| UW
Med student to spend July in Cottonwood
University of Washington medical student, Joshua Frankland, will live, work, and learn in Cottonwood, ID, July 6-31 as part of the UW School of Medicine’s four-week Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP). Jack Seacrest, MD at St. Mary’s Medical Center has generously volunteered to be Joshua’s clinical instructor for this valuable learning opportunity. Each summer, RUOP places first year medical students interested in rural and underserved medicine, into primary care clinics across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI) for four week immersion experiences. RUOP offers students an early exposure to the rewards and challenges of rural and urban underserved primary care practice. The program also emphasizes the importance of community service through a public health service project. The RUOP program relies on the Idaho WWAMI administrative Office to recruit preceptors and secure student housing. Idaho Area Health Education Center contributes financially to the program. RUOP is a very popular program in the UW School of Medicine. Each year more than half the class participates and this year a record 130 students signed up for RUOP rotations. This is notable because there is evidence to suggest that the RUOP program influences students toward primary care. In the 2014 residency match, 59% of RUOP students chose a residency in general internal medicine, family medicine, or pediatrics compared to 41% of those who did not participate in RUOP. For more information about the UW School of Medicine’s RUOP program visit: http://depts.washington.edu/fammed/education/programs/ruop, or contact Toby Keys: keyst@uw.edu. |
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