Let’s Transform Healthcare Together

Bolster your clinical knowledge with hands–on opportunities to learn about the unique needs of rural and underserved communities.

Join the AHEC Scholars Program

AHEC Scholars collaborate closely with students and professionals from other healthcare disciplines, gaining insight into their unique roles and responsibilities. Through participation in clinical settings, Scholars work as part of an interprofessional team, strengthening both teamwork and communication skills.

As an AHEC Scholar, you will expand your clinical knowledge and develop practical strategies for delivering high-quality healthcare services in rural and underserved areas across Maryland.

Click to learn more about the AHEC Scholars Program

About the AHEC Scholars Program

Launched in 2019, AHEC Scholars include students in Medicine, Nursing (FNP, BSN, MSN), Pharmacy, Physical/Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant, FMP, Public Health/MPH, Respiratory Therapy, Social Work (BSW, MSW).
 
This is a 2-year commitment. Clinical and didactic work you are already doing for your degree often counts towards AHEC scholar requirements.
 
AHEC SCHOLARS fulfill the following requirements annually for a total of 160 hours of additional curriculum beyond your college or school’s health professions components (80 hours total in year one, and 80 hours total in year two) to complete the program:

• 40 hours of community-based experiential or clinical training in a rural or underserved area:
  Community-based training requires scholars to complete a pre-approved rotation in a rural or underserved area of Maryland for a minimum of 40 hours annually. Scholars will receive hands-on training with a preceptor, engage with interdisciplinary healthcare providers, and become familiar with the multifaceted nature of health care in rural communities.
• 40 hours of didactic education focused on the following six Core Topic Areas:
  Interprofessional Education
  Behavioral Health Integration
  Social Determinants of Health
  Cultural Competency
  Practice Transformation
  Current and Emerging Health Issues

ACT (Advocacy for Underserved Communities through Training) Immersion

The Central Maryland Area Health Education Center hosts an annual AHEC Scholars community immersion weekend. Students from various disciplines and schools gather for a weekend long service learning project for residents in Central Maryland experiencing disproportionate social vulnerabilities.

The Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research (GGEAR) Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore (www.umaryland.edu/gerontology) directs a University System of Maryland Redeployment Grant that, in partnership with Central Maryland AHEC, supports collaborative implementation of interprofessional geriatrics continuing education based on community identified issues and topics, and education and resources for care providers addressing health care needs of Maryland’s older adults.

GGEAR staff at the University of Maryland provide ongoing mentoring and support for Central Maryland initiatives and programs by meeting with Central Maryland community partners to identify health professional educational needs and facilitates statewide contact for speakers and other resources.

Age-Friendly Specialist Certificate of Achievement Program

The Age-Friendly Specialist Certificate of Achievement Program is a non-academic program with a two-fold purpose:
Broaden understanding of the processes of aging and the diversity of older adults’ needs and services required to support them
Enhance skills important to interactions and working with older adults
Open to anyone whose work or personal life includes older adults, as well as individuals with a career or personal interest in the processes and effects of aging.

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The Geriatric Assessment Interdisciplinary Team (GAIT) project is a free program for health and social science undergraduate, graduate, and professional students enrolled in a University System of Maryland (USM) institution. GAIT introduces students to the comprehensive geriatric assessment and the fundamentals of interprofessional (interdisciplinary) collaboration through both didactic and clinical sessions. 

For the safety of the vulnerable populations with whom our GAIT participants interact, the GAIT projects remain virtual for the Spring 2022 semester using the Blackboard platform and Zoom conferencing services.

GAIT is made possible through a University System of Maryland (USM) Redeployment Grant to the Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Reasearch (GGEAR) inter-professional program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. View the GAIT powerpoint below for more information.

The project is designed by the Maryland Area Health Education Centers (MAHECs) in partnership with the Geriatrics & Gerontology Education and Research (GGEAR) Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Graduate School.

The GAIT project provides an opportunity for students to:

• Interact with students and professionals from a variety of disciplines;
• Participate in team-building exercises that focus on the value of an interdisciplinary approach to improve quality of care for older adults;
• Understand services provided to older adults; and
• Learn about the needs of underserved older adult communities within our state.

As an interprofessional learning experience, GAIT is designed to help students:

• Understand the uniqueness of interprofessional teams and its value in providing person-centered care;
• Recognize barriers to effective communication in health care teams and identify ways to reduce conflict and disagreement;
• Explain aging processes and the diversity of the older adult population;
• Evaluate best practices in honoring the autonomy of older persons; and
• Employ effective intergenerational communication skills (verbal, non-verbal, written) to recruit prospects and engage with members.

Download Flyer

GAIT projects typically feature participants representing 4 or more disciplines, from:

• Frostburg State University
• Salisbury University
• Towson University
• University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
• University of Maryland Baltimore
  • Dental School
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • School of Pharmacy
  • School of Social Work

Recruitment

GAIT projects provide USM health professions students without access to rural clinical rotations an opportunity to see rural/underserved practice sites in Maryland.

The unexpected circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in our having to be creative in the delivery of these valuable learning experiences that typically take place at geriatric sites such as medical & rehabilitative hospitals, independent living & long-term care communities, and hospice & palliative care settings.

This online training site is designed with the same mix of activities that normally take place on-site and will take you approximately eight (8-9) hours to complete. There is no charge for USM students to participate in the GAIT program. Anyone who completes the program will get a certificate of completion.

More GAIT Information

The Clinical Education Program facilitates opportunities in medically under-served areas of Central Maryland.  Students learn about the unique challenges, rewards, and opportunities experienced by practitioners and patients. Exposure to patient-centered practices underscore the dedication of healthcare professionals and increase the students’ cultural sensitivity to under-served populations, engaging students to consider practice in medically under-served urban areas.

Baltimore Sun article: Encouraging Med Students to Consider Primary Care, June 2, 2016

Resources for Clinical Education Students
Below are resources for health professions students participating in Central Maryland AHEC clinical rotations.

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