For UNC Asheville alumni Noah Rice ‘21 and Judy Felipe De La Cruz ‘26, the Pre-Healthcare Professions Internship at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) was a pivotal step toward careers in medicine. As paid summer interns, they gained real-world experience, hands-on training, and early exposure to patient care that helped clarify their professional paths and prepare them for the demands of medical school and clinical practice.Noah Rice, who earned his B.S. in biology from UNC Asheville in May 2021, credits his experience with the Pre-Healthcare Professions Internship at MAHEC with solidifying his path to medical school. As one of 10 paid summer interns, the annual program provided him with the real-world experience, hands-on training, and academic credentials he needed to get into and excel in medical school. This May, he’ll receive his medical degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.