Our History
The Health Careers Regional Center at Elizabeth City State University was established in 1973. It is one of three regional centers of the North Carolina Health Manpower Development Program, an interinstitutional program of the University of North Carolina established in 1971 to address the serious shortage of health professionals in North Carolina, especially among underrepresented minorities (Black and American Indian) and economically disadvantaged population groups.

The ECSU NC-HCAP Mission
The purpose of the Health Careers Center is to provide recruitment, counseling, and enrichment services and activities to increase the number of underrepresented minority and disadvantaged persons being trained and employed in the health professions.

During the academic year, the Center provides information on health careers, assistance in applying to health professions schools and identifying and applying for financial aid, study materials for MCAT/DAT preparation, college and high school health careers workshops, personal contact with health professions schools faculty and administrators, health professions schools and health agencies, and much, much more! During the summer, the Center conducts a Clinical Work-Study Summer Health Program, which provides paid work/learning experience in local health agencies and science enrichment activities to participating health science majors.

Programs and Activities
The Health Careers Recruitment and Counseling Center is a component of the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP), which began as a consortium in 1971 to address the serious shortage of health professionals in North Carolina, especially among underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged population groups.

The ECSU Center serves the northeastern Albemarle Region of North Carolina, and offers the following services and activities:

1. Provides information on over 200 different health careers and on a broad range of health professions programs available in North Carolina and elsewhere;
2. Counsels individuals seeking careers in the health professions for which training is available in the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina, and in North Carolina technical institutes and community colleges;
3. Provides retention and enrichment services for minority students enrolled in pre-profession health programs;
4. Provides professional study guides, didactic science review materials and cassette tapes to assist in preparation for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and the Dental Admission Test (DAT);
5. Coordinates seminars on admission procedures, entrance exams, curriculum requirements, and financial aid for health professions schools and graduate biomedical science programs;
6. Conducts a Clinical Work-Study Summer Health Program (CWSSHP) which provides clinical and academic enrichment experience for underrepresented minority health science majors interested in health or health-related careers;
7. Provides educational field trips to medical centers and health profession schools in North Carolina, and interaction with health professions schools facilities, administrators, students, and practicing health professionals;
8. Assists minority and disadvantaged students interested in health professions programs in identifying adequate financial aid resources;
9. Sponsors a Health Careers Club for enrolled health science majors and others interested in pursuing careers in the health professions;
10. Conducts health careers workshops for minority high school students and health careers clubs.

Health Curricula and Degree Programs

Preparatory Programs:

For More Information:
Health Careers Recruitment/Counseling Center
Caldwell/Hoffler Infirmary
Post Office Box 928
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
Telephone: (252) 335-3521/335-3270