Top story: Rural Physician Associate Program brings medical students into smaller communities during training
For over 50 years, the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) at the University of Minnesota Medical School has brought medical students to rural healthcare systems across Greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Third-year medical students live and train in rural communities for nine months and experience hands-on learning where they care for patients of all ages.
RPAP is helping address the need for doctors in rural communities at a critical time. About 20% of Americans live in rural communities, yet only 11% of physicians practice there.
“Medical students who do this program, about 44% of them end up practicing rural,” Dr. Kirby Clark, director of RPAP, told Winona Daily News in a recent interview. Even for students who don’t go into rural medicine, Dr. Clark says the program leaves an impact on them. “I can guarantee you, every person that comes to this program becomes like an ally to rural health," he said.
Medical student Nyika Friberg participated at RPAP’s site in partnership with Winona Health and decided to join the program to become a well-rounded doctor. Friberg says he knows from living in East Africa how important healthcare systems and other resources are to rural communities. "If you're hours away from definitive treatment, I mean that can be a matter of life or death," he said.