Rural Rotation

Director, Rural Medical Education: T. Brian Callister M.D., FACP, FHM

A commitment to the understanding and support of care in small, rural and frontier communities has always been a central core of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine's mission.

The issues of addressing complex medical issues with limited resources are often better understood and addressed in the context of a smaller community where there are long-term relationships, realities of access to care and dedication to patient, family and community.

During a University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine required Advanced Clinical Experience in Rural Health Care (Rural Rotation), students will experience clinical immersion in the small, rural or frontier community. They are expected to "live the life" of their preceptor for the four weeks of this required course.

A genuine concern for the patient and family coupled with clinical problem solving create a challenging learning environment for the student. Additionally, this rotation promotes the comprehensive assessment of the student's knowledge, skills and abilities at the sub-intern level.

Goals

• To enable students to gain experience with a full range of clinical and community health problems encountered by physicians in small communities.
• This rotation also gives the student the opportunity to increase his/her clinical knowledge, problem-solving and decision making skills through an intensive immersion experience in a rural or frontier setting.
• The opportunity to identify and describe up to five longitudinal societal topics related to health disparities and resources in the community as part of an honors project.
• The opportunity to participate in interprofessional teaching and team based care.