The Southern Rural Access Program and Alabama's Rural Health leaders Pipeline: A Partnership to Develop Needed Minority Health Care Professionals

Abstract

Rural Health Leaders Pipeline programs are intended to increase the number of youth interested in and pursuing health professions in rural communities. This paper presents 2 complementary approaches to Rural Health Leaders Pipeline programs. Two different organizations in Alabama recruit students from 18 specified counties. One organization is a rural, community-based program with college freshmen and upperclassmen from rural communities. Students shadow health professionals for 6 weeks, attend classes, visit medical schools, complete and present health projects, and receive support from online tutors. The second organization is a university-based program that supplements an existing 11th grade-medical school rural medicine pipeline with 10 minority students from rural communities who have graduated from high school and plan to enter college as premedical students in the following academic year. Students participate in classes, tutorials, seminars, and other activities. Students earn college credits during the 7-week program, maintain contact with program staff during the school year, and by performance and interest can continue in this pipeline program for a total of 4 consecutive summers, culminating in application to medical school. Each organization provides stipends for students. Early experiences have been positive, although Rural Health Leaders Pipeline programs are expensive and require long-term commitments.

Efforts to Recruit Medical Students From Rural Counties: A Model to Evaluate Recruitment Efforts

“…Implications from this study have added to the body of evidence confirming the results of prior studies that rural applicants are equally likely or more likely to be admitted [ 6 , 15 , 22 - 24 ] but emphasize the need for more effective pathway programs encouraging more applicants from rural backgrounds. We defined success as the proportion of applicants from rural backgrounds aligning with the potential rural applicant pool.…”

Pipeline Programs Can Support Reforms in Medical Education: A Cohort Study of Alabama's Rural Health Leaders Pipeline to Engage Community Leaders

“…18 The authors initiated the UA RHLP to increase the number of rural students becoming rural health professionals. 19 We proposed that rural high school students nurtured through a pipeline program, and others who joined downstream, would benefit themselves and rural counties by becoming health professionals. The State of Alabama funded 2 preprofessional pipeline component programs (described below) at $1,500 per student per year.…”

Admission Factors Predicting Family Medicine Specialty Choice: A Literature Review and Exploratory Study Among Students in the Rural Medical Scholars Program

“…Pipeline programs are especially important for increasing the number of minority candidates for medical school 28‐30 . More underrepresented minorities are required to help address physician shortages and health care disparities in a growing number of rural minority populations 28 .…”