rural medicine?

[horhay1241]

Hi all,

I've noticed a lot of DO schools talk about serving rural communities and etc. and I'm wondering what exactly that means for the students? Are rotations done in rural areas? Or is there some sort of requirement? Not that I think there is anything wrong with serving rural communities, it just isn't something that really interests me a whole lot. Any perspective is appreciated, thanks!

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[Daddydoc]

Hi all,

I've noticed a lot of DO schools talk about serving rural communities and etc. and I'm wondering what exactly that means for the students? Are rotations done in rural areas? Or is there some sort of requirement? Not that I think there is anything wrong with serving rural communities, it just isn't something that really interests me a whole lot. Any perspective is appreciated, thanks!

It's not just rural, but underserved as well. My school does require a rural/underserved rotation. Even if your not interested in that it's not a big deal. You're probably going to have to do other rotations your not too excited about.

 

[horhay1241]

Thanks, I wasn't sure how much of an emphasis the schools put on it. Might be interesting, but doesn't seem like something I wanted to dedicate my life too (at this point).

 

[Jack Daniel]

Hi all,

I've noticed a lot of DO schools talk about serving rural communities and etc. and I'm wondering what exactly that means for the students? Are rotations done in rural areas? Or is there some sort of requirement? Not that I think there is anything wrong with serving rural communities, it just isn't something that really interests me a whole lot. Any perspective is appreciated, thanks!

No career requirement. Rural and underserved populations are often part of the schools' mission statements, but you're not locked in to any one area just by going to a DO school--though some schools will give you less emphasis and others will give you more.

'Rural' has a different meaning to people. Someone from NYC may think Albany is rural. Schools have their rotations published online. Look up the ones your interested in and see for yourself.

 

[Jack Daniel]

It's not just rural, but underserved as well. My school does require a rural/underserved rotation. Even if your not interested in that it's not a big deal. You're probably going to have to do other rotations your not too excited about.

Lucky you

 

[Daddydoc]

Lucky you

oh yeah...bet you can tell how excited I am about it

 

[Beau Geste]

in IL rural seems to be a town of <25000 with <2 hospitals in an hour radius. Usually it's anything outside of the major cities and their 'burbs (e.g. Chicago + burbs, Rockford, Springfield, Champaign/Urbana, Carbondale-Marion, Decatur, Quad Cities, STL metro) although there are still some that consider anything outside of Chicago in IL rural

Underserved is pretty self-explanatory.

Edit: BTW - practicing in a rural area doesn't always mean no $$. And it can be very rewarding if you fit in with the community.

 

[EEL08]

Edit: BTW - practicing in a rural area doesn't always mean no $$. And it can be very rewarding if you fit in with the community.

One of my professors who is a DO has a father who is a cardiologist. He got a contract to work in a Texas-Mexico border town/county for $1 million for 3 years. That's not bad if you ask me.

 

[Beau Geste]

One of my professors who is a DO has a father who is a cardiologist. He got a contract to work in a Texas-Mexico border town/county for $1 million for 3 years. That's not bad if you ask me.

Not at all

I know quite a few docs in several specialties that hold clinics or have OR time in a different community every day and do very well. There's a little driving involved, but only about 45 minutes and they make their own hours pretty much.

 

[LauraDO]

Edit: BTW - practicing in a rural area doesn't always mean no $$. And it can be very rewarding if you fit in with the community.

Plus if you really want to practice FAMILY MEDICINE, (aka- the true definition of family medicine, which is seeing every generation of a family, taking care of a women, seeing her through her pregnancy, taking care of the baby as it grows) A rural setting is the only place you can do that anymore. You can see your impact alot of times more in a rural setting then in a big city where you are just one of the gazillion doctors someone goes to, it is a chance for real patient contact and continuity

 

[Amy B]

Our school has a rural rotation in 3rd year. It was interesting form me. I spent a month doing an IM rotation in a hospital that had all the specialists you needed and could call on for a consultation at any time.... to my rural FM rotation that I did in a rural hospital. It was IM again but this time there were NO specialists at the hospital. You had all sorts of unique issues to deal with. You had to decide what patients could be treated by the hospitalist only, or which ones could be transported to the bigger hospital or which patients could be discharged with follow up appointments with the specialists, etc.... it was really interesting.

 

[Beau Geste]

Plus if you really want to practice FAMILY MEDICINE, (aka- the true definition of family medicine, which is seeing every generation of a family, taking care of a women, seeing her through her pregnancy, taking care of the baby as it grows) A rural setting is the only place you can do that anymore. You can see your impact alot of times more in a rural setting then in a big city where you are just one of the gazillion doctors someone goes to, it is a chance for real patient contact and continuity

Unfortunately not so much with the FP-OB situation. At least in IL many rural FP-OBs are dropping the OB because the malpractice is too high. Plus, I know many rural hospitals have closed OB units because they were losing money. In my community, I can think of 3 hospitals that have closed OB units in the past 5 years. If a woman goes to the ER in labor, they deliver her if it's imminent or ship her off on a 45min-1 hour trip to the closest OB unit. Many women also choose to see their OB for the duration of pregnancy rather than the FP. But other than that, the continuity of care is there.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Rural medicine means that you will employ one or more of the following techniques in the treatment of most conditions:
- bleeding
- opium
- whiskey as anesthesia
- snake oil

 

[Beau Geste]

Rural medicine means that you will employ one or more of the following techniques in the treatment of most conditions:
- bleeding
- opium
- whiskey as anesthesia
- snake oil

You forgot leeches

 

[SmallTownEMT]

Well, aren't leeches actually used for some things in modern medicine these days?

 

[Beau Geste]

Sure, but not as the be-all, end-all like outdated medicine.