Lessons learned through the implementation of a rural longitudinal integrated clerkship at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Introduction: Created in 1995, The University of Missouri School of Medicine's Rural Track Pipeline Program was designed to address physician shortages in rural Missouri through medical student participation in a series of clinical and non-clinical programs over the course of their medical training to influence graduates to choose rural practice.

Methods: To increase the likelihood of students choosing rural practice, a 46-week longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) was implemented at one of nine existing rural training sites. Over the course of the academic year, quantitative and qualitative data was collected to evaluate effectiveness of the curriculum and for quality improvement purposes.

The impact of family physicians in rural maternity care.

Background: Reduced access to maternity care in rural areas of the United States presents a significant burden to pregnant persons and infants. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of family physicians (FPs) on access to maternity care in rural United States hospitals, especially where other providers may not be available.

Methods: We administered a survey to 216 rural hospitals in 10 US states inquiring about the number of babies delivered from 2013 to 2017, the types of delivering physicians, and the maternity services offered.

Contributions of US Medical Schools to Primary Care (2003-2014): Determining and Predicting Who Really Goes Into Primary Care.

Background And Objectives: Schools of medicine in the United States may overstate the placement of their graduates in primary care. The purpose of this project was to determine the magnitude by which primary care output is overestimated by commonly used metrics and identify a more accurate method for predicting actual primary care output.

Methods: We used a retrospective cohort study with a convenience sample of graduates from US medical schools granting the MD degree.

How we incorporated service learning into a medical student rural clinical training experience.

Background: Many medical schools have developed admission policies and clinical training programs designed to address the rural physician workforce shortages in their state.

Aim: To enhance medical student rural clinical training experiences, and assist in preparing students for living and working in rural communities.

Methods: As part of their Rural Track Clerkship (RTC) Program, the University of Missouri School of Medicine developed the Community Integration Program (CIP).

Summer in the country: changes in medical students' perceptions following an innovative rural community experience.

Purpose: The University of Missouri School of Medicine developed the Summer Community Program through which rising second-year medical students work alongside rural, community-based physician preceptors. This program is part of a comprehensive, longitudinal pipeline designed to increase student interest in rural practice. The authors describe the Summer Community Program, explain changes in students' perceptions of rural practice and rural lifestyle post program, and report participants' specialty choices and first practice locations.

Influencing residency choice and practice location through a longitudinal rural pipeline program.

Purpose: The University of Missouri School of Medicine developed the Rural Track Pipeline Program (MU-RTPP) to increase the supply and retention of rural physicians statewide. The MU-RTPP features a preadmissions program for rural students (Rural Scholars), a Summer Community Program for rising second-year students, a six-month Rural Track Clerkship (RTC) Program for third-year students, and a Rural Track Elective Program for fourth-year students. The purpose of this study is to report the specialty choices and first practice locations of Rural Scholars, RTC-only participants, and Rural Track Clerkship Plus (RTC+) participants (students who participated in the RTC Program plus an additional MU-RTPP component).