Rural Medicine?

[Shellio]

Hi all -
I am interested in a career in rural health, but I must confess that I don't know a lot about it. Maybe you guys can help me - I would really like to go into OB, but is it possible to do so as a rural practitioner? I am under the impression that it is best not to specialize. Any tidbits at all about rural medicine would be helpful!

Thanks!

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[mpp]

I think you could go into family practice. Some family practice residencies include training in obstetrics and rural health.

 

[amonkeybutt]

since you are interested in rural medicine and applied to OHSU (I noticed your name in one of the other threads), i bet you already know about the 3rd year rural rotation OHSU med students do right? i think that it is a wonderful opportunity for you to test your interest or have you already done so? and obviously OHSU is an excellent family med school.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Shellio:
•I would really like to go into OB, but is it possible to do so as a rural practitioner? I am under the impression that it is best not to specialize.•••

Whether or not it is the best idea, I can't answer. What I can tell you, coming from a rural area, is that you can definitely do OB in a rural area. Almost all of the OBs around here practice from a larger town (with WalMart and everything, but no mall) that is in the center of a large rural area.

I don't know if a really small town like mine (pop ~1500) would have a large enough patient base to keep an OB busy. However, when you consider that most people around rural towns don't actually live in town, it may be possible.

Good luck.