Rural Health Scholarly Concentration
The Rural Health Scholarly Concentration (RHSC) provides opportunities that serve to expand existing curricular experiences that emphasize the practice of rural medicine throughout the 4 years of medical school. Students choose a rural community
where they will complete multiple clerkships and strive to learn about the characteristics of the community and to develop partnerships within it. Upon identifying a health care challenge in the town, students will complete a project along with their
community partner(s) to address/improve the focus of their choice. Additionally, students are offered a series of lectures to supplement their exposure to issues related to the practice of rural medicine (e.g. cultural identities, leadership skills,
environmental toxicology, community partnerships, etc.). UTMB-sponsored electives offering a rural medicine theme are also available for students to complete. Upon successful completion of the program, students are recognized as "Scholars in
Rural Health" on their transcripts and at commencement.
Goals of the Scholarly Concentration
The Rural Health Care Scholarly Concentration (RHSC) at UTMB exists to provide an expanded learning experience focused on needs specific to medically underserved rural communities. The Scholarly Concentration provides a comprehensive range of experiences
to support development of student competencies in these areas. The practice of rural medicine requires adaptation to multiple roles, knowledge about resource utilization specific to the rural setting, and an explicit ability to integrate a public
health perspective into a rural practice. The learner will therefore complete Scholarly Concentration requirements involving issues specific to a rural community (e.g. cultural issues, characteristics of the medical infrastructure) and develop specialty
skills required to provide health care within a rural community.
Objectives
In order to successfully complete all RHSC certificate requirements and graduate as a Rural Scholar, the student will:
- Attend 12 RHSC meetings during the 4 years in medical school
- It is best to attend most (or all) of these in first 2 years
- Complete 4 clinical rotations in a rural setting
- Preclinical preceptorships (in between 1st and 2nd year)
- Clerkships (3rd year) conducted in rural areas
- Electives and Selectives conducted in rural areas
- Complete the RHSC capstone project - RHCT 4402
- This course counts as a required BSHS credit in your 4th year
While completing these requirements, the student will succeed in doing the following...
- Learn clinical competencies to effectively serve as a physician within a rural community
- Participate in a lecture series and training events designed to provide insight and experience in areas specific to rural medicine
- Develop knowledge and understanding through coursework, preceptorships, and community service focused on the physician's unique civic role in a rural community (e.g. leadership, public health advocacy, education, social group interaction)
- Dedicate an extended portion of off-campus clerkship enrollment at a single community site to foster continuity of clinical care, office management/health care provider insight, and community culture experience.
- Complete a long-term scholarly project aimed at providing an intervention to serve the health care needs of a target rural community.
Meeting dates and speakers for 2024-2025
All meeting times are from 12pm - 1pm on the third Wednesday of each month between Sept. and April.
- September 18, 2024 - Oscar "Skip" Brown, MD
- An introduction to UTMB's RHSC and the requirements needed to graduate as a Rural Scholar. Tomiko Fisher, with the Texas AHEC East Program, will also spend a few minutes talking to you about the AHEC Scholars program.
- October 16, 2024 - Aubrey Gibbs, MD
- Dr. Gibbs is a Pediatrician in Paris, TX and will share her experiences as a rural physician. Dr. Gibbs is also a Clinical Assistant Professor for UTMB.
- November 20, 2024 - Rhonnda Jones & Christine Poe, MSN
- Rhonnda Jones is with the Texas Primary Care Office (TCPO) . This is a division of the Texas Dept. of State Health Services (DSHS). Christin Poe is with the Health Resources and Services Administation (HRSA). They will talk to our students about the various loan repayment programs on the federal and state levels (including the National Health Service Corps.). Learn how to help pay off your school loans by working in a rural and/or underserved area.
- December 18, 2024 - Edward Strecker, MD
- Dr. Edward Strecker graduated from UTMB as a Rural Scholar in 2019. He is now practicing in Lindale, TX as a Family Medicine physician. He will talk about his journey to rural medicine, finding a mentor and the different paths you can take for training.
- January 15, 2025 - Jorge Duchicela, MD
- Dr. Duchicela is a Family Medicine physician in Weimar, TX. He will have a discussion with students about his life as a rural-based physician. Dr. Duchicela is a long-time friend of UTMB's RHSC and has been a speaker every year since it's inception.
- February 19, 2025 - Tomiko Fisher, MBA
- Tomiko Fisher is the Director of the Texas Area Health Education Center (AHEC) East Program. Her topic will be, "Cultural Humility in Rural Healthcare."
- March 19, 2025 - Adrian N. Billings, MD, PhD
- Dr. Billings is a rural-based Family Medicine physician. He is a 2003 UTMB graduate and a long-time friend to UTMB's RHSC. His topic: " Who, Why, Where and How of Rural Medicine"
- April 16, 2025
FAQs about UTMB's Rural Healthcare Scholarly Concentration
Trying to decide if the RHSC is right for you? Visit this page for answers to commonly asked questions about the Rural Healthcare Scholarly Concentration.
Rural Health Care Links
Visit this page to learn about the different types of healthcare facilities in rural areas. You will also find links to organizations that offer funding and expertise to improve access to care in the rural areas of Texas.
Rural Health Care Scholarly Concentration Contacts
Director: Oscar "Skip" Brown, MD
Coordinator: Brian M. Sullivan