Health Careers Education & Awareness Conference
MAHEC’s Department of Health Careers and Diversity Education, the WNC Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), and the University of North Carolina Asheville invite you to the 24th Annual Health Careers Education Awareness Conference and Expo!
The focus of this annual event continues to be on developing a coordinated effort to heighten knowledge, increase exposure to health careers, and improve workforce diversity in the region. This experience will provide students with practical information needed to make informed decisions in choosing a future path in the health professions.
We invite high school students, educators, school counselors, school board members, administrators, healthcare professionals, parents, youth program advocates, and community leaders to attend.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
8:30 am–2:00 pm
UNC Asheville Sherrill Center
227 Campus Drive, Asheville, NC 28804
Directions
We are excited to announce that our keynote speaker for 2023 is William Hathaway, MD, Chief Executive Officer of MAHEC. Dr. Hathaway is extremely passionate about the work being done within the Center for Health Professions Education at MAHEC. He serves as a mentor and advocate for our immersive and exposure pathway programs for students across Western North Carolina.
The Don C. Locke Health Career Expo will take place from 8:30 am–10:00 am and will be followed by breakout sessions and lunch. The expo provides students with an opportunity to network with a host of exhibitors (including colleges and universities) offering a range of healthcare programs students may be interested in, community partners and local organizations, and initiatives that support individuals across Western North Carolina with different services.
This Health Career Expo is named after Dr. Don C. Locke, a pioneer in education who had a successful career teaching as a professor at North Carolina State University. He ended his career in higher education as the Director of the North Carolina State University doctoral program in adult education at The Asheville Graduate Center. Dr. Locke was passionate about his work and his community. He served as a mentor to many young people and his legacy continues through this health career expo and many other initiatives that continue to thrive in Western North Carolina.
If your organization is interested in becoming an exhibitor for this year’s event, please click here
MAHEC's Health Careers Education and Awareness Conference, held annually in the Fall, provides information, resources, and education to high school students from the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina interested in learning more about careers in healthcare.
This annual conference attracts 400+ high school students, including healthcare professionals, educators, community leaders, and health science students. The conference agenda includes breakout sessions lead by state leaders who discuss topics pertaining to health careers, college preparation, understanding health inequities, rural medicine, and more. Additionally, students have the opportunity to network with other students from different schools, and develop relationships with presenters and healthcare professionals. The conference concludes with a keynote address from a prominent leader in healthcare.
MAHEC’s Department of Health Careers and Diversity Education partners with the WNC Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) and the University of North Carolina Asheville to provide this conference each year.
For more information or questions, please contact healthcareers@mahec.net or call 828-254-0721.
