Graduate Medical Education and Patient Services

 Northwest AHEC provides financial support to the primary care (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics and Psychiatry Residency) programs of WFBMC which help to fulfill the Northwest AHEC mission as demonstrated by the following data.  The Northwest AHEC - supported Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s primary care and psychiatry residency programs graduated 71 physicians in 2007. Of major significance is that 46 of these new physicians (65%) have chosen to stay and practice medicine in North Carolina.

The Community Plunge

For the fourth consecutive year, Northwest AHEC provided the financial resources and technical assistance to enable the primary care residency programs to offer The Community Plunge (a four-hour cultural competency activity designed to provide an orientation to community demographics and healthcare resources) to incoming first-year residents. Additionally for the first time, the Physicians Assistant Studies students also participated.

Student National Medical Association

Northwest AHEC provides support to Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Student National Medical Association (SNMA) chapter in a variety of ways. Northwest AHEC participates in SNMA’s annual spring event at which graduating residents are recognized.  Additionally, SNMA members have been recruited in past summers to act as counselors in several of Northwest AHEC's Health Careers programs. SNMA is a ationally known and recognized organization which focuses on the needs and concerns of students of color.