X

Ogdensburg, Potsdam hospitals hosting medical students in region for rural healthcare experience

Posted 6/5/18

OGDENSBURG -- Claxton Hepburn Medical Center and Canton-Potsdam Hospital are partnering with the Northern Area Health Education Center (NAHEC) and SUNY Upstate Medical University's Rural Medical …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Ogdensburg, Potsdam hospitals hosting medical students in region for rural healthcare experience

Posted

OGDENSBURG -- Claxton Hepburn Medical Center and Canton-Potsdam Hospital are partnering with the Northern Area Health Education Center (NAHEC) and SUNY Upstate Medical University's Rural Medical Scholars Program to bring six medical students to the Ogdensburg area June 4-9 and six additional students to the Canton and Potsdam area June 11-16.

The Rural Immersion Week program seeks to introduce medical students to small town communities experiencing physician shortages.

The program has a history of great success due to the participation and support of local community members, hospitals and colleges.

The immersion program was introduced in New York by NAHEC in 2013.

“What is so great about this program is that it creates a powerful nexus of community, healthcare, and education, which is essential to building the healthcare workforce in our underserved communities,” stated Richard Merchant, NAHEC CEO.

Based on available research, Merchant says, physicians frequently choose rural practice

based on criteria associated with aspects of living in a rural community as opposed to the clinical issues surrounding the practice of medicine in a rural community.

Over the course of six days, the students will shadow and engage with a variety of professionals at Canton-Potsdam Hospital. Importantly, the students will also experience the local community in and around the Ogdensburg and Canton-Potsdam area to gain an understanding of the local economy, recreational offerings, public health issues, educational resources, social influences, and many other elements that help define rural communities.

As a part of the program’s curriculum, the students will take part in a community scavenger hunt, EMS ride-alongs, dinners with local healthcare providers, and community engagement projects.

For more information, contact Karin Blackburn, center director, at 315-379-7701 or kblackburn@nahecnet.org.