Many medical students will soon be wrapping up their 3rd year. What do you need to do to prepare for the 4th? After three years of arduous studying, exams and clinical rotations, you’re finally in the home-stretch to completing your undergraduate medical training and transitioning to the next phase of your career in residency. AMA has… Continue reading Medical Student Checklist
Author: oconnorb
Beth O'Connor is the Executive Director of the Virginia Rural Health Association.
Affordable Medications
One of the hard realities of serving in rural communities is that many of our patients have a hard time affording the medications they desperately need. We've located a resource to help with that process. The National Center for Farmworker Health has produced a series of easy-to-read fact sheets about the safest and most affordable… Continue reading Affordable Medications
Registration Now Open!
Registration for the Rural Residents Research Symposium is now open! Scheduled for April 22nd at the Slemp Center of UVA Wise; this is a day for residents to present original research (not case studies) regarding topics of interest to rural primary care docs and their peers. Slots at the Rural Residents Research Symposium are 30-45 minutes long;… Continue reading Registration Now Open!
Urban Choosing Rural
A recent study noted that having a rural origin is a primary factor in medical students choosing to practice in rural areas. The study decided to turn that information around and ask what influences urban students to also choose rural. "Determinants of an urban origin student choosing rural practice" used a scoping review of the… Continue reading Urban Choosing Rural
Remote Residency?
Last week we asked if skipping residency was the solution to addressing the doctor shortage in rural communities. And if skipping residency wasn't the answer; what is? A recently published study proposed that maybe tele-residency is part of the solution. "The feasibility and acceptability of administering a telemedicine objective structured clinical exam as a solution… Continue reading Remote Residency?
Can We Skip Residency?
One of the concerns of those addressing rural workforce issues is residency programs for recent medical school graduates. Finding a sufficient number of residency slots is always a challenge. If there aren't enough in your area, the students could leave the state - or even the country. Since we know that doctors tend to practice… Continue reading Can We Skip Residency?
Medical Education Challenges
Recently AMA Wire published "9 challenges medical educators want to solve right now" which were the topics identified at a AMA event when participants were asked the question, "What does the medical school of the future look and feel like—and how do we get there?" Identified challenges included, "New ways to make medical training more… Continue reading Medical Education Challenges
ICD-10 Is Here – Now What?
Just like the coming of Y2K, the world did not implode when ICD-10 went live on October 1, 2015. But that doesn't mean there aren't any glitches. At Head for the Hills 2015 Debbie Poston from AMS Software talked about the challenges physicians face in making sure office staff can document patient visits correctly in… Continue reading ICD-10 Is Here – Now What?
Anxious Kids
What's the difference between fear and anxiety? What level of anxiety in a child is normal? At what stage does it need to be addressed? When is medication appropriate for a child with anxiety? C. Allen Musil, Jr., MD's presentation at Head for the Hills 2015 answered these questions and reviewed risk factors for anxiety… Continue reading Anxious Kids
The Big-City Guide to Small-Town Living
The GMEC blog will be taking a break for the holiday season. We leave you with this essay from the Daily Yonder: I watched over the last decade or so as successful big-city professionals retire and move out to the fringes of my rural town. They typically buy farms or ranchettes and imagine themselves living… Continue reading The Big-City Guide to Small-Town Living
Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium 