Our pipeline programs cater to youth of all ages, from middle school students up through graduate students in college. We provide a variety of career exploration opportunities geared toward increasing awareness of the multitude of healthcare career disciplines. From interactive classroom presentations to engaging summer camps to individualized job shadows, we are dedicated to introducing students of all ages the numerous opportunities in the health industry.
If there is a specific career you are interested in, please let us know and we will do our best to connect you with a local professional! Email us at ahecinfo@buffalo.edu.
Highlighted programs:
Providing Unique Learning and Shadowing Experiences (PULSE)
Offered by: WNY Rural AHEC
PULSE Academy provides direct experience and local networking opportunities for high school students to encourage and enhance an interest in healthcare professions. Offered in collaboration with local schools, PULSE Academy begins with a series of classroom presentations, in which instructors highlight career paths and required training and skills. The second phase of PULSE Academy offers career exploration tours through local collegiate institutions. The final phase of PULSE Academy incorporates a job shadow with a local health professional, where students directly experience the daily job requirements of that specific health career.
Scrubs Club
Offered by: Catskill Hudson AHEC
Scrubs Club is a health career exploration program designed to introduce high school students to various careers in the health industry, including but not limited to nursing, clinical laboratory sciences, public health, and rehabilitation therapies. Validated by the NYS Department of Education for Career Development and Occupational Studies, the program can be either an after-school enrichment activity or incorporated directly into a school's curriculum. With nearly thirty lesson plans, participants gain valuable knowledge and skills required to pursue a career in the health field. Participant evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive, with 85% indicating their plans to pursue a health career as a result of the program.
Scientific Educational Partnership Award (SEPA)
Offered by: Erie-Niagara AHEC and WNY Rural AHEC
SEPA is an after-school program designed to teach high schools students bioinformatics and increase awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Using a cyber learning approach, students and teachers will progress through nine modules, in which they will learn about DNA sequencing, cellular data localization, enzymatic function, gene duplication and degradation, horizontal gene transfer, and much more. Participant feedback has been widely positive with students identifying a significant increase in STEM field careers.
MASH Camp
Offered by: Northern AHEC, Central New York AHEC, Catskill-Hudson AHEC, and WNY Rural AHEC
A two to three day summer camp designed for middle and high school students, MASH Camp participants explore a variety of healthcare career options and learn about the skill sets, job duties, and education necessary to pursue a career in the health industry. Students also have the opportunity to meet local health professionals and participate in interactive workshops that highlight the equipment, technology and resources used on a daily basis.