Rural Health Scholarly Concentration

Overview

The Rural Health Scholarly Concentration (RHSC) provides opportunities that serve to expand existing curricular experiences that emphasize the practice of rural medicine throughout the 4 years of medical school. Students choose a rural community where they will complete multiple clerkships and strive to learn about the characteristics of the community and to develop partnerships within it.

Upon identifying a health care challenge in the town, students will complete a project along with their community partner(s) to address/improve the focus of their choice. Additionally, students are offered a series of lectures to supplement their exposure to issues related to the practice of rural medicine (e.g. cultural identities, leadership skills, environmental toxicology, community partnerships, etc.).

UTMB-sponsored electives offering a rural medicine theme are also available for students to complete. Upon successful completion of the program, students are recognized as "Scholars in Rural Health" on their transcripts and at commencement.

Apply Here

Program Description

Goals

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 Scholarly Concentration provides a comprehensive range of experiences to support development of student competencies in these areas.

The practice of rural medicine requires adaptation to multiple roles, knowledge about resource utilization specific to the rural setting, and an explicit ability to integrate a public health perspective into a rural practice. The learner will therefore complete Scholarly Concentration requirements involving issues specific to a rural community (e.g. cultural issues, characteristics of the medical infrastructure) and develop specialty skills required to provide health care within a rural community.

Objectives

Learn clinical competencies to effectively serve as a physician within a rural community.
Participate in a lecture series and training events designed to provide insight and experience in areas specific to rural medicine.
Develop knowledge and understanding through coursework, preceptorships, and community service focused on the physician's unique civic role in a rural community (e.g. leadership, public health advocacy, education, social group interaction)
Dedicate an extended portion of off-campus clerkship enrollment at a single community site to foster continuity of clinical care, office management/health care provider insight, and community culture experience.
Complete a long-term scholarly project aimed at providing an intervention to serve the health care needs of a target rural community.

Curriculum

In order to successfully complete all RHSC certificate requirements and graduate as a Rural Scholar, the student will:

Attend 12 RHSC meetings during the 4 years in medical school.
- It is best to attend most (or all) of these in first 2 years.
Complete 4 clinical rotations in a rural setting.
- Preclinical preceptorships (in between 1^st and 2^nd year)
- Clerkships (3^rd year) conducted in rural areas
- Electives and Selectives conducted in rural areas
Complete the RHSC capstone project – RHCT 4402
- This course counts as a required BSHS credit in your 4^th year

Application

Email Brian Sullivan, the RHSC coordinator, at Brian.Sullivan@utmb.edu, to let him know you would like to join the RHSC.

Meeting Dates & Speakers for 2026-2027

All meeting times are from 12 PM – 1 PM 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
September 16, 2026	Oscar "Skip" Brown, MD & Joseph Shotwell, MD Co-Directors Dr. Skip Brown and Dr. Joseph Shotwell will give an introduction to UTMB's RHSC and will talk about the requirements needed to graduate as a Rural Scholar.
October 21, 2026	TBA Topic TBA
November 18, 2026	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 memeber 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
December 9, 2026	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.
January 20, 2027	TBA Topic TBA
February 17, 2027	TBA Topic TBA
March 17, 2027	TBA Topic TBA
April 21, 2027	TBA Topic TBA

Frequently Asked Questions

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What are the benefits of participating in the RHSC?

Successful completion of all concentration requirements will result in a designation of "Rural Health Scholar" on the student's transcript and in the commencement program. A certificate of completion will be issued at the time of graduation along with the student's UTMB diploma. Participation will also be reflected in the student's MSPE ("Dean's letter").
What is required to become an RHSC scholar?
To become an RHSC scholar, you will complete 5-6 months of clerkship, elective and selective experiences in a rural setting, culminating with the completion of a scholarly project. Throughout the 4 years of medical school, RHSC students must attend a predetermined number of offerings (lectures, workshops and/or seminars) that are designed to provide specific training related to the practice of rural medicine.
RHSC opportunities exist during the following curricular times:
- Summer block between Years 1 and 2
- Year 3 (Family Medicine clerkship, Pediatrics clerkship - ambulatory component, Internal Medicine clerkship - ambulatory component, elective month, December holiday month, and/or cluster clerkships - 2 to 4 months in a community completing multiple clerkship requirements)
- Year 4 allows for several experiences through electives, selectives, and required credits in an "Acting Internship" and the Basic Science and Humanities Selective (BSHS). Basic Science and Humanities Selective credit may be obtained during activities related to finalizing the scholarly project.
Would electives at another medical school apply for RHSC credit?

Yes. Prior approval by the Rural Health Care Scholarly Concentration Committee would be required, as would any requirements imposed by UTMB Enrollment Services and the other medical school in question. Many medical schools offer electives, primarily to Year 4 students, which would provide an excellent compliment to your RHSC focus.
Is housing provided?

Housing may be available in very few rural locations. No housing is guaranteed in any location.
Are slots in the track limited? When do I need to commit to the RHSC?

There is not a limit to the number of students that can participate in the RHSC. Year 2 and Year 3 students are asked to commit to participation by the end of Period 1 so that adequate planning can be done to ensure all of the "specialty track" requirements can be met.
Year 1 students are asked to commit to the program by the end of Year 1, prior to the beginning of the summer block during which preclinical preceptorships are available for enrollment. For all students, it is best to communicate with a Co-Director as early as possible regarding your needs in terms of preceptors, site locations, Period(s) during which you wish to rotate at a chosen site, and housing status.
Do I need to commit to a residency in primary care?

No. Students intending to apply for a residency in any field of medicine are welcome to participate in the RHSC.
What happens if I choose not to complete the RHSC?

Electives and other activities are open to interested students who do not intend to complete the entire track. If one commits to the RHSC and decides not to complete all related requirements, all courses taken to that point remain on the student's transcript, although recognition as a "Scholar in Rural Health" would not occur upon graduation.
Will the educational experiences I have in a rural health setting be comparable to that in Galveston?

Course evaluations and focus groups with students having completed rotations in rural settings in the past have been overwhelmingly positive. Specific advantages cited by students included:
I was impressed that rural doctors have so much interaction with community members and events that occur there. Since there is so much continuity of care from birth to old-age, across generations of families, the doctor is treated with a great deal of respect and has an important role.
Going on home visits.
It is very important to develop trust among these patients who may be indigent, not likely to seek medical care early, and/or are immigrants.
Doctors deal with a wide range of problems, experience long-term relationships with patients and families (continuity of care), and could participate as a strong member of the community by advocating and contributing to civic groups and events.
This was an adventure that made me discover an interest in rural medicine I did not know about before.
Can I participate in more than one SOM special program?
Yes. Students may participate in two special program tracks under the following conditions:
- An overall curricular plan is provided by the student and prior approval is obtained from Directors of both program tracks.
- Requirements for both tracks are met in full.
- No more than two courses can apply to both tracks concurrently.
- A scholarly project must be completed for both tracks or one very large project including aspects of both programs can be done after prior approval by both scholarly concentration directors.

RHSC Resources

Am I Rural?: Tool to determine if your location qualifies as rural.
Texas County Designation: Map of counties designated as rural in Texas.
State of Health Care in Rural Texas: Overview of rural health care statistics and trends in Texas.

Rural Healthcare Facilities

Critical Access Hospital (CAH): Hospital in a rural area certified for cost-based Medicare reimbursement to support financial stability.
CAHs in Texas: Listing of CAHs in Texas.
Rural Health Clinic (RHC): Clinic certified for special Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement to improve primary care access in underserved rural communities.

Rural Healthcare Organizations

Area Health Education Centers (AHEC): Federally and state-funded nonprofit supporting healthcare workforce development nationally and in Texas.
East Texas AHEC Program: Regional branch of AHEC supporting healthcare workforce development in East Texas.
West Texas AHEC Program: Regional branch of AHEC supporting healthcare workforce development in West Texas.
Rural Assistance Center (RAC): Rural health and human services information portal providing programs, funding, and research resources.
National Rural Health Association (NRHA): National organization connecting rural health professionals to improve health care for rural Americans.
Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA): Nonprofit leading advocacy, education, and communication to improve rural health in Texas.
State Office of Rural Health (SORH): Texas state office supporting rural health access through grants, technical assistance, and education programs.
National Health Service Corps (NHSC): Program offering loan repayment to clinicians serving in underserved rural communities.
Rural Prep: Prepares and recruits primary care practitioners for rural practice through education, mentorship, and community support.
3RNet: National nonprofit network connecting healthcare professionals with rural and underserved job opportunities.
The World of Rural Medical Education: Curated links and resources on rural health care, compiled by Dr. Robert C. Bowman, ATSU.

Contact Information

Co-Directors

Oscar W. Brown, MD
Professor (Clinical)
Department of Pediatrics
Medical Director, Pediatric Services RWSP

Joseph S. Shotwell, MD, DFAACAP
Associate Professor of Clinical Practice
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Coordinator

Brian M. Sullivan, BBA
Clinical Education Specialist
Office of Clinical Education

Brian.Sullivan@utmb.edu

(409) 747-0265