GUEST POST: The Need For Rural Doctors Means Challenging, Rewarding Work
Today is a College of Human Medicine (CHM) Rural Applicant Interview day. This is one of the days that the admissions office specifically designates for interviewing students that are from rural communities, have strong ties to rural areas, or are interested in one of our rural medicine training programs. As Director of Rural Medicine for the College of Human Medicine, this is one of my favorite days. Many of these students will become part of the Leadership in Rural Medicine certificate program, and will choose to complete their clinical training in Michigan’s rural communities—either in the Upper Peninsula, Northern Lower Peninsula, or the MidMichigan/Thumb area. These students, if enrolled, will eventually graduate as the 44th class that has been involved in the college's rural training programs. Things are different now than they were when CHM started the Rural Physician Program in the 1970’s. The College was one of the first medical schools to create a rural t