08/21/2025
Practicing in Toccoa, Georgia, Dr. Christopher Kiker knows the needs of rural communities run deep.
But what keeps him inspired is more than just treating patients — it's mentoring and training the next wave of doctors through AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) programs.
“A lot of students who go into medicine come from cities, from strong school systems, and families who’ve done it before,” he says. “But rural areas are full of talented students who just need a path. AHEC helps open that door — and I’m proud to be part of that.”
As a faculty member with Mercer University, Augusta University, and Northeast Georgia Health System, Dr. Kiker trains students and residents in real-world rural primary care.
Through the Foothills AHEC's Pathway to Medical School program and rural clinical rotations, he offers hands-on experience in family medicine — and, more importantly, a window into the communities that need them most.
He didn’t participate in AHEC as a student — but now he’s all in.
“All the students I’ve had through AHEC are top-notch,” he says. “If we can find kids like me — from small towns, without a roadmap, but with the talent and heart to serve — and mentor them into medicine, we’ll transform rural health care.”
His goal? To give students what he once needed: a mentor who believed in them and showed them what was possible.
“My goal isn’t just to teach medicine — it’s to give trainees a window into the life of a small-town physician,” he says.
“One day, I hope there are dozens of doctors across Georgia who came through AHEC programs or shadowed doctors like me.”
🔗to learn more about the Pathway to Med School program:
https://www.foothillsahec.org/programs/pathway-med-school
