Northwest AHEC is excited to join partners across the state in celebrating NC AHEC Future Health Professionals Week, happening March 8–14, 2026. This statewide initiative is designed to inspire high school students and families to explore the incredible variety of health career pathways available in North Carolina. Learn all about it here.

Whether you're a student curious about the future, a parent helping guide next steps, or an educator supporting career exploration, this week offers engaging, accessible opportunities to connect with health professionals, discover in-demand careers, and learn how to get started on a meaningful path.

🎯 What Is Future Health Professionals Week?

Future Health Professionals Week is a coordinated statewide celebration led by NC AHEC to raise awareness about:

• The broad range of health careers, including both direct and non-direct patient care roles
• Emerging fields, such as health-focused artificial intelligence
• Educational pathways, from community colleges to university programs
• Opportunities and resources available to students across North Carolina

This week is designed to be informative and inspiring, offering touchpoints for students at every stage—from pre-college to early-career exploration.

 

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📅 What to Expect Throughout the Week

Here’s a snapshot of the exciting activities planned across March 8–14, 2026:

🎓 Student Webinar — Tuesday, 6:30–7:30 PM ET

In this live Webinar, students from across the State of North Carolina can explore 7 health careers in breakout sessions, hear directly from professionals, and learn about pursuing careers in rural and underserved communities. Incentives will be offered for completing evaluations.  

👨‍👩‍👧 Parent & Educator Webinar — Thursday, 6:30–7:30 PM ET

In this live webinar, families, educators, counselors, and community partners from across the state of North Carolina will learn about high-demand professions, community college pathways, and resources available through NC AHEC to support students throughout their health career journey.

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💡 Why This Week Matters

North Carolina needs a strong, well-trained healthcare workforce—especially in rural and underserved communities. Programs like Future Health Professionals Week help students:

• Understand real-world career options
• Build connections to experts and mentors
• Learn about support systems available through organizations like Northwest AHEC, which provides health careers programming, student services, and pathways exposure across 17 counties in our region

By participating, students gain insights that can shape their educational and career decisions for years to come.

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🚀 Ready to Explore Your Future?

Northwest AHEC invites students, families, and educators across our region to take part in this exciting weeklong celebration of health careers.

👉 Learn more and sign up here:
https://go.northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/futurehealthprofweek

Let’s empower the next generation of health professionals—starting now.

 

Check out our video!

Our typical Camp Med Program has traditionally been held in person throughout the Northwest AHEC 17-county region for students in grades 9-12. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 created an opportunity to transition this program to a virtual platform where we reached 900+ students last year!

CALLING ALL RISING 12th GRADE STUDENTS! (Currently in 11th grade) We have a FREE Statewide Health Careers Summer Program for you, Deadline to apply has been extended until May 3rd!

The North Carolina AHEC Pre-Scholars Institute aims to provide professional development and mentoring to historically underrepresented students interested in pursuing a career in health care. Students will thoroughly enjoy health science workshops taught by health science faculty from across the state of NC, health care professional guest speakers, games and more! Our goal is to expose and prepare teens for a variety of careers in healthcare in a fun and exciting way. We believe in funrichment (fun+enrichment)! The content will be delivered via live webinar and online modules.

A Statewide Health Careers Summer Program for rising 12th grade students

The North Carolina AHEC Pre-Scholars Institute aims to provide professional development and mentoring to historically underrepresented students interested in pursuing a career in health care. Students will thoroughly enjoy health science workshops taught by health science faculty from across the state of NC, health care professional guest speakers, games and more! Our goal is to expose and prepare teens for a variety of careers in healthcare in a fun and exciting way. We believe in funrichment (fun+enrichment)! The content will be delivered via live webinar and online modules.