An outreach program for a rural medical school.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Primary Care Training
• Rural Health Initiatives

Background:

• Traditional medical education often lacks sufficient primary care and rural exposure.
• There is a need for innovative training models to prepare physicians for diverse practice settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and structure of a primary care outreach program at Dartmouth Medical School.
• To highlight the collaborative partnership between the medical school and rural communities.

Main Methods:

• Establishment of a correlated curricular track for primary care.
• Development of an integrated residency program in primary care.
• Implementation of a fee-for-service model for patient care.
• Shared cost model between the community and the medical school.

Main Results:

• A functional interdepartmental outreach program has been created.
• The program successfully integrates medical students and residents into rural primary care settings.
• A sustainable financial model involving shared costs has been implemented.

Conclusions:

• The Dartmouth Medical School outreach program demonstrates a successful model for rural primary care education.
• Strong partnerships between academic institutions and communities are crucial for effective medical training and service delivery.