Every summer for the past 13 years, a select group of physicians in rural communities throughout the state has volunteered to mentor medical students from The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson to help increase the number of physicians practicing in rural Arizona.
For four to six weeks in June and July, the physicians volunteer as preceptors – or mentors – to UA medical students between their first and second years of medical school. The students work at the physicians' practice sites and reside in their communities.
The physicians are rural faculty members in the UA College of Medicine's Rural Health Professions Program, known as RHPP, established in 1997 by the Arizona Legislature to encourage medical school graduates to practice medicine in rural communities.
The students are matched with rural physician-preceptors based on medical specialty interest and community preference. Physician specialties include family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and surgery.
Forty-four rural communities are participating in RHPP, and additional sites will be selected throughout the state.
Communities hosting students this summer include:
Cibecue/Whiteriver:
Flagstaff:
Grand Canyon:
Green Valley/Continental:
Kingman:
Nogales:
Payson:
Polacca:
Prescott Valley:
Queen Creek:
Safford:
Sells:
Show Low:
Sierra Vista:
Snowflake:
Springerville:
Tuba City:
Yuma:
The students will continue to work side-by-side with their preceptors over the course of their three remaining years of medical training, returning to the rural communities in their third and fourth years.
"This program helps nurture students' interest in a rural practice," said Carol Galper, assistant dean for medical student education, UA College of Medicine. "Many of the students grew up in rural towns in Arizona and have a desire to practice in small communities, perhaps even returning to their hometowns. Their RHPP experiences help them understand the unique health care needs of rural populations as well as strategies to address these needs, and help them decide about where they want to practice in the future."
RHPP students develop long-term relationships with their rural physician-preceptors, who act as medical and career counselors, helping the students make informed choices when they decide where they will practice medicine.
Upon graduation, RHPP students are more likely to select primary care specialties than their classmates: 88 percent versus 51 percent of UA College of Medicine graduates.
"We now have other graduates throughout the state, in places like San Luis, Yuma, Pinetop, Fort Mohave, Camp Verde, Flagstaff, Safford and Prescott, with more graduates returning each year," said Galper. "It is exciting to see these physicians return to Arizona and to have them teach our RHPP students. RHPP has come full circle."
Carol Galper
520-626-2351