The purpose of the Rural Practice Curriculum, as developed by the Rural Practice Curriculum ad hoc Committee of the College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in consultation with the Dean of the College of Medicine, the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs, and the Assistant Dean for Medical Education, is to give our students in our Rural Practice Programs a sound exposure to rural medicine in the context of primary care medicine. To that end, the curriculum affords our students multiple exposures to rural medicine in a variety of primary care specialties: notably, Family Medicine, General Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and General Internal Medicine. The Office of Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) will assist in much of the logistics of student assignment to rural practice sites throughout the State. In all cases where possible, students in the Community Match program will be placed in rural locations in which they have a contractual agreement to practice at the completion of their formal medical education. Additionally, the experience of our students in the Rural Practice Program will be monitored by comprehensive evaluations; both student and faculty. Reports of these evaluations will be sent from the Office of the Assistant Dean for Medical Education to the Curriculum Committee of the College of Medicine for critique and suggestions for improvement in the curriculum. It is anticipated that the Rural Practice Curriculum will change with time as we strive to ever improve the educational experience of our students.

Dr. William Golden, Internal Medicine
Dr. Curtis Lowery, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ms. Nancy Clark, Family and Community Medicine
Ms. Yvonne Lewis, Office of Area Health Education Centers
Dr. Don Foster, Pediatrics
Dr. Richard Wheeler, Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs, College of Medicine
Dr. Jay Menna, Assistant Dean for Medical Education, College of Medicine

1. All students in the Rural Practice Program must join a primary care interest group in Family Practice, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, or Ob/Gyn, and must attend meetings of this organization.

2. All students in the Rural Practice Program must take at least one preceptorship in a rural area either between their freshman and sophomore year or between their sophomore and junior year. If desired, and if sufficient funds are available, a student may opt to enroll in a preceptorship at both aforementioned time periods. The AHEC Office has agreed to assist with this component of the proposed curriculum.

3. All students in the Rural Practice Program must take part in the Day with a Doctor Program their Freshman Year. The Day with a Doctor Program is sponsored and directed by the Arkansas Caduceus Club.

4. All students in the Rural Practice Program should have an element of Rural Medicine in their Family Medicine Clerkship their Junior year of medical school and this will be the responsibility of the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Area Health Education Centers (AHECs).

5. All students in the Rural Practice Program must take one of their Primary Care Selectives or Acting Internships at an AHEC and the College will work with the AHEC’s to ensure that at least part of the rotation will be a rural experience.

6. Each student in the Rural Practice Program will be assigned a mentor. Where possible, the mentor will be from the community in which the student has a contractual agreement to ultimately practice.

RURAL2.DOC

Approved by the Executive Committee on May 16, 1996

Modified with permission of Dean Wilson on November 29, 1999