Central Illinois AHEC
Connecting students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health.
Central Illinois Area Health Education Center
The Central Illinois AHEC supports and develops the health career workforce in Central Illinois. Housed in the Department of Health Sciences at Illinois State University, the Central IL AHEC provides opportunities to explore careers in health, collegiate-level programs to enhance skills and knowledge pertaining to the healthcare workforce and supports initiatives to improve the health of underserved communities across the region.
College Programs
AHEC Scholars - A two-year extracurricular academic program for health professions students interested in improving health in rural and underserved communities. Application
Rural/Underserved Health Experience – A 3-5 day immersive shadowing opportunity for students interesting in pursuing a career in healthcare in a rural or underserved area. Application
Six-Week Summer Preceptorship – The Six-Week Interprofessional Preceptorship is a rural immersion program for students in health professions. Offered in collaboration with the IL AHEC Network, it is a six-week, paid, full-time shadowing opportunity set in a rural Illinois community. Application (Opens in January)
MPH Mentorship Program - Students in ISU’s MPH program are paired with a mentor in the public health field during their HSC 408 course. Mentors help provide guidance for students in their MPH journey and beyond.
Secondary Education Programs
Classroom Presentations – The Central IL AHEC provides classroom presentations and hands-on activities pertaining to healthcare career topics. Examples include healthcare career bingo, healthcare career jeopardy, laparoscopic simulations, and Breakout Boxes, but presentations can be tailored to your classroom needs/interests. For inquiries or to coordinate a classroom presentation, contact Rachel Benn.
Career Advising – The Central IL AHEC provides career advising and career exploration resources to students interested in careers in healthcare. Check out our resources on the AHEC website or contact
Rachel Benn for more information.
Healthcare Careers Camp - The Healthcare Careers Camp is co-sponsored with Memorial Health Springfield to provide hands-on exploration of careers in healthcare.
