A rural internship program is helping pre-med students gain a better understanding of their chosen field of study.
The Tuscaloosa Rural Pre-Medical Internship is for students in pre-medical studies who have taken an interest in rural primary care practice. The internship is part of the University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences, its Rural Programs and, its Rural Health Leaders Pipeline.
“We are excited to welcome our second cohort of rural pre-med interns,” said LaKeshia Whigham, coordinator for CCHS Rural Programs. “The Tuscaloosa Rural Pre-Medical Internship is already making an impact on our rural pipeline as three participants in the inaugural cohort have been accepted into the 28th class of the Rural Medical Scholars Program.
“TRPI aims to strengthen the rural pipeline and fulfill the missions of Rural Programs and CCHS as we look to improve the health of communities in rural Alabama.”
During the seven-week internship, the students will learn about the health needs of rural residents – including family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. The students spend five weeks at CCHS and two weeks with a family medicine physician near their hometown, completing the internship program July 1.
Students must have completed four semesters of undergraduate coursework, obtained an overall GPA of a B range or higher and scored at least a 22 on the ACT or 1200 on the SAT to be eligible for the internship. Students from rural Alabama are the only students accepted.
The 2023 TRPI class includes:
- Savannah Fleming of Ashford
- Ethan Golson of Boaz
- Jacob Horner of Thomasville
- Chandler Lawrence of Opelika
- Taylor Marcum of Roanoke
- Cameron Mitchum of Geneva
- Boyd Ogles of Ashland
- Edwin Olea of Slocomb
- Trey Pinkerton of Fayette
- Avril Powell of York
- Angela Vincent of Phenix City
The funding for the program is made possible through a supplemental award provided by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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