University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Medicine, Huntsville Regional Medical Center
THE
RURAL MEDICINE
PROGRAM
University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Medicine, Huntsville Regional Medical Center
and
Auburn University, College of Science and Mathematics
(RMP, UABSOM/HRMC, AU/COSAM)
Key personnel
Program Director: William H. Coleman MD. PhD.
Academic Program Director, Phase I: Lawrence C. Wit PhD.
Medical Director, Phase I: Keith Bufford MD.
Program Coordinator, Phase II and III: William H. Coleman MD. PhD.
Assistant Program Coordinator, Phase II and II: Victor Norman MD
AUBURN UNIVERSITY/UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
RURAL MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM
RMP GOALS
To recruit and prepare rural students for successful careers as family physicians/primary care physicians in rural Alabama
To support RMP pre-medical and medical students in becoming rural family physicians
To increase the number of family physicians/primary care physicians in rural Alabama
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Medicine/Auburn University Rural Medical Program (RMP) is a five-year medical education joint endeavor that is targeted to premedical students with rural backgrounds. It begins with a pre-matriculation year on the campus of Auburn University (AU) within the college of Sciences and Mathematics. It continues though four years of medical school at the University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Medicine (UABSOM) utilizing the Birmingham campus for the first two years and UABSOM’s Huntsville Regional Medical campus for the final two years of medical school. RMP prepares rural students for careers as primary care/family physicians in rural Alabama. It is designed to support the students’ goals of becoming rural physicians. The program admits up to 11students each year through a highly selective process that is based on and compatible with UABSOM’s medical school admission process. The RMP student begins preparation for rural medical practice with a pre-medical year at Auburn University and continues though the four years of medical school at UABSOM. At Auburn, students receive two semesters of study in rural primary health care delivery, community medicine, and rural health care issues After this, they enter UABSOM to begin their first year of medical school.
The Rural Medicine Program is a 5 year rural family medicine/primary care oriented curriculum within the regular medical school curriculum. It is composed of three phases:
Phase I a pre-matriculation year of study on the Auburn Campus. There are two study tracks in place for this first year;
- Undergraduate, while completing Bachelor’s degree
- Graduate, Non-degree Option.
Phase II the first two years of medical school (basic sciences) - Birmingham campus. It includes the regular medical school curriculum and additional RMP requirements.
Phase III the third and fourth years of medical school (clinical sciences) at the Huntsville campus of UABSOM. During this phase, the RMP continues to follow the UABSOM curriculum while completing additional RMP curriculum requirements.
RMP (PHASE I) OBJECTIVES
Increase RMP pre-medical students’ awareness and interest regarding the challenges and rewards of becoming a primary care/family physician in rural Alabama.
With coursework and practical rural medical experiences, increase the RMP student’s knowledge about rural communities.
Increase the RMP student’s’ knowledge about health care policy and current trends in medicine particularly as they apply to the family/primary care practice and rural health care.
Create peer support and professional relationships among RMP students
Enhance the RMP pre-med students’ competitiveness and science preparation for medical school.
DURING THE PRE-MATRICULATION YEAR RURAL MEDICAL PROGRAM STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO:
Complete final year of undergraduate education or complete a year of post-graduate non-degree studies in RMP phase I at Auburn University.
Maintain their academic standards by earning a minimum 3.2 GPA during their RMP year of course work.
Attend the following extracurricular events:
Medical Association of Alabama’s Annual Washington Conference, February PAOF, physician recruitment fair at Point Clear, March.
Provisional acceptance students will complete all provisions of their acceptance prior to admission to UAB School of Medicine.
PRE-MATRICULATION CURRICULUM (Auburn)
Undergraduate students will complete all course work required for their undergraduate degree as well as the required courses in the RMP program. Post –graduate students will complete the required RMP curriculum. Each RMP student will be individually advised by the Academic Program Director. Students who lack a strong science-based background will be encouraged to take additional science courses during the RMP experience so as to be better prepared for the medical school curriculum. Courses are selected from the core RMP courses in the following list:
STAT 2510Biostatistics*
RSOC 3190Agriculture and Society
RSOC 3620Community Organization
RSOC 5610Rural Sociology*
SOCY 4200Medical Sociology*
HADM 2200Health Policy
HADM3300Introduction to Health Administration
HADM 4100Finance in Heath Administration
HADM 3700Health Law
SCMH 5010Clinical Applications I*
SCMH 5020Clinical Applications II*
BIOL 4410Vertebrate Development*
BIOL 5600Mammalian Physiology*
*Required course (Courses other than those listed may be recommended or requested based on individual need.)
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
RSOC3190 Agriculture and Society (3) “Values and conflicts associated with technological and other changes in farming, rural communities, and the food system. Perspectives on agrarian structures, food security, and governmental policy.”
RSOC3620 Community Organization (3) “Analysis of social organization at the community level. Conceptual framework developed to examine both internal and external forces affecting urban as well as rural communities in the U.S., and to identify strategies to strengthen local capacity to adapt to changing social and economic environments.”
RSOC5610 Rural Sociology (3) “Theories and conceptual approaches to rurality in international and domestic contexts. Rural-urban differences in demographic composition, occupational structure, attitudes and values of rural people and regional cultures. Rural services and institutions as determinates of the quality of life.”
SOCY 4200 Medical Sociology (3) “The nature and organization of medical practice and health delivery systems with special attention to the role of physicians, patients, disease, and the relationship between culture, politics, and health.”
HADM 2200 Health Policy (3) “Political issues affecting health-care services.”
HADM 3300 Introduction to Health Administration (3) “Basic concepts and principles of administration of health service organizations.
HADM 3700 Health Law (3) “Legal issues that arise between patients and health care providers”
HADM 4100 Finance in Health Administration “Review of issues in reimbursement structures, regulatory mechanisms, cost control and related factors affecting administration of health service organizations.
STAT2500 (3) Biostatistics “Statistics for Biological and Health Sciences”
SCMH5010 (3) Clinical Applications I “A study of the clinical/personal issues facing primary care physicians in the rural community.”
SCMH 5020 (3) Clinical Applications II “A continuation of SCHM 5010”
BIOL 4410 (4) Vertebrate Development “Mophogenesis and organogensis of frog, chick, pig, and human from a descriptive and analytical viewpoint”
BIOL5600 (6) Mammalian Physiology An in-depth investigation of the physiology of the major organ systems
CLINICAL APPLICATIONS / INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL MEDICINE
COURSE DESCRIPTION 1:
The purpose of this course is to introduce rural medical program students to the integral role that primary care providers play in the overall health of the rural community. Through lectures, field trips, selected readings and interactions with preceptors and patients.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
Insights into Rural Primary Care:
1) Students will develop an understanding of primary care physician’s interaction with the rural community as a whole.
2) Students will gain an appreciation for the scope of practice in rural settings.
3) Students will gain insights into communication skills
4) Students will obtain an overview of interactions between rural primary care providers and the health care insurance industry.
5) Students will be introduced to patient interviewing and basic physical techniques (Introduction to Clinic Medicine)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will be required to attend all scheduled lecture sessions.
Students will be required to participate in the discussion of assigned readings.
Students will be required to present two case presentations.
Students will be required to submit a written report, subject to be announced in class.
Students will be required to spend 3 hours weekly with preceptor.
Students will be required to attend scheduled field trips.
Students will be required to complete a course evaluation form.
TOPICS
August Lecture # 1Introduction to the program, primary care medicine and rural medicine
August #2Introduction to HIPPA, EMR, Vital Signs.
August #3Interviewing- Introduction to Clinical Thinking
Sept #1Farming Risks/Rural Lifestyle risks
Sept #2Farm Field Trip – Noble Farm
Sept #3Book Discussion
Sept #4Medical Ethics, Bob Mullins, M.D.
Oct 2Communication Skills
Oct 3Mid-term
Oct 4Other Doctors
Oct 5Ins/Outs of Heath Care Industry Insurance
Nov. 1Sports Medicine in the Primary Care Rural Setting
Nov 2Case Presentation 1st Session
Nov 3Case Presentation 2nd Session
Nov 4Medical Disparities
Dec 1Book Discussion
Dec 2Final
CLINICAL APPLICATIONS / INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL MEDICINE 2 SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a continuation of Clinical Applications Fall Semester.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
Students will gain insight into family issues affecting rural primary care medicine.
Students will obtain an overview of practical applied epidemiology in rural primary care medicine.
Students will obtain an overview of interactions of politics and rural primary care medicine.
Students will gain insights into the role of rural primary care medicine in the industrial setting.
Students will gain an overview of the role that religious/philosophical/cultural beliefs play in the practice of rural primary care medicine.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will be required to attend all scheduled lecture sessions.
Students will be required to participate in the discussion of assigned readings.
Students will be required to present two case presentations.
Students will be required to submit a written report, subject to be announced in class.
Students will be required to spend 3 hours weekly with preceptor
Students will be required to attend scheduled field trips.
Students will be required to complete a course evaluation form.
Topics
Jan 1Domestic Violence
Jan 2Medical Family/ Medical Marriage
Jan 3Epidemiology in Rural Medicine
Jan 4Book Discussion
Feb 1Medicine and Politics
Feb 2Coping with Psychological Stressor of Medicine
Feb 3Aspect of Industrial Medicine
Feb 4Midterm
March 1Industry Field Trip
March 2Case Presentation 1
April 1Case Presentation 2
April 2Rural Health Care and Religion
April 3Book Discussion
April 4Final
UASOMH/AUCOSAM PHASE II CURRICULUM
PHASE II begins with completion of phase I and includes the first two years of medical school (basic sciences) on the Birmingham campus. It includes the regular medical school curriculum, the rural phase II curriculum and special lunch seminars, small group sessions, and rural clinical opportunities.
RMP (PHASE II) OBJECTIVES
To promote and expand RMP students’ awareness and interest regarding the challenges and rewards of becoming a Family Physician/Primary Care physician in rural Alabama.
To continue practical rural medical experiences, that increases the RMP student’s knowledge about the rural community and rural medical practice.
To increase the RMP student’s’ knowledge about health care policy and current trends in medicine particularly as they apply to the family physician, primary care practice and rural health care.
Maintain and support a peer network of RMP students.
To provide leadership development opportunities for RMP students.
Increase the number of UABSOM and specifically UABSOM/HRMC graduates who ultimately become family physicians/primary care physicians in rural Alabama.
DURING PHASE II RURAL MEDICINE PROGRAM STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO:
Become a student member of the American Academy of Family Physicians immediately upon admission to UAB School of Medicine.
Attend all Family Medicine Interest Group meeting
Participate in the Department of Family Medicine Pathway Program: Summer between first and second year of medical school unless exempted by RMP director
Attend Alabama Academy of Family Physicians annual student meeting in Sandestin Fl. (occurs in June of each year).
Satisfy all UAB School of Medicine’s special topic curriculum requirements through RMP designated or approved special topics
UASOMH/AUCOSAM PHASE II I CURRICULUM
PHASE III begins with the third and fourth years of medical school (clinical sciences) at the Huntsville campus of UABSOM. During this phase, the curriculum includes the third year family medicine clerkship with its 3 week rural clinical rotation as well as continued lunch seminars, small group sessions, and rural clinical opportunities.
RMP (PHASE III) OBJECTIVES
To Maintain and enhance RMP students’ awareness and interest regarding the challenges and rewards of becoming a primary care/family physician in rural Alabama.
To provide practical rural clinical experiences, that increases the RMP student’s knowledge about the rural community and rural medical practice.
To increase the RMP student’s’ knowledge about health care policy and current trends in medicine particularly as they apply to the family/primary care practice and rural health care.
Maintain and support a peer network of RMP students.
To provide leadership development opportunities for RMP students.
Increase the number of UABSOM and specifically UABSOM/HRMC graduates who ultimately become Family physician/primary care physicians in rural Alabama
DURING PHASE III RURAL MEDICINE PROGRAM STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO:
Attend FMIG meetings
Attend Alabama AAFP annual student meeting (schedule dependent) 3rd year and 4th year
Satisfy all UAB School of Medicine’s special topic curriculum requirements through RMP designated or approved special topics
Family Medicine third year clerkship and RMP student scholarly activity
All RMP students will be scheduled for their scholarly activity in the block immediately following their Family Medicine clerkship.
All RMP students are required to have their scholarly activity approved by the RMP program director.
Complete a fourth year RMP Rural Elective (2 weeks) or a Rural Acting Internship (4 weeks) designated by or approved by the RMP program director.
ASSESSMENT
During the last 3 months of the fourth year of medical school, each student will complete an assessment document.
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