4th Year Rural Health Electives

Scholars may return to their preceptorship practices or to other rural or small town sites for selectives, electives, and community oriented projects.

"When I tried to think about my future as a physician I thought about where I felt most comfortable in my life. I wanted to serve the small town community where I grew up and live in a town where everyone recognizes each other and there is a strong sense of community. The area of the Berkshires I lived in did not have a physician, hospital, or any kind of health care system for 20 miles in any direction, and now I want to change that. When I finish my residency I plan on moving back to the western end of Massachusetts and integrating myself back into my hometown as a primary care physician."

-Matt, UMMS '08

Martha's Vineyard

4-6 weeks, non-summer months

This rotation offers an opportunity to work closely with a family physician in small town rural practice and to learn about the challenges faced by physicians who work in a setting that is geographically distant from tertiary care, and experiences a serious undersupply of primary care. Dukes County is a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area. The student will be involved in office practice, inpatient and nursing home admissions, as well as rounds and home visits when appropriate. In addition to direct clinical care, the student will have the opportunity to experience the work of a diverse array of community-based programs, (e.g. hospice, elder services, visiting nurses, mental health services) and to attend the monthly meeting of the Dukes County Health Council - an organization that has developed a groundbreaking model of health access (Vineyard Health Care Access Program). Opportunities are available to work with a nurse midwife and integrative health providers. Ample opportunities exist to focus on and develop an area of particular interest with prior arrangement. The hospital provides housing. Some financial assistance may be available to help with ferry costs.

Nicole’s experience on Martha's Vineyard

“During this rotation, I spent one week working with a midwife and three weeks with a family medicine doctor. While with the midwife, I mainly shadowed prenatal visits and went to a few in-hospital deliveries. I also had the opportunity to spend time with the affiliated OB/GYN and watch cesarian sections. During my time in the family medicine office, I would often act as the primary caretaker, present the case and my plan, and return with the attending only briefly to finish up the visit. The variety of patients was typical to a family practice with all ages, including infants and children, and many Portuguese speaking families. There was another attending doctor working in the office but she was on vacation during my time there. There were many opportunities to follow patients outside of their visits to other tests (stress tests, etc), to specialists, and to the ED. I also spent a few days in the ED when my attending had days off. Overall, the experience was quite varied and really allowed me to see a variety of care modalities in a rural hospital. Housing was provided and it was safe and clean. I would strongly recommend this rotation to others who may be interested in a career in Family Medicine. I would especially recommend this rotation in warmer months as the island has a lot of outdoor activities to offer.”

-Nicole, UMMS '08

Nantucket

4-6 weeks, all year

This rotation offers an opportunity to work closely with a family physician in small town rural practice, including obstetrics. The student learns about the challenges faced by physicians working in a setting with an undersupply of primary care and that is geographically distant from tertiary care. The student is involved in office practice, inpatient and nursing home admissions and rounds, as well as home visits when appropriate. In addition to direct clinical care, the student has the opportunity to experience the work of a diverse array of community-based programs (e.g. hospice, elder services, visiting nurses, mental health services). The hospital may assist with room and board (especially October to May). Some financial assistance may be available to help with ferry costs.