The shortage of rural physicians has existed for more than 80 years (Robinowitz et al., 2008). As the demand for rural physicians continues to increase, we must pinpoint the reasons physicians choose to practice in these areas, and facilitate this process as much as possible from an academic or policy standpoint. To increase the number of physicians practicing in underserved rural areas, we must understand the factors that influence students’ interest with science and careers in health care (National Rural Health Association, 2006). This study is undertaken to add to evidence that physicians are more likely to practice medicine in communities where they were raised and educated (Easterbrook, et al., 1999). This chapter reviews educational …show more content…
The future rural physician workforce is likely to decline even further, with only 3% of recent medical students planning to practice in rural areas (Robinowitz et al., 2008). In order to increase the number of physicians practicing in underserved rural areas, it has been well established that students from rural backgrounds are more likely than urban students to practice in a rural community (Rabinowitz, 1988; Roberts et al., 1991; Stratton et al., 1991; Strasser, 1992; Tepper & Rourke, 1999). Training new physicians, nurses, and other health professionals takes years, sometimes decades (Anderson, 2014). Providing high school adolescents with opportunities for exposure to scientific environments and encouragement from health care mentors are key factors in developing a passion for and sustained pursuit of education in the science and health care fields (McLaughlin, 2016). However, if education programs wait until college to present rural health care careers to youth, we may have lost really talented youth who have the potential and ability to become the rural physicians we need (Rabinowitz, et al., …show more content…
Various inquiry-based activities have been studied and found to positively impact students’ achievement (Akkus, Gunel & Hand, 2007; Gibson, 2002; Liu, Lee, & Linn, 2010; Shrigley, 1990). Cooperative learning, in which students are placed in social groups for class activities, has frequently been studied as a classroom method for improving learning (Gupta, 2004; Kose, Sahin, Ergu, & Gezer, 2010; Lord, 2001; Thurston, Topping, Tolmie, Christie, Karagiannidou, & Murray, 2010). Other techniques that frequently appear in science career literature include Project-based learning and hands-on activities (Colley, 2006; Kanter & Schreck, 2006; Kramer, 2008; Randler & Hulde, 2007; Satterthwait, 2010; Stohr-Hunt, 1996). These techniques are studied across all subject areas and age groups and demonstrate that students’ experiences are enhanced through these
It is my desire to increase my breadth of knowledge and to serve others in a larger capacity. Following graduation from the nurse practitioner program I would like to be working with a primary care clinic in a rural and underserved area. I have a heart for rural medicine and would love to serve and partner with a community that is in need of primary care providers. My goal would be to encourage patients to take ownership of their health by educating and informing them on healthy lifestyles, diseases, medications, etc. I would also like to help the community become more aware of preventative health. I believe the education of patients goes hand-in-hand with
I began my college career unsure of the path ahead of me. I knew I had a passion for medicine, however, I did not know which direction I would take. With the expansive amount of options offered within the fields of science and medicine, it was difficult to narrow down exactly what direction I wanted to take. I gained some clarity the summer of my sophomore year when I stayed at a close friend’s home, whose father, a practicing Medical Physician, became somewhat of a mentor to me. The passionate way in which he discussed the practice of medicine led me to develop an interest in pursuing a career as a physician. He explained that a career in the medical field was about responsibility, the responsibility to work with all members of the healthcare team for the well-being of the patient as well as their family
The number of doctors that present in the United States of America directly affects the communities that these doctors serve and plays a large role in how the country and its citizens approach health care. The United States experienced a physician surplus in the 1980s, and was affected in several ways after this. However, many experts today have said that there is currently a shortage of physicians in the United States, or, at the very least, that there will be a shortage in the near future. The nation-wide statuses of a physician surplus or shortage have many implications, some of which are quite detrimental to society. However, there are certain remedies that can be implemented in order to attempt to rectify the problems, or alleviate some of their symptoms.
Pasley, T., & Poole, P. (2009). Characteristics of university of Auckland medical students intending to work in the regional/rural setting. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 122(1292), 50-60.
education by the students learning how to look beyond instructions and the students are free to
Lowery, Ann and Robert Pear. "Too Few Doctors in Many U.S. Communities." The New York TImes (n.d.): A1. The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 July 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2013
support medical practice in rural/remote regions: what are the conditions for success? Implement Sci. 2006 Aug 24;1:18.
In the United States the distribution of physician’s workforce is not regulate by geographical locations. Physicians can elect how and where to work, resulting in an unbalance of health care professionals in every location around the country. Rural communities normally have less physicians, nurses, specialists, and other health care staff, and the lesser population, making the loss of a physician a bigger impact.
At thirteen I left my home in sunny Miami, Florida to attend a boarding school in snowy Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During those four years I learned to be independent, and to work effectively with my peers. One year, a group of students and I began to visit patients every
For decades, individuals living in rural areas have been considered medically underserved. Access to healthcare is a problem that has been increasing for individuals in rural America due to aging populations, declining economies, rural hospital closures, rising healthcare costs, healthcare provider shortages and difficulties attracting and retaining healthcare personnel and physicians (Bauer, 2002). This population experience more health disparities than t...
According to the AAMC 2015 physician supply and demand reports, we are currently in a physician shortage through 2025.The 2014 reports state there is only 4% blacks or African Americans working as physicians.(www.aamc.org). These statistics are a direct reflection of medical schools matriculants.... Apart from being an African American female from an underserved community, I can also attribute cultural competence to enhance cultural diversity at Wayne State University School Of Medicine. I was raised in a very diverse city, I have been exposed to people of various cultural and religious backgrounds. My paternal grandparents were immigrants from Martinique who spoke limited english and their culture was very different from the families our neighborhood.
...dilemma for young doctors." Medical Education 44.8 (2010): 805-813. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
...o listen carefully to ensure that kids are discussing scientific ideas, not socializing. The teacher's role is to ensure that students achieve their primary goal: meaningful understanding of scientific concepts. The practices described in this article help bring this about in several ways. When instruction centers on students and focuses on hands-on experience with scientific phenomena, science class becomes an exciting place. When instruction concentrates on the investigation of current problems and issues through scientific inquiry, science class becomes a relevant and meaningful place. When instruction emphasizes the development of communication skills, science class becomes an invaluable place for preparing children to tackle the challenges of adulthood. And the education community owes it to its students to assess their academic progress fairly and accurately.
When integrating Nature of Science into curriculum, assumptions are made about students and instructors. These assumptions include that students are all at the same level in terms of science understanding and concepts as the rest of their classmates, and also assumes that the students learn at the same rates (NGSS: Appendix A). These assumptions are detrimental to science education when focus needs to be on the content being taught rather than teaching background of science as a standalone. Teaching NOS explicitly becomes increasingly difficult when students aren’t given access to proper science learning environments. As mentioned in the High Hopes – Few Opportunities reading, it is stated that, “California students do no typically experience high-quality science learning opportunities[.]” (Dorph et al., 2011). When students don’t have a basis for scientific concepts, it becomes increasingly difficult to teach NOS. America’s Lab Report further expands on the idea that this style of learning is not likely achievable, as “[N]o single […] experience is likely to achieve all of these learning goals.” (Schweingruber et al., 2005) where learning goals is referencing the goals of laboratory experiences that include understanding Nature of Science. Again, when a lack of understanding for general science exists, its arguably much more difficult to teach
In Science, teachers serve as the facilitator of learning, guiding them through the inquiry process. Teachers must ask open-ended questions, allow time for the students to answer, avoid telling students what to do, avoid discouraging students’ ideas or behaviors, encourage to find solutions on their own, encourage collaboration, maintain high standards and order, develop inquiry-based assessments to monitor students’ progress, and know that inquiry may be challenging for some students so be prepared to provide more guidance. There are three types of Science inquiry: structured, guided, and open. Structured is the most teacher-centered form of inquiry. This type of inquiry is mainly seen in laboratory exercises where the teacher needs to provide structure, however the students are the ones who conduct the experiment and find conclusions. Guided inquiry is where the students are given tools to develop a process and find the results. As an example, the teacher would instruct the students to build a rocket, but not tell them how to design it. This leaves creativity and uniqueness for the students to be able to apply their knowledge and skills. Open inquiry is when students determine the problem, i...