Honors Program for Rural and Urban Underserved Medicine Program Guide

UAMS College of Medicine

 

 

Director:  Leslie Stone, MD, MPH,  Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Director of Family Medicine Clerkship and Family Medicine Acting Internship

Goal:  The Honors Program for Rural and Urban Underserved Medicine has two primary goals: 1) to provide students with a longitudinal experience that prepares them to provide comprehensive medical care for underserved populations in both rural and urban settings and 2) to foster student interest in a career practicing primary care in such communities in Arkansas.

Policy for interaction: Students should contact the Program Director/Program Mentor via UAMS email with questions or to set an appointment.

Main Objectives:

Upon completion of the Honors Program in Rural and Urban Underserved Primary Care, the student will demonstrate enhanced skills and proficiency in the following core topic areas:

  1. Quadruple Aim
  2. Population Health
  3. Social Determinants of Health
  4. Practice Transformation
  5. Behavioral Health
  6. Interprofessional Education and Practice
  7. Cultural Competency
  8. Current and Emerging Health Topics

 

Year 1:  Preceptorship in a Rural or Urban Underserved Clinic and Choose a Project Topic

Learning Objectives

  1. Students will distinguish the responsibilities of rural and/or urban underserved clinicians and health care systems in optimizing health outcomes with available resources, as related to the Quadruple Aim for population health.
  2. Students will identify population-level interventions designed to improve overall health and reduce costs of care.
  3. Students will be able to define the core topics list in the Main Objectives.
  4. Students will be able to define essential terms in the concept of rural, urban, and underserved.
  5. Students will be able to distinguish between underserved populations in both rural and urban environments.
  6. Students will be able to list the elements that define social determinants of health.

Core Responsibilities

  1. Students will complete a two- or four-week preceptorship in primary care at a qualifying rural or urban underserved clinic.
  2. Students will identify a topic for a longitudinal project pertaining to rural and urban underserved care to be carried through the four years of study, culminating in a live or poster presentation at the end of Year 4.
  3. Students will participate in a qualifying extracurricular activity. Qualifying activities include attending the Student Rural Health Summit, serving as a committee chair or club officer, attending monthly FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or completing additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to the approval of the program director.

 

Year 2: Literature Review

Learning Objectives

  1. Students will define key concepts of health care quality improvement and discuss common challenges that rural and/or urban underserved healthcare systems are currently facing.
  2. Students will identify a health care quality improvement project, as an element of the Year 1 longitudinal project.
  3. Students will identify strategies for overcoming resistance to change and for working within an interprofessional team.

 

Core Responsibilities

 

  1. Students will complete a literature review related to their longitudinal projects.
  2. Students will participate in a qualifying extracurricular activity. Qualifying activities include attending the Student Rural Health Summit, serving as a committee chair or club officer, attending monthly FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or completing additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to the approval of the program director.
  3. Students will participate as a Rural Student Ambassador for one semester, either Fall or Spring term.
  4. Students will join the AHEC Scholars Program through Regional Campuses.

 

Year 3: Jr. Clerkship in Family Medicine and Complete Longitudinal Projects

               

                Learning Objectives

 

  1. Students will examine conditions that affect the patient-provider relationship in rural or urban underserved areas.
  2. Students will be able to identify four skills that are critical to improving clinical interactions with patients.

Core Responsibilities

  1. Students will complete their Jr. Clerkship in Family Medicine at an AHEC Regional Center or Federally Qualified Health Center.
  2. Students will complete their longitudinal projects by the end of Year 3 and begin presentation preparation.
  3. Students will participate in a qualifying extracurricular activity. Qualifying activities include attending the Student Rural Health Summit, serving as a committee chair or club officer, attending monthly FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or completing additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to the approval of the program director.

 

Year 4: Senior Elective in Primary Care at a rural or urban underserved facility and Submission of a Scholarly Project

Learning Objectives

  1. Students will identify examples of current and emerging health topics and how policies are formed or influenced by public knowledge and attitudes surrounding those current health topics.

Core Responsibilities

  1. Students will submit a scholarly project (i.e. manuscript, poster presentation, video presentation) of the findings of the longitudinal project.
  2. Students will present findings of a longitudinal project at IPE Student Research Day.
  3. Students will participate in a qualifying extracurricular activity. Qualifying activities include attending the Student Rural Health Summit, serving as a committee chair or club officer, attending FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or completing additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject of approval by program director.

 

Academic Requirements:  Students are expected to maintain good academic standing in the College of Medicine.  Mentors will work with the students to assure that they are maintaining their curricular expectations and to provide assistance in a timely manner should it be required. Students may enter into this Honors Program anytime during their first year.  Entrance after the first year will not allow for adequate time to complete the requirements of this honors program.  If a student wishes to withdraw from the program, they may do so at any time after meeting with their mentors and receiving written approval to withdraw.  Withdrawal from the program forfeits the recognition of Honors in Rural and Urban Underserved Medicine.

Clinic Rotations:  Preceptorship in Family Medicine at qualifying rural or urban underserved clinic, Jr. Clerkship in Family Medicine at Regional Center or Federally Qualified Health Center, additional volunteer hours at student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to approval of program director.

Additional recommended study:  Qualifying elective courses, including:

COMC 8406:  12th St Health & Wellness Center

COMC 8415:  Harmony Health Clinic Senior Elective

COMC 8420:  North Street Clinic

COMC 8424: Culinary Medicine

COMC 8425: Culinary Medicine II

EMER 8412:  Pediatric Emergency Medicine

EMER 8413:  Intensive Emergency Medicine

FMED 8402:  Rural Primary Care

FMED 8420:  Family Medicine Elective

FMED 8440:  AI – Family Medicine

FMED 8441:  Private Family Practice

FMED 8447:  Family Medicine Primary Care

FMED 8449:  AHEC Scholars Elective

INTM 8403:  Internal Medicine (Course Credits 4)

INTM 8421:  AI – Internal Medicine

INTM 8425:  Internal Medicine Primary Care

INTM 8426:  Complementary/Alternative Medicine

OBGN 8404:  Rural Obstetrics and Gynecology

OBGN 8423:  Distant Health and Telemedicine

OBGN 8424:  AI in Obstetrics

OBGN 8425:  Intensive AI in Obstetrics

PEDI 8415:  Pediatric Primary Care

 

Criteria for Completion:

A student will be considered to have completed the honors track when he/she meets completes the following criteria:

 

Year 1

  1. Meet with mentor quarterly (Mentors may be selected from UAMS active or adjunct faculty, subject to approval of program director)
  2. Attend Student Rural Health Summit, serve as a committee chair or club officer, attend FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or complete additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to approval of program director.
  3. Identify a longitudinal project topic related to rural or urban underserved practice (consideration given to primary care specialties including family medicine, general pediatrics, general internal medicine, or general surgery).

 

Year 2

  1. Meet with mentor quarterly.
  2. Attend Student Rural Health Summit, serve as a committee chair or club officer, attend FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or complete additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to approval of program director.
  3. Complete a literature review for a longitudinal project.
  4. Participate in Student Ambassador Program.

 

Year 3

  1. Meet with mentor quarterly.
  2. Complete Jr. Clerkship in FM at Regional Center or Federally Qualified Health Center.
  3. Attend Student Rural Health Summit, serve as a committee chair or club officer, attend FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or complete additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to approval of program director.
  4. Complete longitudinal project by the end on year 3.
  5. Participate in the AHEC Scholars Program.

 

Year 4

  1. Meet with mentor quarterly.
  2. Complete a qualifying Senior Elective Course.
  3. Attend Student Rural Health Summit, serve as a committee chair or club officer, attend FMIG/RMSLA meetings, or complete additional volunteer hours in approved sites, such as student-run clinics, free clinics, community health programs, refugee clinics, or other sites subject to approval of program director.
  4. Submit a scholarly project (i.e. manuscript, poster presentation, video presentation) of the findings of the longitudinal project.
  5. Present findings of the longitudinal project during IPE Student Research Day.

 

Choosing a mentor:  Upon acceptance to the honors program, students will meet with the program director to discuss their interests and identify a board-certified UAMS faculty physician (full-time, part-time, or adjunct) to serve as their mentor.

 

Mentor Responsibilities:

  1. Mentors must maintain board certification in their specialty
  2. Mentors must have a faculty appointment with UAMS
  3. Mentors should provide guidance with the student’s longitudinal project as well as                     future career goals
  4. Mentors should meet with students on a quarterly basis