Childress explained that as part of the preparation for medical
school, students involved in AED work on a points system.
“Students earn points by doing things that will make them
competitive for professional schools. The goal is to see each student
reach their academic and personal goals,” said Childress.
In addition to preparing students for medical school through job
shadowing opportunities and membership in AED, COSAM also
assists select pre-health students by exposing them to opportunities
to practice medicine in smaller communities throughout the state.
In Alabama, there is a huge shortage of primary healthcare providers
in rural communities. Statistically, 55 of Alabama’s 67 counties are
considered rural and 44.4 percent of the entire Alabama population lives
in rural areas. Additionally, nine Alabama counties do not have hospitals
and 33 of 55 rural Alabama counties do not provide labor and delivery
service.
To better healthcare within the state as well as provide opportunities
for students to attend medical school, the Rural Medicine program was
created. Administered at Auburn University by Larry Wit, associate
dean for Academic Affairs, the program represents a partnership
between the state of Alabama, UAB, the University of Alabama and
Auburn University. The goal is to provide a pipeline that produces more
primary care physicians to practice in rural communities in Alabama.
To make this happen, UAB sets aside 20 seats each year for students
registered in the Rural Medicine program at Auburn or its sister
program, the Rural Medicine Scholars Program at the University of
Alabama.
“If you are accepted to the program then you are guaranteed a spot
at UAB,” explained Wit. “In order to begin medical school, you have
to complete your undergraduate work and defer one year to work in
the Rural Medicine program. During that one year, we fan the flame
to get them excited about working in a rural community. Students will
shadow physicians, take classes, and learn about specific health issues
and normal medical needs in rural communities. In the end, they go to
medical school, complete a residency, and then, hopefully, do what they
said they would do and practice in a rural Alabama community.”
Auburn University’s first Rural Medicine class is currently
completing the residency program, so there are not any statistics as of
yet to determine whether the program has resulted in more physicians
in rural areas. However, all but one rural medicine student in residency
is pursuing a primary care specialty.
The State of Alabama assists with the program by funding students’
costs during the one year between undergraduate and medical school.
“In order to qualify, the student has to be an Alabama resident,
have a competitive academic record for medical school, and has to have
lived in a small community for at least seven years of his or her life,”
explained Wit.
The Rural Medicine program is not exclusively for graduates of
Auburn University or the University of Alabama.
“We have had students from several colleges including UAB,
Troy, Samford, and Princeton. The mix of students from a variety of
backgrounds is great because it gives the participants a look at different
experiences,” said Wit. “The students in the program usually get close
to one another too, so when they go to medical school, they have an
immediate support network.”
Dr. Keith Bufford is the medical director of the Rural Medicine
program. Born in Opelika, Ala., he grew up in a rural community on
a farm 10 miles south of Auburn. He earned his bachelor of science
degree in pre-medicine/biology from Auburn in 1983 and his medical
degree from UAB. He completed a residency in family medicine in
Tuscaloosa, Ala., before practicing as a primary care physician in
Tallassee, Ala., for several years. He is currently a physician at Auburn
Acute Care Family Medicine.
For more information on the Rural Medicine program, contact
Larry Wit at [email protected]. For more information on job
shadowing opportunities for COSAM students, AED, and other
opportunities not included in this story that are offered to pre-health
students at Auburn, contact Beverley Childress at [email protected].
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