Students in the community medicine medical degree track will learn at one of the top community medical centers in Ohio during their third and fourth years of medical school.
The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Bon Secours Mercy Health have formed a partnership to launch a new community medicine medical degree track to boost the number of physicians practicing in mid-size and rural communities.
Physicians tend to practice in urban and suburban areas of the country. About 20% of Americans live in rural areas but only about 11% of physicians practice in rural communities, according to Kristina Johnson, PhD, president of The Ohio State University.
The community medicine medical degree track is set to begin enrolling medical students in 2024. The program was spawned by the Healthy State Alliance, an initiative between The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Bon Secours Mercy Health to address thorny healthcare issues in Ohio.
An important facet of the new medical degree track will be to encourage students to be leaders in their communities, says Carol Bradford, MD, MS, dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
"Working as engaged leaders in the community will enable our students to become more empathetic and compassionate caregivers and help them to quickly build relationships within the community where they serve. As leaders within these communities, they will be uniquely positioned to bring teams together who can effectively address the challenges their patients face and to work collaboratively to eliminate local inequities in care. In addition, our students will become the physician leaders of the future who will transform care and impact the health of the communities. They will help innovate solutions to solve our most pressing healthcare needs," she says.
The curriculum will be geared toward practicing medicine in less densely populated areas, Bradford says. "During the first and second years of medical school, students will begin their clinical experiences in a longitudinal preceptorship with a practicing physician in a community setting. During their third and fourth years of medical school, students will learn at Mercy Health—St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima, Ohio, one of the top community medical centers in Ohio. Students will get hands-on experience with patients from less densely populated areas with a multitude of health issues that affect these populations. Faculty who practice at St. Rita's will provide them with the education they need to learn how to better serve these populations."
Interprofessional education
Medical students will be taught about team-based collaborative care with pharmacy, nursing, social work, and behavioral health professionals help prepare them to practice medicine in less densely populated areas, she says.
"Interprofessional education brings students from two or more professions together during their training to learn about, from, and with one another to improve health outcomes, cultivate collaboration, and provide patient-centered care. It connects students and caregivers with people where they spend most of their time—in the community—and helps them to develop skills to effectively lead and be part of teams solving pressing healthcare challenges, such as those imposed by social and other determinants of health and advancing the social and humanistic missions shared across the health professions. This is particularly important for physicians who will be working in less densely populated areas, where resources are often scarce and reaching across sectors and professions is essential to serve patients."
Interprofessional education will equip medical students with the ability to provide comprehensive care to their patients, Bradford says. "Using this educational approach will prepare our students to enter the workforce ready to provide the best care for their patients in the future. Establishing a framework for team-based care will ensure that those patients who do not always have easy access to all members of their healthcare team will still receive comprehensive care."
Community focus
The new program is designed to attract students who want to make an impact in less densely populated areas, she says. "These students are looking for the innovative, top-tier education from The Ohio State University College of Medicine combined with the community care expertise of Bon Secours Mercy Health. This program will produce some of the most sought-after physicians in community medicine but more importantly produce physicians with the knowledge and heart to serve such an important population of patients."
Training medical students at Mercy Health—St. Rita's Medical Center will hopefully encourage them to work in mid-sized and rural areas, Bradford says. "It is our hope that physicians trained in less densely populated areas will be drawn to stay in those communities, to work as residents, and ultimately as physicians who are passionate and uniquely prepared to improve health and health outcomes."
Related: Can the Hospital at Home Model Help Rural Hospitals Thrive?
Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
About 20% of Americans live in rural areas but only about 11% of physicians practice in rural communities.
The community medicine medical degree track will encourage students to be leaders in their communities.
Medical students will be taught about team-based collaborative care such as with pharmacists to prepare them for the scarce resources that are often present in rural areas.