First-year M. D. student Judd Smith( center), holding daughter Chloe, is from Jay, Florida, and wants to become a third-generation family physician in his rural hometown. From the left, father Michael Smith, M. D., mother Rebecka Smith, wife Kaitlyn Smith and mother-in-law Kristi Kreitlow gather for a White Coat Ceremony celebration.
Nita Mitchell, the community health program manager at the health department, discusses the Food Pantry and how it serves those most in need. It sits alongside the Jefferson
County Health Department.
A visit to Florida Georgia Citrus on the outskirts of Monticello was one stop on the tour. With the packing machinery as a backdrop, students participated in a panel discussion with Jefferson County residents.
“ For me, working in rural population has been very rewarding,” Eke said.“ I tell my students that if you work in rural areas, you ' re a doctor everywhere – on the streets, in the grocery shop, in church. People want to talk to you. So that familiarity, that bonding, you know, is something that can be very rewarding.”
For some, it can also be very demanding when it comes to work-life balance.
“ Giving students that experience to know what it is like working with a rural population— the kind of personality, the kind of aura and all that— I think it ' s worthwhile,” Eke added.
Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce President Amy McDonald recognizes those challenges.
“ It takes a lot to entice a health care provider to move here,” she said.“ They have to have a heart to serve.”
McDonald also acknowledges that it requires someone who is comfortable with a slower pace of life, which suited the family doctor who“ delivered the last generation from a small-town storefront office” in downtown Monticello.
Then there’ s the matter of the required time it takes to build trust within a community that is often reluctant to give it freely, a point that was driven home by a mother who addressed the students during a panel discussion held late in the day at Florida Georgia Citrus on the outskirts of town.
“ Growing up in a rural community, if the patients don ' t have a level of trust with you, I mean, they ' re just not going to follow
through with anything,” said Smith, the medical student with firsthand knowledge on such matters.
In its totality, the RuLE participants had a lot absorb from a day in Monticello and the locations.
“ One overriding impression that consistently stands out from students— especially those not from rural areas— is a sense of appreciation and respect for rural communities and the health care professionals who serve them,” Flowers said.
“ Students frequently express how surprised and inspired they are by the strong sense of community, the dedication of rural providers, and the deep, trusting relationships between patients and health care teams. Many share that the trip challenged their assumptions and gave them a newfound understanding of the complexity and importance of rural health care.”
Eke shared his personal observations after taking in the day.
“ I saw students that were very curious. They were very excited about the whole structure and learning about the Department of Health and seeing the Food Bank. That was very impressive for me. I’ ve not seen that before.”
And that is exactly the objective.
“ This rural trip is not only important – it is mission-critical,” Flowers said.“ It reinforces the values at the heart of the College of Medicine’ s educational philosophy while offering a strategic response to current health care workforce challenges.”
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