Rural Health Scholars Attend Skills Building at ECU by: Pamela Federline, MPH

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ECU Rural Health Scholars Class of 2000 Tammy Bone Donna Grimsley Amy Isenberg Martha Johnston Steve Moye Wayne Overby John "Ashley" Parker Elizabeth Quick Jana Watts

Eighteen Rural Health Scholars from across North Carolina participated in a clinical skills building session held at East Carolina University School of Medicine in May 1997. The course prepares students for participation in a six-week summer preceptorship with primary care physicians in medically underserved communities across North Carolina. For the first time in its five year history, the clinical skills session was held in Greenville. The program was hosted by the Generalist Physician Program in cooperation with the North Carolina Office of Rural Health and Resource Development. Traditionally, the course has included sessions on well baby exams, prenatal care, community medicine, geriatrics, history taking and physical assessment, medical records documentation, laboratory skills such as venipuncture and urinalysis, and disscussions on the role of other professionals such as venipuncture and urinalysis, and discussions on the role of the other professionals such as certified midwives and nurse practitioners in rural medicine. This year, the course format was modified to include additional rotations in clinical procedures, such as suturing, basic x-ray interpretation and injections. To take advantage of ECU's standardized patient assessment, for the first time, as part of history taking and physical exams. Students evaluated patients with a variety of common medical problems they were likely to see in practice. This component of the program was well received by students, some of whom had never had the opportunity to work with standardized patients before. A clinical supervisor was on-hand to assess their performance with the patients. The objective of the Rural Health Scholars Program is to develop physician leaders for rural and underserved parts of North Carolina. Rising second year medical students from the University of North Carolina and ECU are invited to apply for this program.

Amy Isenberg practices her suturing skills during one of the procedure rotations at the Clinical Skills Building Program. In addition to the annual skills building session and summer preceptorship, activities include: a wrap-up session following the preceptorship; leadership development seminars; and informal social gatherings with faculty and scholars from UNC and ECU. Selected students are invited to attend the annual meeting of the National Rural Health Association. Nine of the 18 scholars for the class of 2000 are attending ECU. Since its inception, a total of 35 ECU students have participated in this program, eight of whom have recently graduated. Dr. Stephen Willis, Clinical Coordinator for the program at ECU said, "I had no idea how much I would enjoy participating in this program. I believe the Rural Health Scholars Program offers an excellent resource for students interested in such activities. Futhermore, I enjoyed meeting the students, physicians, and Office of Rural Health staff who participated in this program. I feel that I have a number of new friends. I'm looking forward to doing the course again next year. ECU has been asked to host the clinical skill building sesstion again in May of 1988. For further information on the Rural Health Scholars Program, please contact Sari Teplin, at the NC Office of Rural Health and Resource Development (919) 733-2040.

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