Career Training for Students & Residents

UNC Health Appalachian provides experiences to medical residents and students interested in a career in healthcare. Even though most people think only of nurses and physicians when considering a career in the healthcare field, opportunities abound many areas.

Shadowing & Internships

Shadowing/observing experiences (4-40 hours) are available for students through referral or requirement of their healthcare curriculum in a partnering school.

An internship is an extended experience in practical applications and must be a requirement for class credit. We works closely with each student’s individual requirements and needs to gain “real world” experience.

Only students currently enrolled in a clinical program requiring completion of a clinical rotation will be eligible to shadow UNC Health Appalachian physicians or physician extenders. All other request for observation experiences with these practitioners cannot be fulfilled.

Contact: Erin Tyler
System Director of Volunteer Services
(828) 268-9438
Erin.Tyler@unchealth.unc.edu

Clinicals

Clinical experiences provide students with hands-on experience with patients with the supervision of a clinical instructor from the partnering school and a UNC Health Appalachian preceptor/designee.

Contact: Erin Tyler
System Director of Volunteer Services
(828) 268-9438
Erin.Tyler@unchealth.unc.edu

Family Medicine Residency Program

The MAHEC Boone Rural Family Medicine Residency Program is built to support the next generation of rural physicians. Recognizing ongoing needs, we are committed to developing family physicians with the heart to serve the entire family and lead healthcare transformation.

The MAHEC Boone Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, located at Watauga Medical Center, and AppFamily Medicine is a partnership between UNC Health Appalachian and Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) and will also serve as a clinical training site for medical students from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The program was created to train full-scope family doctors to serve in rural and underserved communities. Resident training will take three years, and UNC Health Appalachian and MAHEC are hopeful that many residents will choose to continue their careers in the High Country.

Boone Family Medicine Residency Program from MAHEC GME on Vimeo.

Visit Residency Program Website

Contacts:

  • Program Director: Molly Benedum, MD, Molly.Benedum@unchealth.unc.edu
  • Assistant Program Director: David Brendle, DO, David.Brendle@unchealth.unc.edu
  • Program Administrator: Franklin Pierce, Mark.Pierce@unchealth.unc.edu

Areas of Study

  • Behavioral Health
  • Cardio Respiratory Therapy
  • Family Medicine Residency
  • Finance
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • Laboratory Sciences
  • Marketing & Communications
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition Services
  • Public Health
  • Radiology
  • Rehabilitative Therapies

Student Requirements

Students interested in an educational experiences with UNC Health Appalachian must:

  • Be enrolled in a school with whom the healthcare system has implemented and partnered on an affiliation agreement
  • Complete an application and acceptance process for an approved educational experience to be administered through the career pathways department.

Resources

The career pathways department of UNC Health Appalachian seeks to engage professional students in activities within their scope to enhance their learning experience. Please explore the links attached below to gain more information on a variety of healthcare career paths.

  • Health Science Career Descriptions in NC This is a separate site, created and maintained by the CFNC (College Foundation of North Carolina).
  • North Carolina Health Careers is a roadmap to becoming a healthcare professional in the NC area. Sponsored by the NC AHEC (Area Health Education Centers Program), their site will help you find all the information you need to prepare for your journey.