Graduate & Health Professions Students

Health Professional Students (HPS) are students who are currently enrolled in health professions graduate programs. The Pee Dee AHEC Health Professions Student (HPS) Coordinators work closely with health profession degree programs from universities and colleges in South Carolina. The HPS Coordinators facilitate the placement of students in clinical rotations with preceptors, primarily in the rural and underserved areas, within the region.  preceptors across the state, primarily in rural or underserved areas of the Pee Dee. This service bridges the gap between the university/college classroom setting and the clinical training site experiences.

Who We Serve

HPS Coordinators help with various health disciplines including, but not limited to:

  • Medicine
  • Master social work
  • Nursing (Graduate Level)
  • Occupational therapy
  • Pharmacy
  • Physical therapy
  • Physician assistant
  • Speech therapy

Services We Offer

  • Interface with clinical programs at South Carolina academic institutions
  • Identification of preceptors and clinical rotation sites
  • Assistance in locating housing resources
  • Student orientation to the community
  • Networking with the community health agencies
  • Community health projects
  • Clinical site visits
  • Interprofessional Service - Learning Project

South Carolina AHEC Scholars Program

The South Carolina AHEC Scholars program is part of a national initiative to prepare tomorrow’s health professionals to become leaders in interprofessional, transformative practice who serve those who need it the most.

The program consists of didactic and experiential training opportunities with a focus on primary care and service to rural and underserved populations. AHEC Scholars will receive preference for innovative, team-based clinical fieldwork placements, in addition to networking opportunities with state leaders and primary care professionals from across the state.

More information about the program is available below, on the flyer (PDF), or in the South Carolina AHEC Scholars Handbook (PDF).

Apply to be an AHEC Scholar now! Applications are accepted in the Fall, Spring and Summer of each year.

Students will emerge from the AHEC Scholars program having gained innovative, interprofessional training focused on transforming primary care and improving patient care.

AHEC Scholars Handbook

Clinical Rotation Request

What can Pee Dee AHEC do for you?

We can…

  • Help identify and secure clinical rotation sites
  • Provide community-based project support

Once we have received your placement request, you will be contacted (either by email or phone) to discuss your request. If you do not receive a phone call or email within one week of submitting your request, please contact us.

Please note due to the large number of clinical rotations requested and limited preceptor availability, we may be unable to accommodate all requests received. We strive to fulfill request in the order they are received.

Student Housing Information

Pee Dee AHEC has limited, shared housing. Priority goes to AHEC Scholars and in-state students completing clinical rotations at primary care and/or rural clinical sites.

Details about our housing:

  • 3 apartments
  • 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
  • 2 twin beds per room

Location: Florence, SC 29505

Pee Dee AHEC strives to provide housing resources for students use while on their community-based rotations. Housing location, availability and requirements vary. Please contact your HPS coordinator to find out more about other housing options within the Pee Dee region.

South Carolina AHEC’s Interprofessional Team Case Conference (ITCC) brings students from various professions (Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Social Work, Physical Therapy, Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, Community Health Workers) and academic institutions across the state (MUSC, UofSC, A.T. Still, VCOM, Francis Marion University, and others) together to discuss a case of a patient in a rural, underserved area of South Carolina and to develop a longitudinal care plan.

How It Works

  • Review the case study (approximately 1-2 hours) and submit your answers to 9-10 questions about the case prior to the session.
  • Participate in the ITCC session via WebEx.
  • Complete the questionnaire upon conclusion of the ITCC assessing this learning experience.

Project Focus & Completion

Areas of focus for the case conference will include:

  • Goals for the management of the patient.
  • Consultations, as appropriate, and how to facilitate them.
  • Community resources available to aid with the patient’s care.
  • Development of a comprehensive, team-focused care plan and identification of goals in the patient’s care.
  • Patient/Caregiver education.
  • Population health-related implications of this case.

A questionnaire will be distributed at the conclusion of the ITCC seeking your assessment of this learning experience. Upon completion, you will receive a recognition letter from academic leaders at MUSC and SC AHEC that you can include on your curriculum vitae as a scholarly learning experience.

Now fully virtual | Monthly seminar series | Open to all graduate health professions students

Join the dialogue about the future of primary care! What should healthcare look like in the future? Put what you've learned into practice with this series of online seminars featuring case-based learning, guest speakers, and chances to interact with interprofessional groups of health professions students and providers from across the state.

AHEC Scholars credit available. All students who attend 5 or more seminars will receive a recognition certificate.

The Institute for Primary Care began in 2013 with funding from The Duke Endowment. Since its inception, the Institute has been providing a monthly interprofessional seminar series; an annual conference; and opportunities for mentorship, networking, and leadership to students who are interested in and committed to primary care.

Participate in IPC Seminars

If you have questions, contact Shaquana Randall at randals@musc.edu or 843-792-4429.

For more information, please contact:

Kirstie Hogges, M.Ed.