Overview
The Rural Health Scholarly Concentration (RHSC) provides opportunities to expand existing curricular experiences by examining the unique health challenges faced by rural and underserved communities. Students explore issues such as access to care, health disparities, and the delivery of healthcare in rural settings.
Goals & Objectives
The Rural Health Care Scholarly Concentration (RHSC) at UTMB exists to provide an expanded learning experience focused on needs specific to medically underserved rural communities. The RHSC provides a comprehensive range of experiences to support development of student competencies in these areas.
No singular definition exists for "rural". In healthcare, "rural" is primarily defined by federal agencies using a combination of country-level classifications, population density, and geographic isolation. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) guides how the United States government defines these areas for health programs and funding. In evaluating whether a healthcare area is considered rural, please us the following resources:
Curriculum
The Rural Health Scholarly Concentration curriculum requires students to complete 6 points.
Mandatory Requirements 4 Points
Attend at least 12 RHSC meetings during the 4 years in medical school – 2 points
Completion of a clinical rotation at a clinic in a rural area or serving a predominately rural population * – 1 point
Completion of the RHSC Capstone Project (RHCT 4402 BSHS course) – 1 point
Activities to Earn Remaining 2 Points 2 Points
Year 1 Summer Preceptorships
Year 3 & 4
Completion of a clinical rotation at a clinic in a rural area or serving a predominately rural population * – 1 point each
Completion of an elective or selective serving an underserved patient population or in an area with a predominately rural population * – 1 point each
Other
Volunteer at St. Vincent's Clinic - 10 visits (Primary Care, Psychiatry, or OBGYN) to learn about working with underserved patient populations – 1 point
Attend a medical conference with a rural health focus and write a 1-to-2-page summary of key conference takeaways – 1 point each
Scholarly contribution to rural health such as an oral presentation, poster presentation, or manuscript submission – 1 point each
How to Apply
Official enrollment in the Rural Health Scholarly Concentration (RHSC) is completed through the annual One45 survey. Students must confirm their continued enrollment each academic year through the One45 survey to maintain active enrollment and be official recognized as a scholar in the concentration.
Email Brian Sullivan, the RHSC coordinator, at Brian.Sullivan@utmb.edu, with any questions about RHSC enrollment.
On-Ramp Year 1 & 2: Students are eligible to join the RHSC at any time.
On-Ramp Year 3: Students will need to meet with the RHSC coordinator to discuss your clinical rotation schedule to ensure opportunity exists to complete the mandatory clinical experience in rural areas.
Students are not eligible to join the RHSC during Year 4.
Meeting Dates & Speakers for 2026-2027
All meeting times are from – on the third Wednesday of each month between September and April. Due to the holidays, the December meeting is on the second Wednesday of that month.
| Date | Speaker |
|---|
| Joseph Shotwell, MD
Dr. Joseph Shotwell, Director of UTMB's RHSC, will give an introduction to UTMB's Rural Health Scholarly Concentration. He will talk about the requirements needed to graduate as a Rural Scholar at UTMB. |
| J. Patrick Walker, MD, FACS
Dr. Walker is a surgeon and Professor here at UTMB now, but he used to practice in the rural city of Crockett, TX. He will discuss his life as a rural surgeon in East Texas, so please attend and bring your questions! |
| Lisa Falls, MD
Dr. Falls is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. During her early career, she participated in a student loan repayment assistance program that provided care at a Local Mental Health Authority (formerly MHMR) in Nacogdoches, TX. Subsequently, she worked at a Federally Qualified Health Center Family Practice in Waco before joining the UTMB psychiatry faculty later in her career. Currently, Dr. Falls engages in collaborative care. She collaborates with the family medicine dept. to assist their Residents in learning to manage mental health patients in the primary care setting. Additionally, Dr. Falls is a member of the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN) program. In the program, she receives calls from community primary care physicians and provides them with guidance on managing psychiatric illnesses. Many of the calls originate from rural areas across the state where psychiatric services are limited |
| Rhonnda Jones
Rhonnda Jones is an employee of the Texas Primary Care Office (TPCO) within the Dept. of State Health Services. The TPCO works with health care providers and communities to improve access to care for the underserved by recruiting and retaining providers to practice in federally designated shortage areas. Ms. Jones will talk about the loan repayment programs available to those who choose to work in a rural or underserved area. |
| Colby W. Cessnun, MD
Topic TBA |
| Oscar "Skip" Brown, MD
Dr. Oscar Brown is a UTMB pediatrician and graduate of its Pediatric Residency Program. For the past decade, he has served as Director of UTMB’s Rural Health Scholarly Concentration. Previously, he was a founding member of an independent, multispecialty practice with 130 physicians and 500 employees, serving a community of 75,000 and numerous rural counties in Northeast Texas. His leadership includes service on the Texas Medical Association’s Rural Health Committee and Socio-Economic Council, chairing Texas Department of State Health Services committees focused on Medicaid oversight, and serving as President of the Texas Pediatric Society. Dr. Brown's topic will be "A Review of Continuity of Care in a Small Community Medical Practice." He will discuss the challenges, pros and cons, and how his practice compared to other venues. |
| TBA
Topic TBA |
| Jorge A. Duchicela, MD
Dr. Jorge Duchicela is a rural Family Medicine physician at the Youens & Duchicela Clinic in Weimar, TX. He’s a very engaging speaker and likes to be interactive with the students, so please think of questions you would like Dr. Duchicela to answer about his experiences/challenges/rewards while being a rural physician in Texas. Dr. Duchicela is a long-time supporter of UTMB’s Rural Health Scholarly Concentration and has been an annual speaker to our group since its inception. |
Contact Information
Director
Joseph S. Shotwell, MD, DFAACAP
Associate Professor of Clinical Practice
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Coordinator