Foothills AHEC

04/02/2026

03/24/2026

Completed an intensive program with Foothills AHEC ? See flier for details on how to apply for our Intensive Program Scholarship!
Previous students welcome to still apply!

03/24/2026

We want to remind everyone that our First in Family Scholarship applications are open !!! See flier for qualifications

02/24/2026

Groups A and B had a blast learning with Microbiology and Psychology Departments.

Students learned microbiology lab safety, techniques and did a glow germ activity. They also learned dance therapy, mental awareness activities, and participated in a hearing voices simulation.

11/20/2025

In honor of National Rural Health Day here are some highlights from Foothills AHEC’s support of the growth of rural healthcare in Georgia .

Our mission: Improving healthcare in Northeast Ga with programs focused on outreach, student support and collaboration with community/state partners.

11/20/2025

Happy National Rural Health Day from NRHA! We are so excited to join NOSORH and other rural health stakeholders to shine a spotlight on the — today and always.

11/13/2025

Our last statewide meeting with Denise Kornegay, who will soon retire. What a great AHEC legacy she is leaving in Georgia!

10/08/2025

We have kicked off 2 sessions of our 2025-2026 Piedmont Health Scholars !

Students from Rabun County High School and Franklin County High School have learned so far about organic chemistry, foot and arch support, and the health sciences.

We even ran into 2 former Piedmont Health Scholars who are now students at Piedmont University !!!

08/21/2025

Practicing in Toccoa, Georgia, Dr. Christopher Kiker knows the needs of rural communities run deep.

But what keeps him inspired is more than just treating patients — it's mentoring and training the next wave of doctors through AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) programs.

“A lot of students who go into medicine come from cities, from strong school systems, and families who’ve done it before,” he says. “But rural areas are full of talented students who just need a path. AHEC helps open that door — and I’m proud to be part of that.”

As a faculty member with Mercer University, Augusta University, and Northeast Georgia Health System, Dr. Kiker trains students and residents in real-world rural primary care.

Through the Foothills AHEC's Pathway to Medical School program and rural clinical rotations, he offers hands-on experience in family medicine — and, more importantly, a window into the communities that need them most.

He didn’t participate in AHEC as a student — but now he’s all in.

“All the students I’ve had through AHEC are top-notch,” he says. “If we can find kids like me — from small towns, without a roadmap, but with the talent and heart to serve — and mentor them into medicine, we’ll transform rural health care.”

His goal? To give students what he once needed: a mentor who believed in them and showed them what was possible.

“My goal isn’t just to teach medicine — it’s to give trainees a window into the life of a small-town physician,” he says.

“One day, I hope there are dozens of doctors across Georgia who came through AHEC programs or shadowed doctors like me.”

🔗to learn more about the Pathway to Med School program:

https://www.foothillsahec.org/programs/pathway-med-school

08/19/2025

Check out our latest newsletter!
https://www.foothillsahec.org/post/foothills-connection-4

07/07/2025

Check out this Pathway to Med School spotlight from UNG - University of North Georgia ! We are so proud of our PTMS graduates!

https://ung.edu/news/articles/2025/07/students-benefit-from-pathway-to-med-school.php

06/23/2025

Congratulations to the 2025 Pathway to Med School Graduating Class!
We are so proud of these future physicians as they spent an intensive month shadowing, researching, and preparing themselves for the rigors of medical school and beyond!

Thank you to physicians, physicians, Swanahoochee Pediatrics, Oconee Valley Healthcare, Synergy Health, Legacy Medical, and Whole Hart Wellness for providing clinical shadowing!

Thank you to , , , and for providing guidance on their journey to med school!

We would also like to thank Piedmont Athens Regional Internal Medicine GME and the Department of Public Health - District 2 for mentoring research projects! This program would not be possible without these volunteers.

You can learn more about the PTMS program by visiting our website: www.foothillsahec.org