In addition to maintaining health care professionals in rural Kentucky, the Northeast AHEC strives to cultivate an interest in health careers within our youth. Only by maximizing both of these efforts can rural Kentucky rise from the current status of medically underserved.

The NEAHEC has developed a number of programs to promote health careers at each stage of a student's educational experience. At the K-12 level programs such as Dental Jeopardy, Forensics Mystery with Synthetic Blood and Caught by a Kiss promote health careers in a fun and interactive way. The shadowing program allows both high school and college students first hand observation in a medical field they are interested in pursuing. The "Letters from Home" program aims to strengthen each regional medical student's connection to rural areas in the hope they will return to practice.