primary care residency positions than graduates of medical schools without ahec programs. ahecs provided continuing education programs for health practitioners in medicine (122,750), dentistry (14,140), nursing (96,990), pharmacy (7,730), and allied health (46,630). in 1999, ricketts reported that "ahec programs have coordinated and supported the training of nearly 1.5 million health professions students and primary care residents in underserved areas with an explicit focus on rural areas in most state programs." ahecs are challenged to become increasingly self-funded in response to ongoing federal and state budget cuts since 2000. "advocates including the national ahec organization, national rural health association, national association of community health centers, and the health professions nursing and education coalition have focused attention on the need for restoring and expanding ahecs and other title vii programs."