The AMSA Foundation Challenges Student Leaders to Take A Closer Look at Rural Health

Continuing a long tradition of educating health professions students on important health care issues not necessarily taught in standard curricula, the AMSA Foundation’s inaugural Rural Health Scholars program was held from June 23-27, 2008 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. In addition to providing a rich interdisciplinary training experience for 25 medical, dental, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant students, student leaders gained an increased ability to not only educate their classmates about rural health principles but also gained a deeper understanding about the importance of being primary care, rural health practitioners themselves.

 
During the week-long program, student participants attended a wide array of programming that addressed a number of different issues immediate to the central theme of The Rural Health Challenge: Unique Needs and Opportunities with additional sessions that centered on issues related to advocacy/health policy, leadership skills, interdisciplinary work, and mentoring.  The program included sessions on rural mental health, at-risk populations in rural health, rural health delivery system issues, and a rural health provider panel.  Participants spent one morning at a local farm learning about agricultural emergencies and traumas and spent one whole day visiting migrant farm camps and touring Kalona, IA in order to learn more about the different populations that live within rural Iowa and their health care needs.

This student-initiated program was sponsored by the AMSA Foundation and supported by the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, the University of Iowa Office of the Provost, and the National Association of Community Health Centers.  To learn more about the program or talk about ways that you can get involved or support similar institutes in the future, please contact Joan Hedgecock .