North Central AHEC
Rising Rural Health Leaders
Where Wisconsin’s undergrad and technical school health professions students and recent grads take the next step towards success in rural health care.
- Dec. 14, 2026-June 4, 2027
- Cohort experience
- Customized to your career goals
Rising Rural Health Leaders
A program where you can build skills, connections and experiences for your future in health care.
Lead
Build leadership, communication, emotional intelligence and resilience skills that will set you apart in health care.
Connect
Meet mentors, health care professionals and students from across Wisconsin. Build relationships that can shape your future.
Explore
Go beyond the classroom with rural health immersions, health care career experiences, shadowing and hands-on learning.
Launch
Strengthen your resume and professional materials, clarify your goals, create a plan for what’s next and prepare for grad school, professional school or a career in health care.
Rising Rural Health Leaders is designed for:
- Undergraduate and technical college health professions students
- Recent graduates
- Health professions students who are returning to school and preparing for careers in health care and rural health
Through cohort experiences and solo activities tailored around their specific career interests and goals, participants:
- Prepare for graduate or professional education and future careers serving rural Wisconsin communities
- Explore their future in healthcare
- Develop their skills, connections and experience
- Earn a $250 stipend
Rising Rural Health Leaders Journey at a Glance
Click the image for the PDF.
Lead
Grow into the professional you want to become
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about developing the confidence, communication, self-awareness, and skills that set exceptional healthcare professionals apart. At the Rural Health Leadership Institute, you’ll explore leadership, communication, emotional intelligence resilience and the future of rural healthcare.
Connect
Build relationships that can shape your future
Health care is built on relationships, and so is Rising Rural Health Leaders.
Connect with mentors, health care leaders, and peers from across Wisconsin through mentor meetings, professional development experiences, and networking opportunities. Learn from people who have navigated health care careers, ask questions, explore possibilities, and build your professional network.
Explore
Experience health care beyond the classroom
Discover what a future in healthcare could look like through hands-on learning and real-world experiences. You’ll complete a rural health immersion and hands-on experience such as shadowing or a rural health project. You’ll also see firsthand how healthcare professionals and communities are addressing the unique opportunities and challenges of rural healthcare in Wisconsin.
Launch
Turn your experiences into your next opportunity
Rising Rural Health Leaders doesn’t just help you explore what’s possible, it helps you prepare for what’s next.
Complete the program with stronger professional materials, clearer career and educational goals, an expanded network, and a personalized plan for your next step toward graduate school or a healthcare career.
Apply to Rising Rural Health Leaders
Join a community of emerging healthcare professionals who are preparing to lead and shape the future of rural healthcare in Wisconsin.
Applications are open through Nov. 15, 2026.
AHEC Rising Rural Health Leaders is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through a subaward of $1,000,000 as part of a financial assistance award made to the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services totaling $203,670,005.21 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.