AHEC Rural Scholars
- 2 Year Program
- 2 Retreats Per Year
- Discounted MCAT Materials & Course
- Retreats span 2 days, Thursday through Friday, with overnight accommodations.
What You Will Learn
- Medical school interview techniques, practiced in mock interviews with a real admissions team
- What the medical school admissions criteria, process, and MCAT actually require
- Basic skills assessment, first aid, and basic life support techniques
- How rural community-based healthcare works and why it matters
- How to build a resume and personal statement that hold up to admissions scrutiny
Who Should Join
- Pre-med students from rural Louisiana towns
- High-achieving students aiming for admission to LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine
- Students who want to practice medicine in a rural Louisiana community
- Students who need structured MCAT preparation and application support
- Students able to commit to biannual two-day retreats over two years
Requirements
- Applicant must be from a rural Louisiana town, defined as a parish with a population under 100,000 or a municipality with fewer than 35,000 residents
- Minimum 3.4 cumulative college GPA and minimum 3.4 cumulative science GPA, with a copy of the college transcript required, plus a minimum 24 composite ACT score
- Complete all sections of the application and submit a Participation Agreement, Agreement of Photo Release, and photo of applicant
Explore This Program
Overview
About This Program
The AHEC Rural Scholars Program is a free program designed to equip and encourage talented, high-achieving pre-med students from rural communities to make application to LSU Health Shreveport and ultimately become primary care physicians in rural Louisiana. Over two years, newly selected Rural Scholars gain insight into the arduous process of applying to medical school, interacting with primary care physicians, receiving financial aid information, learning interview techniques, and obtaining answers about admissions criteria, the MCAT, and the medical school interview.
Why Join This Program?
Impact
Rural Louisiana faces the challenge of getting adequate medical care to residents, many of whom are isolated by poverty and location. Rural Scholars addresses that need directly, by identifying small-town students who dream of returning home to practice medicine and helping them get there.
Purpose
The purpose of Rural Scholars is to identify more small-town students with the ability and the desire to become physicians, and to guide them through an admissions process that is difficult to navigate without help.
Value
Scholars receive personalized resume and personal statement critiques, mock interviews with a real admissions team, and discounted MCAT materials and coursework. These are the specific resources that separate a competitive application from an unsuccessful one.
Benefits
Over two years, participants interact with primary care physicians and the Dean of Admissions, receive financial aid guidance, learn basic skills assessment, first aid, and basic life support, get personalized application critiques, and access discounted MCAT materials and course, and much more.
Curriculum
What You’ll Learn
Rural Scholars runs across two years, built around biannual retreats. One retreat is typically held in the fall, in mid-September or mid-October, and one in the spring, in mid-March. Each retreat spans two days, Thursday through Friday, including Thursday evening and Friday morning through afternoon.
Medical School Admissions
Scholars obtain answers to questions about medical school admissions criteria and process, the MCAT, and the medical school interview, interacting directly with the Dean of Admissions and many others.
Interview Preparation
Scholars learn medical school interview techniques and participate in mock interviews with a real admissions team, receiving direct feedback on their performance.
Application Materials and MCAT Prep
Scholars receive personalized resume and personal statement critiques, plus discounted MCAT materials and course. MCAT prep is available after completion of your first retreat, and the course must be completed in its entirety.
Clinical Skills
Through hands-on simulation and standardized patient experiences, scholars develop practical clinical skills such as patient assessment, first aid, basic life support, intubation, and lumbar puncture (spinal tap). Working with medical simulators and trained actors portraying patients, scholars practice clinical techniques, patient interaction, and decision-making—building a strong foundation for medical school and future clinical training.
Rural Health Care
Scholars interact with primary care physicians and gain knowledge about rural community-based healthcare, including financial aid information for the road ahead.
Testimonials
Program Impact: Student Perspectives
Rural Scholars is built for students who have the ability but not the roadmap. Here is what past scholars, now in and through medical school, have said about what it gave them.
Will Brouillette
The people at AHEC provided me with the best services available to help me study for the MCAT and write my personal statement. I felt overwhelmed trying to build my application, but through the Rural Scholars program I became a confident, well rounded applicant.
Jackson Neal
Having people to help me with MCAT preparation, resume and personal statement writing, and even mock interviews to help me become more comfortable with the admissions interview format was instrumental as I went through the application process.
Cameron Windham, MD
I participated in Day with the Doctors as well as the Rural Scholars Program during college, which helped me gain valuable insight on how to excel during the medical school admissions process. This resulted in me being accepted on my first application cycle.
Ethan Deshautelle
AHEC has played a key role in allowing me to efficiently study for the MCAT due to the fact that they offer loads of different resources that allow students to succeed on the exam.
Trusted By
Rural Scholars is delivered in partnership with LSU Health Shreveport, whose admissions team, faculty, and physicians work directly with scholars throughout the two-year program.
Secure Your Spot Today
The deadline to apply is August 15th. A completed application must include all sections of the application, a Participation Agreement, an Agreement of Photo Release, a photo of the applicant, a copy of your college transcript, and a copy of your ACT score. Questions? Call our office at (318) 443-2855.
FAQ & Contact
Need Help?
Have questions about retreats, MCAT support, or eligibility? The answers below cover what we’re asked most often, and our team is always ready to help.
When are the biannual retreats usually held?
One retreat is typically held in fall, in mid-September or mid-October, and one in spring, in mid-March.
How long is each retreat?
Each retreat spans 2 days, Thursday through Friday, including Thursday evening and Friday morning through afternoon.
Is MCAT prep help available?
Yes, if accepted to the program and after completion of your first retreat. The MCAT prep course MUST be completed in its entirety. The MCAT test date must be scheduled by the participant and shared with CLAHEC, and MCAT test scores must be shared with CLAHEC.
What is considered a rural community?
A Louisiana rural community can be defined as a parish with a population under 100,000, or a municipality with fewer than 35,000 residents. Examples include Pineville, Marksville, Natchitoches, DeRidder, Eunice, Leesville, and Jena.
How long is the program?
Rural Scholars runs across two years, with two retreats each year.
What are the GPA and ACT requirements?
Applicants must have a minimum 3.4 cumulative college GPA, a minimum 3.4 cumulative science GPA, and a minimum 24 composite ACT score. Copies of both your college transcript and ACT score are required.
What does the program cost?
Nothing. The AHEC Rural Scholars Program is free to participants.
Get in Touch
If you have more questions or need personal assistance, feel free to contact us:
info@clahec.org
Drop us a message anytime, we’ll get back to you shortly.
Phone: (318) 443-2855
Available Monday to Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
CLAHEC Headquarters
1308 Dorchester Drive Alexandria, LA 71303
