North Idaho Area Health Education Center
About North Idaho AHEC
The North Idaho Area Health Education Center (NI-AHEC) is one of four centers in Idaho. North Idaho AHEC's service region encompasses the ten northernmost counties of the state. Founded in 2017, the North Idaho AHEC is hosted by the School of Health and Medical Professions at University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. North Idaho AHEC serves the state by emphasizing meeting the needs of Idaho’s rural and/or underserved health care populations.
The AHEC network is a national system of more than 300 program offices and centers developed to enhance healthcare access and delivery in underserved areas. AHECs bring together academic programs and regional health needs in ways that benefit communities and, most importantly, individual citizens.
AHEC supports a pipeline to health professions
Lead K-12 and health professions students to fulfilling careers in healthcare.
Supporting students’ futures in health care
NI-AHEC supports Idaho students by partnering with K-12 educators to host hands-on pipeline to health careers activities and mentoring current health professions students through the AHEC Scholars program.
Interactive health care workshops
Experience the excitement of a career in health care with NI-AHEC's interactive workshops. Doc for a Day and Hands-on Health Care offer middle and high school students a glimpse into the world of healthcare.
Make a difference in rural health outreach
Shape the future of North Idaho AHEC.
Discover your passion for health care
Doc for a Day
Experience what it’s like to be a Doc for a Day! This workshop, designed for middle and high school students, introduces students to a variety of medical specialties. Students will learn suturing, CPR and ultrasound administration. Participants also gain valuable insights into the medical field and receive advice on the different pathways to medical school.
Are you a regional hospital, medical clinic or school interested in partnering with NI-AHEC to host Doc for a Day at your site? Email niahec@uidaho.edu.
Hands-on Health Care
Spend a day diving into the endless possibilities of health care careers with Hands-on Health Care. Designed for middle and high school students, this workshop gives students the opportunity to explore the path to becoming a health care professional through a series of hands-on activities run by health professionals. This workshop typically features six different health care professions: nurses, public health professionals, athletic trainers, physicians, EMTs and dieticians.
AHEC scholars program
AHEC Scholars is your gateway to unparalleled opportunities, offering a $1,000 stipend, competitive advantages for rural incentive grants and direct access to a vibrant network of professionals and peers nationwide. As an AHEC Scholar, you'll gain hands-on experience in rural and underserved settings while mastering leading-edge topics like telehealth and behavioral health integration. Dedicated mentors will guide you and professional development sessions will bolster your skills. You’ll also earn a nationally recognized HRSA-endorsed certificate to set you apart in the healthcare field.
If you're an Idaho health professions student committed to advancing health equity and teamwork, this program is designed for you.
About the AHEC scholars program
Program eligibility
To be eligible for the AHEC Scholars program in North Idaho, you must:
- Be a health professions student enrolled in one of the following Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) approved programs:
- Athletic Training (MS)
- Clinical Psychology
- Dietetics/Nutrition (MS)
- Medicine (MD/DO)
- Nurse Practitioner
- Pharmacy (PharmD)
- Physician Assistant
- Registered Nurse (BSN, AS)
- Social Work (BSW, MSW)
- Be in good academic standing in your program (if you are applying after your first semester)
- Be two years from program or degree completion (exception: medical students may apply in year one of their MD or DO program)
- Commit to a two-year AHEC Scholars activity agenda
- Intend to enter directly into the health professions workforce when you graduate*
- Be a citizen of the United States or a foreign national having in your possession a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States
- Agree to be contacted with a survey one year after graduation from your degree program
* Pre-health programs that do not lead directly to a practicing health profession upon graduation and lab-based programs are not eligible.
Program requirements
Year One
- Attend an orientation and networking event in the fall
- Participate in four monthly 90-minute virtual sessions focused on interprofessional development, alongside scholars from across the state
- Complete 10 hours of self-paced learning
- A menu of options will be provided and/or your own elective coursework may qualify if it aligns the core topics
- Complete 40 hours of clinical/experiential learning
- Must be with a rural and/or underserved setting that uses interprofessional, team-based care
- Your academic program’s required clinical hours may qualify
- Complete an end-of-year survey
Year Two
- Participate in four monthly 90-minute virtual sessions focused on interprofessional development, alongside scholars from across the state
- Complete 10 hours of self-paced learning
- A menu of options will be provided and/or elective coursework you complete through your academic program may qualify if it aligns with one or more of the core topics
- Complete 40 hours of clinical/experiential learning
- Your academic program’s clinical hours may qualify if the setting uses a team-based approach to care and is rural or underserved
- Complete an end-of-year survey
Apply to be an AHEC scholar
Develop your skills in rural health care.
AHEC brings health careers to life
AHEC of a class! Classroom resources for K-12 educators
North Idaho AHEC partners with educators to deliver health career presentations, spotlighting local professionals, panels with health care students and overviews of career pathways. We’ll bring health care careers to life for your students!
Continuing education for health care professionals
Interested in partnering with NI-AHEC for a continuing education event?
Support NI-AHEC
From middle and high school students exploring health care pathways to professionals elevating their skill sets, AHEC programs are equipping current and future practitioners with real-world experience and creating meaningful change across North Idaho.
Together, we can improve health care access and outcomes for more people in Idaho.
Your support makes a difference
Help us nurture Idaho's future healthcare professionals.
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 U7746221, for the Idaho Area Health Education (Idaho AHEC) Program Office and its four regional Centers in the total amount of $616,345 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year (with a 1:1 total match of $616,345 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.