue primary care, and there are even fewer that want to pursue primary care in a rural area. As one of these students, the AHEC Scholars program has given me every opportunity needed to successfully achieve this goal of mine. AHEC Scholars has allowed me to integrate primary care and rural outreach into my training. Interprofessional activities and online resources allow me to learn more about my future field. Opportunities to go out into the rural community and help educate about health is just another one of my favorite aspects about the AHEC Scholars program. It is such a great opportunity to be able to work with student coordinators who not only support your goal, but also go out of their way to help you achieve it.

What a pleasure to attend another educational program from Lowcountry AHEC, and on such an important topic! Dr. Goodier's presentation was a good review of gestational diabetes concerns, complete with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practices for diagnosis and care. Although it was a hospital-based presentation, the information set forth offered out-of-hospital providers, like myself, the opportunity to sharpen our screening skills, and offer better care for and education of our clients. Thank you for hosting this class, and I look forward to future AHEC presentations.

The Health Careers Program offered by Lowcountry AHEC has been an awesome experience for me this year (2020-2021). As a first year participant with an interest in a career in the field of healthcare, I have gained an abundance of information that has been very beneficial in preparing me to reach my career goals. The Health Careers Program has provided me with a closer look into the various areas of healthcare through presentations, panel discussions, and activities. I am confident that the skills and knowledge gained through the Health Careers Program will allow me to excel academically and professionally as I embark upon my journey towards my career in healthcare. I highly recommend anyone interested in a career in healthcare to join and actively participate in the Health Careers Program.