Rural Primary Care Track
Overview
Rural Primary Care Track (RPCT) is a specially designed experience embedded within the overall four-year curriculum for students interested in practicing primary care in rural areas. It provides opportunities with a small cohort of students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to practice in communities with limited resources and increased healthcare disparities.
RPCT Curriculum
The RPCT curriculum spans all four years to include additional clinical experiences,
focused didactics, hands-on skills training, field trips, rural advocacy, and optional
research opportunities. The in-depth clinical experiences with physicians and patients
that define RPCT begin in the first semester of medical school. These added experience
require an average of 4 hours per week in the preclerkship years and minimal additional
time in the clinical years. Students in Rural Track enjoy the close relationships
of this small group and develop a family-like bond often making friendships lasting
a lifetime.
Pre-Clerkship Phase
RPCT is scheduled during weekly designated self-directed study day, providing structure and meaning. Between full day precepting experiences, short didactics, and free study days, students will dedicate an average of four hours a week.
Program Experience
Clinicals
RPCT partners with regional clinics providing our students with hands-on experience in a variety of rural settings. Students will work with physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, modeling the interdisciplinary approach used in rural communities. Students will take medical histories, perform physical exams, and formulate assessments and plans. Precepting in rural communities requires additional travel time and the College of Medicine will provide state vehicles for student use, in most cases.
Didactics
RPCT didactics include Social Determinants of Health, disparities and inequities, Appalachian culture, needs of special populations, and legislative advocacy. New didactics are developed based upon the changing landscape of rural medicine.
Field Trips
Field trips are focused on the social drivers of health in rural communities. RPCT students also have many volunteer opportunities such as health screenings, community events, working with the underserved, and mentoring our college EQUIP students in navigating the path to medical school. Rural Primary Care Track scheduling does not interfere with the general Trails curriculum courses.
Clinical Phase Clerkship and Senior Year
RPCT Clerkship combines the Family Medicine and Underserved Medicine Clerkships, making it 12 weeks in length. Students rotate through various sites, mostly with our regional rural partners, in 2–4 week blocks.
Some students even create their own rotation opportunities, with Clerkship Director approval, in other rural places, such as their hometowns. Transportation is not provided during the clerkship rotation, but housing options will be available at our regional partner sites.
Learning is supported throughout theclerkship via individual and small-group precepting, didactics, and skills training such as ACLS and EKG interpretation. RPCT's senior clinical rotation is a required 4-week experience with goals similar to Clerkship but with greater flexibility.
Further exclusive RPCT opportunities, such as Rural Health Policy, are available for elective rotations.
Questions about RPCT may be directed to Sarah Orick, rural programs coordinator at oricksg@etsu.edu.