Are there opportunities for medical student electives at Mad River Family Practice?
Medical students are welcome and opportunities exist for experiences at all levels of training, from summer externship after year one to sub-internships in the fourth year. Call Tara Wagner, residency coordinator for details.
How is The Ohio State University Rural Program related to the OSU-Rardin and OSU-Urban Family Practice Residencies?
The Ohio State University Rural Program is a rural training track, and is integrated on several levels with the OSU-Rardin and OSU-Urban programs. Each program recruits students separately through the National Residency Matching Program and has a separate program number for the match. The three programs link up each Wednesday for Grand Rounds and teaching over a videoconference connection, and faculty from all three programs participate in the teaching of residents in both Columbus and Logan County.
Where do I live during residency training ?
Residents are expected to live in Logan County throughout the duration of their training. Taking hospital call from home requires that you live within 15 minutes of the hospital. During the months that first year residents are required to commute to Columbus, commuting expenses will be reimbursed and lodging is provided for those individuals wishing to periodically stay overnight.
Is a rural track residency the equivalent of residency training in a more traditional urban university or community hospital setting?
It is certainly academically equivalent and possibly even superior, particularly when it comes to many procedural skills and learning that is relevant to hospital and office-based rural practice. In the more intimate rural setting, the relationship between faculty and learner is more like an apprenticeship. At rural sites, you are often the only learners present. In published research, students and residents training for longer periods in rural areas have equaled or outpaced their peers in all behavioral, procedural, and cognitive areas examined so far.
Rural communities are no better or worse than urban areas. They are usually less costly, and often a bit friendlier. It may not be cosmopolitan, but rural living is certainly rich and full.
Rural training is about taking charge of the most important part of your medical career, your preparation for independent practice and life-long learning. Rural training requires active learners. These persons desire the most relevant training location and curricula for subsequent practice, whether it be rural, procedurally-oriented, or "full-spectrum" (e.g. family practice obstetrics). They enjoy variety and welcome the challenges of learning in a rural location. They want to work closely with patients and faculty and are self-motivated to learn. If you want passive learning, it might be best to look elsewhere!
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Rosenthal, TC, et al. Rural Training Tracks in Four Family Practice Residencies. Academic Medicine 67(10):685-691, October 1992.
Rosenthal, TC, et al. One-two Rural Residency Tracks in Family Practice: Are They Getting the Job Done? Family Medicine 30(2): 90-93, February 1998
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