Rural Medicine Elective

The Rural Medicine Elective is a one credit-hour (16 contact hours) course offered by the University of Louisville School of Medicine for M-1 and M-2 students. Dr. Bill Crump is the course director, and the goal of this elective is to provide regular exposure to issues of rural practice. Occasional site visits to a rural practice sometimes replace the monthly sessions.

Topics discussed include the future of Medicaid, school-based clinics, residency training options to prepare for rural practice, women's health in rural practice, making a rural practice financially successful, working with rural health departments, balancing personal and professional life, mental health care issues, working with nurse practitioners and physician assistants, children's health care, physicians as leaders in rural areas, the future of rural hospitals, rural scholarship and loan forgiveness options, and how to find and what to look for in a rural practice. 

At the beginning and end of the nine-month M-1 course, a survey of attitudes and knowledge provides insight into the students' understanding of rural practice. Overall, students showed favorable impressions about physicians' practice in a rural area and believe that physicians in rural areas have the ability to make a positive impact in their communities both in health care and social leadership.