Rural Physicians and UA Medical Students Work Side-by-Side in Program That Encourages Health Professionals to Practice in Rural Areas
June 29, 2009
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 every summer for the past 13 years 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 (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: Steven Savoia, MD, medicine, mentoring Ian Crain, of Phoenix, June 15-26 and July 13-31.
Dr. Savoia has been an RHPP preceptor since 2000. Mr. Crain is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University.
• Flagstaff:
Cynthia Martin, MD, medicine and pediatrics, mentoring Elizabeth Lee, of Tucson, June 8-July 17.
Dr. Martin has been an RHPP preceptor since 2008. Ms. Lee is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
Andrew Saal, MD, family medicine; mentoring Stevy Merrill, of Scottsdale, June 29-July 31.
A first-time RHPP preceptor, Dr. Saal is medical director of North Country Health Care, where he regularly oversees third-year family medicine clerkship students from the UA College of Medicine. Ms. Merrill is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
Jerry Mohr, MD, general surgery; mentoring Alan Schumacher, of Three Points, June 15-July 10.
Dr. Mohr has been an RHPP preceptor since 1997 and was a UA College of Medicine faculty member prior to relocating to Flagstaff. Mr. Schumacher is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Grand Canyon: Michelle Doroz, DO, family medicine, mentoring Sara Bush, of Prescott, June 8-July 3.
Dr. Doroz is a first-time RHPP preceptor. Ms. Bush is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Green Valley/Continental: Donald Smith, MD, family medicine, mentoring Charity Reynolds, of Three Points, June 8-July 3.
An RHPP preceptor since 2000, Dr. Smith is a 1985 UA College of Medicine graduate. Ms. Reynolds is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Kingman: Ismail Bokhari, MD, medicine, mentoring Sarah Dehaybi, of Kingman, July 6-31.
An RHPP preceptor since 1998, Dr. Bokhari also is a clinical assistant professor of medicine with the UA College of Medicine. Ms. Dehaybi is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Nogales: Eladio Pereira, MD, medicine, mentoring Cambel Berk, of Patagonia, June 29-July 31.
Dr. Pereira has been an RHPP preceptor since 1997. Ms. Berk is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Payson: Amalia Pineres, MD, family medicine, mentoring Nandini Ganesh, of Scottsdale, June 8-July 3.
An RHPP preceptor since 1999, Dr. Pineres also is a clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine with the UA College of Medicine. Ms. Ganesh is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Polacca: Jon Stucki, MD, family medicine, mentoring Danielle Draper, of Tempe, June 8-July 3.
Dr. Stucki is a first-time RHPP preceptor and a 2004 UA College of Medicine graduate. This site on the Hopi Reservation also includes physician Ramesh Karra, MD, who was an RHPP mentor in Elfrida in 2007. Dr. Karra completed his residency in family medicine at the UA College of Medicine in 2001. Joining the faculty at Polacca this July is family physician Melody Jordahl, MD, a 2005 UA College of Medicine graduate who participated in RHPP in 2002 in Safford, working with the physicians of the Gila Valley Family Practice, all of whom are UA College of Medicine graduates: Gail Guerrero-Tucker, MPH, MD (Class of 2002); Susan Jones, MD (Class of 1979); Shirley Rheinfelder, MD (Class of 2000); and Cathy Romero, MD (Class of 1997). Dr. Jordahl just completed a fellowship in obstetrics and completed a residency in family medicine at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. Ms. Draper is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Prescott Valley: Jennifer Slocum Waara, MD, family medicine, mentoring Alicia Cowdrey, of Scottsdale, June 8-July 3.
An RHPP preceptor since 2008, Dr. Waara is a 2004 UA College of Medicine graduate who participated in RHPP as a medical student in 2001; her preceptor was Dallas Peterson, MD, of Snowflake. She completed her residency in family medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix in 2007. Ms. Cowdrey is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Queen Creek: Robert Truesdale, MD, family medicine, mentoring Laura Marrs, of Scottsdale, June 1-July 10.
A first-time RHPP preceptor, Dr. Truesdale is a 2002 graduate of the UA College of Medicine who as a medical student participated in RHPP in Kingman: in 1999 with preceptor Ismail Bokhari, MD, and in 2001 with preceptor Deryl Lamb, MD, a 1991 UA College of Medicine graduate who completed residencies in family practice and pediatrics at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Phoenix. Dr. Truesdale now practices with Dr. Lamb. Ms. Marrs is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University.
• Safford: Gail Guerrero-Tucker, MPH, MD, family medicine, mentoring Allison Lowe, of Glendale, June 8-July 3.
An RHPP preceptor since 2005, Dr. Guerrero-Tucker is a 2002 UA College of Medicine graduate who participated as a medical student in RHPP in 1998 in Kingman; her preceptor was Ismail Bokhari, MD. Dr. Guerrero-Tucker, who also is a clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine with the UA College of Medicine, is in practice with three other UA College of Medicine graduates: Susan Jones, MD (Class of 1979), who also has been an RHPP preceptor; Shirley Rheinfelder, MD (Class of 2000); and Cathy Romero, MD (Class of 1997). Dr. Rheinfelder also participated in RHPP as a medical student in 1997 in Springerville. Ms. Lowe is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Sells: Susan Hausser, MD, family medicine, mentoring Stephen Kaplan, of Pinetop, June 15-July 24.
An RHPP preceptor since 2008, Dr. Hausser completed her residency in family medicine at the UA College of Medicine in 1990. She also is a clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine with the UA College of Medicine. Mr. Kaplan is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Show Low:
Leon Driss, MD, medicine, mentoring Kara Block, of Cottonwood, July 6-31.
An RHPP preceptor since 2008, Dr. Driss also is a clinical assistant professor of medicine with the UA College of Medicine. Ms. Block is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
Daniel Greco, MD, general surgery, mentoring Daniel Churgin, of Tempe, June 8-July 17.
Dr. Greco has been an RHPP preceptor since 2006. Mr. Churgin is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University.
• Sierra Vista: Jody Jenkins, MD, general surgery, mentoring James Fox, of Flagstaff, July 6-31.
An RHPP preceptor since 2003, Dr. Jenkins also is clinical assistant professor of surgery with the UA College of Medicine. Mr. Fox is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Snowflake: Dallas Peterson, MD, family medicine, and Alan DeWitt, MD, family medicine, both mentoring Kari Evans, of Phoenix, June 8-July 17.
An RHPP preceptor since 1999, Dr. Peterson is a 1992 UA College of Medicine graduate. Snowflake native Dr. DeWitt has been an RHPP preceptor since 2005 and is a 1999 UA College of Medicine graduate who completed his residency in family medicine at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix in 2002. Ms. Evans is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University.
• Springerville: Cathy Taylor, MD, medicine and pediatrics, mentoring Chinenye Anako, of Litchfield Park (originally from Nigeria), June 8-July 10.
An RHPP preceptor since 2007, Dr. Taylor is a 2001 UA College of Medicine graduate who participated as a medical student in RHPP in 1998 in Springerville. She completed her residency in medicine/pediatrics at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix in 2004. Ms. Anako is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
• Tuba City: Diana Hu, MD, pediatrics, mentoring Melissa Panagos, of Cottonwood, June 8-July 10.
An RHPP preceptor since 1997, Dr. Hu also is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics with the UA College of Medicine. Ms. Panagos is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University.
• Yuma: Ricky Ochoa, MD, family medicine, mentoring Charlene Clements, of San Manuel, June 8-July 3.
A first-time RHPP preceptor, Dr. Ochoa is a 2002 UA College of Medicine graduate who participated in RHPP as a medical student in 1999 in Yuma with preceptor Roger Nutt, MD. Dr. Ochoa completed his family medicine residency at Phoenix Baptist Hospital in Phoenix in 2007. Ms. Clements is attending The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
The students will continue to work 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,” says Carol Galper, EdD, 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.”
By working side-by-side with a physician -- consulting with patients, discussing lab results, helping to diagnose childhood ailments, attending surgeries -- students learn about the unique health-care needs of rural populations and how to meet them. By returning to the same community during each year of medical school, students learn to appreciate the area’s culture and community character and begin to experience the lifestyle of rural residents.
This year, 17 students attending the UA College of Medicine in Tucson and five students attending the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with ASU were selected for RHPP, using a combination of funds from the Arizona Area Health Education Centers (the Arizona AHEC Program) and the state of Arizona. “With the expansion of the medical school to include the Phoenix campus, AHEC funding enables us to provide RHPP opportunities to Phoenix-based students as well,” says Dr. Galper.
RHPP students receive intensive preparation, including a course covering managed-care issues, referral needs, the impact of poverty and lack of health care, environmental health concerns, the influence of culture and the role of physicians in rural communities.
RHPP students learn to use telemedicine technology in communities linked to the Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) -- a health care telecommunications network that allows rural physicians and patients to have real-time online medical consultations with specialists at the UA College of Medicine in Tucson. The system also allows rural physician-preceptors and their students to “virtually” attend grand rounds lectures at the UA College of Medicine. This year, the RHPP course was teleconferenced between Tucson and Phoenix, with instruction originating alternately in Tucson and Phoenix.
Rural physician-preceptors enhance their teaching skills by attending faculty development and continuing medical education programs conducted by the UA College of Medicine. To minimize disruption of the physicians’ medical practices, the programs are offered regionally as well as by video links provided by ATP to the UA College of Medicine and the Regional Behavioral Health Authorities of the Arizona Department of Health Services/Division of Behavioral Health Service Services.
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, Queen Creek, Yuma, Pinetop, Fort Mohave, Camp Verde, Flagstaff, Safford and Prescott, with more graduates returning each year,” says Dr. Galper. “It is exciting to see these physicians return to Arizona and to have them teach our RHPP students. RHPP has come full circle.”
For more information about RHPP, visit the Web site, http://pcrm.medicine.arizona.edu/RHPP/rhpp.html