New scholarly concentration prepares future rural physicians

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 16, 2024) — The UK College of Medicine is dedicated to educating the next generation of compassionate, highly skilled physicians and scientists, with special emphasis on training more physicians here and retaining them for service in Kentucky. 

With this goal in mind, the College of Medicine launched its Rural Physician Leadership Program (RPLP) in 2009. The RPLP is an educational program based in Morehead, Kentucky, designed to train future physicians and health care leaders to provide high-quality, compassionate care in rural settings. RPLP students complete their first two years of medical school at UK’s Lexington campus before relocating to the Morehead campus to develop clinical competencies and complete their medical education.

The RPLP is currently able to accept up to 12 new students each year. However, the demand for physicians is higher than ever in Kentucky, where some counties have no practicing physicians at all. To address the ongoing physician shortage and the varied health care needs of rural populations, the College of Medicine has launched a new scholarly concentration in rural medicine available to students at all four campuses. 

“When we announced it, we had relatively even interest from all the campuses,” said Rebecca Todd, M.D., associate dean for the RPLP. “I think that shows that medical students across Kentucky are interested in giving back to their communities.”

The inaugural cohort pursuing this concentration includes nine students from across our four campuses. 

This scholarly concentration equips medical students with specialized skills and insights crucial for serving rural communities. It also allows students to graduate with distinction, showcasing their commitment to serving rural populations.  

“We wanted students to be able to celebrate that rural medicine was a dedicated interest of theirs,” Todd said.  

Unlike other scholarly concentrations that focus on a particular specialty or practice, such as primary care, the rural health concentration is open to any medical specialty.

“Whether you want to pursue endocrinology, cardiology, surgery or something else, the focus remains on rural health needs,” Todd said. 

Students apply to the concentration during their first year of medical school and complete clinical immersions in rural settings in the following years. The program also emphasizes community involvement and development of leadership skills. Students are also expected to complete an additional rotation through the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program, beyond the standard AHEC requirements for graduation. Through this partnership, learners can gain invaluable clinical experience. Between breaks from classes, often in summer between students’ first and second years, they spend four weeks shadowing a physician in rural Kentucky. 

Colt Kendall, a Harrison County, Kentucky, native and rising second-year student at the Lexington campus, was eager to pursue this concentration because he hopes to return home to practice after finishing his medical training. He spent his summer completing a family medicine rotation at his home hospital. 

“I’ve absolutely loved this experience and it has only cemented my desire to return home to practice,” Kendall said. 

“Pursuing this concentration has allowed me to shadow a physician and witness firsthand the challenges that those serving and living in rural areas must overcome,” said Cydney Sampson, a second-year medical student at the Bowling Green Campus.  

Shadowing a psychiatrist in Bowling Green, Sampson has been able to learn more about the specialty and gain a greater appreciation for its application in a rural setting. 

“The need for mental health services is universal and Kentucky is no exception, especially given the prevalence of substance use in our state,” Sampson said. “With so many of our counties facing barriers to basic health care access, psychiatric care is even more rare.” 

For Brian Carter, an RPLP student, the summer shadowing experience offered clinical insight and a renewed sense of confidence. While shadowing a neurologist at UK St. Claire, Carter saw patients dealing with stroke, epilepsy, dementia, headaches, Parkinson’s disease and other health issues. Even though these conditions are typically covered by the first-year neurology unit, he shared, “making a diagnosis and creating a treatment plan with patients was a very different experience.” 

“For as long as I’ve yearned to be a physician, I’ve known I wanted to serve the Appalachian community,” said Carter. “The opportunities provided through the scholarly concentration continue to reinforce that decision.” 

“This experience has made me even more certain that a rural area is where I want to be,” said Kendall. “The relationships between patient and provider I got to see make me so excited to form my own relationships as a health care provider in the future.”

The scholarly concentration is still in its pilot phase, but looking ahead, Todd is optimistic about the program’s impact.

“Ultimately we hope to increase the number of physicians practicing in rural Kentucky,” she said. “By engaging students early into their careers, we hope to encourage their passion and foster long-term commitments to these communities.” 

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine Scholarly Concentration Program is an academic elective program for students who choose to enhance their education in an area of interest beyond the medical school core curriculum. For more information about our scholarly concentration program, visit our website.