Click here to download a presentation about AHEC and AHEC Scholars!

AHEC Scholars is a nationwide HRSA/AHEC branded certificate program to prepare and promote a diverse, skilled healthcare workforce in rural and underserved urban communities.

This free certificate is open to students enrolled in educational programs of at least 2 years, including, but not limited to, MD, nursing, substance use disorder professionals, community health, therapeutic recreation, dental, and radiology.  

An online class using a curriculum from the University of Washington’s School of Medicine.

The program consists of didactic and clinical/experiential/community learning focused on eight core topic areas:

1. Interprofessional education
2. Behavioral health integration
3. Social determinants of health
4. Practice transformation 
5. Cultural competency*
6. Telehealth
7. Connecting communities and supporting health professionals
8. Current and emerging health issues

*CWAHEC prefers the term cultural humility, which acknowledges that mastery of a finite body of knowledge may not be appropriate. Instead, cultural humility invites us to practice the lifelong commitment to self-evaluation, redressing power imbalances, and developing mutually beneficial advocacy partnerships with communities. (Definition adapted from Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998)

This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U77HP03022, for the Washington Area Health Education (WA AHEC) Program Office and its four regional Centers in the total amount of $788,500 for the 2022-2023 fiscal year (with a 1:1 total match of $788,500 from non-federally funded governmental sources). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.