Any particular med schools have a strong preference for rural medicine?

[FunkosaurusRex]

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I am a fairly high stat applicant (3.85/523) with fairly poor ECs because I don't have much clinical or research experience. However, I have lived and worked in a rural, underserved community and volunteered in schools around the area.

I am most likely going to hold off until next cycle to apply, and spend this year trying to get as much clinical experience as I can. However, I may send 2-3 applications in to "reach" schools this year just to take a shot, as I'm not getting any younger. I know that applying this year will hurt my chances at those schools next year, but I think limiting to just 2 or 3 would leave me with some options for next year. Another benefit might be on the outside chance that I actually get an interview, even if I don't get accepted, it would be good practice for next cycle.

I am very interested in practicing in a rural community and mostly interested in primary care. Most of my volunteer activities and some LORs can speak to that. I am wondering if there are any schools that have a strong affinity for rural medicine that it might be a good idea for me to apply to this year! Thanks!

 

[Master_of_Savage]

I am a fairly high stat applicant (3.85/523) with fairly poor ECs because I don't have much clinical or research experience. However, I have lived and worked in a rural, underserved community and volunteered in schools around the area.

I am most likely going to hold off until next cycle to apply, and spend this year trying to get as much clinical experience as I can. However, I may send 2-3 applications in to "reach" schools this year just to take a shot, as I'm not getting any younger. I know that applying this year will hurt my chances at those schools next year, but I think limiting to just 2 or 3 would leave me with some options for next year. Another benefit might be on the outside chance that I actually get an interview, even if I don't get accepted, it would be good practice for next cycle.

I am very interested in practicing in a rural community and mostly interested in primary care. Most of my volunteer activities and some LORs can speak to that. I am wondering if there are any schools that have a strong affinity for rural medicine that it might be a good idea for me to apply to this year! Thanks!

UC Davis has a PRIME program that focuses on rural medicine in the Central Valley of California.

 

[honey0102]

I am a fairly high stat applicant (3.85/523) with fairly poor ECs because I don't have much clinical or research experience. However, I have lived and worked in a rural, underserved community and volunteered in schools around the area.

I am most likely going to hold off until next cycle to apply, and spend this year trying to get as much clinical experience as I can. However, I may send 2-3 applications in to "reach" schools this year just to take a shot, as I'm not getting any younger. I know that applying this year will hurt my chances at those schools next year, but I think limiting to just 2 or 3 would leave me with some options for next year. Another benefit might be on the outside chance that I actually get an interview, even if I don't get accepted, it would be good practice for next cycle.

I am very interested in practicing in a rural community and mostly interested in primary care. Most of my volunteer activities and some LORs can speak to that. I am wondering if there are any schools that have a strong affinity for rural medicine that it might be a good idea for me to apply to this year! Thanks!

MSU CHM does. I believe Central Michigan also emphasizes care of the underserved. But I think both have more in-state than out of state matriculants. Also, keep in mind that if you get an interview and then get accepted to any of the places you apply to, you have to matriculate this cycle-turning down an acceptance like that is really bad and it can hamper your chances of getting into any medical school in the future.

 

[LizzyM]

Part of your problem will be that looking at your numbers, some schools might think that you will take an offer at a "better school" but you know you don't have a shot at those schools given your lack of research experience.


Medical College of Wisconsin has some satellite campuses that are specifically for students seeking to practice primary care in rural areas.

Pittsburgh is a hot bed of research in rural care delivery, IIRC. SUNY Buffalo also has a specific affinity for rural care.

Get the MSAR and search on "rural" as a text word, if that's possible.

 

[Catalystik]

I am a fairly high stat applicant (3.85/523) with fairly poor ECs because I don't have much clinical or research experience. However, I have lived and worked in a rural, underserved community and volunteered in schools around the area.

I am very interested in practicing in a rural community and mostly interested in primary care. Most of my volunteer activities and some LORs can speak to that. I am wondering if there are any schools that have a strong affinity for rural medicine

Hopefully rural doc shadowing is among your ECs. If not, it would be a very good idea to have some before applying.

I encourage you to explore your own state schools' offerings for rural medicine focused experiences (if any), but here is a thread with some Rural med-focused schools: Rural Medicine Programs

 

[LizzyM]

Please take a look at the MSAR to understand in-state/out-of-state preferences at some of these schools and the out-of-state tuition. It would be a nightmare to be admitted to just one school only to discover that the cost is astronomical for out-of-state students.

 

[FunkosaurusRex]

Please take a look at the MSAR to understand in-state/out-of-state preferences at some of these schools and the out-of-state tuition. It would be a nightmare to be admitted to just one school only to discover that the cost is astronomical for out-of-state students.

Thank you so much for the responses. I'm going to take a look. I'm a bit of an older applicant (about to turn 30), so I was hesitant to wait a year. I'm very new to SDN, but I know you are something of a fixture around this place. Do you think it would be a good idea for me to take a breath for a year, keep working as an academic advisor at a college, and try to get as much clinical experience as I can, and just go full throttle next cycle? I'm kind of leaning this way, but getting pressured by some people close to me that I'm getting older and should just apply now. Would love to hear some people more "in the know" about this sort of thing!

As a quick follow-up, the university I work at is not a research institution. However, I am very close with the chemistry + biochemistry faculty, and I could come up with a semester-long or year-long research project that they would allow me to do. Does this "count" in terms of research experience? Would it make any difference in my applications? Or is the research that matters more along the lines of being a research assistant for an actual faculty member's project? It's a shame, the faculty at this school just don't have the need to research and publish like they would in other places.

 

[bananafish94]

UIC Peoria, rural track.

 

[efle]

I think Columbia has a new rural-focused program, Bassett?

 

[WIMNFamilyMed]

I am a fairly high stat applicant (3.85/523) with fairly poor ECs because I don't have much clinical or research experience. However, I have lived and worked in a rural, underserved community and volunteered in schools around the area.

I am most likely going to hold off until next cycle to apply, and spend this year trying to get as much clinical experience as I can. However, I may send 2-3 applications in to "reach" schools this year just to take a shot, as I'm not getting any younger. I know that applying this year will hurt my chances at those schools next year, but I think limiting to just 2 or 3 would leave me with some options for next year. Another benefit might be on the outside chance that I actually get an interview, even if I don't get accepted, it would be good practice for next cycle.

I am very interested in practicing in a rural community and mostly interested in primary care. Most of my volunteer activities and some LORs can speak to that. I am wondering if there are any schools that have a strong affinity for rural medicine that it might be a good idea for me to apply to this year! Thanks!

University of Minnesota has a rural program in the twin cities campus, and Duluth is entirely rural-mission based, but you need to be in state to get into Duluth basically or have strong Mn connections

 

[aymar]

Not sure what state you are from, but East Carolina in NC has a rural family medicine focus. They do not accept out of state students, however.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[DBC03]

I think Columbia has a new rural-focused program, Bassett?

I was going to mention this - the Columbia-Bassett program has a rural slant. It doesn't seem like the most important part of its focus (and I have a hard time thinking of Cooperstown as "rural"), but it was one of the first that came to mind.

 

[wysdoc]

Several of the Texas schools have this focus (Texas A&M, Texas Tech Lubbock and Texas Tech El Paso, UTRGV rural plus Hispanic serving). Texas schools take up to 10% out of state students but those they take are likely to have high stats. Might be a bit of a culture shock for you coming from the northeast!

 

[bananafish94]

+1 on this and with your MCAT hopefully you would get a merit scholarship to offset the horrible OOS tuition at UIC, unless you're already an IL resident.

I certainly hope so! I wouldn't want to touch the OOS tuition with a 39 1/2 foot pole.