Attention Nursing Students and Allied Health Students!
Rural Health Education and Services looks forward to seeing you at the Career fair on Hwy 54 at Newman University on Thursday, March 31!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
WEPAC Alliance
Check out this great video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbpSU1kGsoc to find out what WEPAC is doing!
The WEPAC Alliance is a non-profit LLC that is dedicated to paying for cancer-preventative care for any woman who resides in any one of five rural, southwest Kansas towns: Wilmore, Englewood, Protection, Ashland, or Coldwater. Find them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134043385860.
The WEPAC Hoops for Hope Weekend is a collaborative effort between the five communities to increase awareness about women's health while raising money to help prevent the disease from spreading. Visit their website at http://www.wepacthehouse.org/.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
From Rural Health to the JayDoc Clinic: A Pre-Med’s Journey
As a pre-med student, I wanted a little taste of what I might experience as a practicing doctor. This is what led me to the Jaydoc Community Clinic as a volunteer. I will continue to share with you my experiences!
I have long suspected that the ever popular Hollywood-created medical dramas may be exaggerating the truth about medicine…just a little. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy, House, and Private Practice like to glamorize medicine. These shows feature groups of ridiculously good looking medical professionals that not only go from room-to-room saving lives, but also manage to make their superior lifesaving abilities and knack for looking ridiculously good seem like it is just all in a day’s work. A day at the Jaydoc Clinic is worlds apart from the Hollywood view of medicine, but I did observe a few similarities.
Over the past few weeks my time at the Jaydoc Clinic has shown me what these television shows may have gotten right:
- The volunteers at the Jaydoc Clinic are composed of some of Wichita’s most ridiculously good looking people, but I won’t focus on that.
- The practice of medicine is heavily dependent on the relationships and interactions between physicians and their patients.
As the weeks go by, I find that as I learn more about medicine, I am also learning more about people, and how my interactions with them can influence their health.
The Straight Shooter
Some patients need a straight shooting physician and a little tough love. Many of the patients I have seen so far at the Jaydoc Clinic are plagued by chronic health issues and complications that are the result of smoking. So far, every physician I have observed has taken a direct approach to telling the patient they need to stop smoking. This statement is usually met with several reasons why the patient smokes, how they have managed to cut back, and why it is difficult to quit. The physicians are sympathetic, yet they don’t indulge the patients’ reasons for smoking. The directness of “you need to stop smoking” is often followed by “you CAN stop smoking TODAY and we have some great resources for you that can help you quit.”
The physicians, the students, and I all want our patients to be able to stop smoking. Our enthusiasm and belief in our patients’ ability to quit smoking motivates the patients and I have noticed a change in their attitude towards quitting. I watched as one patient left the exam room, armed with an entire bag of smoking cessation aids, resource guides, motivational information, and a lot of determination – she was going to quit smoking. I was excited to see that the patient left feeling encouraged, determined, and supported in their ability to successfully stop smoking and lead a healthier life.
Some patients need a straight shooting physician and a little tough love. Many of the patients I have seen so far at the Jaydoc Clinic are plagued by chronic health issues and complications that are the result of smoking. So far, every physician I have observed has taken a direct approach to telling the patient they need to stop smoking. This statement is usually met with several reasons why the patient smokes, how they have managed to cut back, and why it is difficult to quit. The physicians are sympathetic, yet they don’t indulge the patients’ reasons for smoking. The directness of “you need to stop smoking” is often followed by “you CAN stop smoking TODAY and we have some great resources for you that can help you quit.”
The physicians, the students, and I all want our patients to be able to stop smoking. Our enthusiasm and belief in our patients’ ability to quit smoking motivates the patients and I have noticed a change in their attitude towards quitting. I watched as one patient left the exam room, armed with an entire bag of smoking cessation aids, resource guides, motivational information, and a lot of determination – she was going to quit smoking. I was excited to see that the patient left feeling encouraged, determined, and supported in their ability to successfully stop smoking and lead a healthier life.
Relate With Me
Patients like to be able to relate to their doctors. I watched as one of the physicians sat down next to the patient and explained ways the patient could lower their cholesterol and blood pressure. The physician talked about eating habits and exercise tips that she used in her own day-to-day routine. The doctor was really excited that the patient was so eager to take control of their health, and that enthusiasm rubbed off on the patient. The way the physician was able to relate to the patient allowed the patient to see that the tips and strategies were truly doable. By the end of the exam, the patient left with diet and exercise recommendations that they could immediately implement into their daily routine. Most importantly, the patient was enthusiastic about making a change that, although difficult, would have a profound effect on their health and well-being.
Patients like to be able to relate to their doctors. I watched as one of the physicians sat down next to the patient and explained ways the patient could lower their cholesterol and blood pressure. The physician talked about eating habits and exercise tips that she used in her own day-to-day routine. The doctor was really excited that the patient was so eager to take control of their health, and that enthusiasm rubbed off on the patient. The way the physician was able to relate to the patient allowed the patient to see that the tips and strategies were truly doable. By the end of the exam, the patient left with diet and exercise recommendations that they could immediately implement into their daily routine. Most importantly, the patient was enthusiastic about making a change that, although difficult, would have a profound effect on their health and well-being.
What I Have Learned (so far)
The little things really do mean a lot to patients. Simple actions like a smile, a handshake, a sympathetic ear, or kind words can let a patient know you care. A little tough love and motivation lets a patient know that they can overcome health obstacles and that you truly want to see them succeed. In the end, I think that the more positive a patient’s health care experience is, the more likely they are to follow through with their care. Health care providers play a huge role in determining just how positive a patient’s experience will be. Although the medical dramas fail to portray the medical field accurately, they do emphasize the importance of physician-to-patient relationship as a partnership towards a better health outcome.
The little things really do mean a lot to patients. Simple actions like a smile, a handshake, a sympathetic ear, or kind words can let a patient know you care. A little tough love and motivation lets a patient know that they can overcome health obstacles and that you truly want to see them succeed. In the end, I think that the more positive a patient’s health care experience is, the more likely they are to follow through with their care. Health care providers play a huge role in determining just how positive a patient’s experience will be. Although the medical dramas fail to portray the medical field accurately, they do emphasize the importance of physician-to-patient relationship as a partnership towards a better health outcome.
-Auburn Weber, Rural Health Education and Services, University of Kansas Medical Center
Monday, March 21, 2011
More Match Day information!
Looks like high numbers for Primary Care at the School of Medicine Match Day in Kansas City! To read about Match Day at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, visit http://www.kumc.edu/news-listing-page/match-day-2011.html.
Friday, March 18, 2011
National Statistics for Match Day
We wanted to share an article from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) regarding the big event yesterday.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wichita 4th-year students learn where they’ll do residency training
A Message from Dean Wilson, KU School of Medicine-Wichita
( http://deansblog.byethost4.com/)
March 17th, 2011
Today’s the most exciting day of medical school – Match Day.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the process, 4th-year medical students choose their specialty and interview with residency programs. Some even go all over the U.S. The students rank where they want to go, and the residency programs rank who they want. At exactly 11 a.m. CST all across the country, the students find out where they’ll be training and living these next 3 or more years.
Here in Wichita, our students, their families, and friends along with faculty and staff gather in the amphitheater and wait. At exactly 11 a.m. students begin opening their envelopes one at a time. To say the students and their families are excited and nervous is an understatement. Just watching them open their envelopes was sometimes painful as their hands shook so much.
Out of 48 students who matched, 26 chose primary care — family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Surgery was a hot choice this year with 8 in either orthopaedic or general surgery. Sherri Braksick is going to do neurology at Mayo in Rochester, while Jeffrey Robinson will join her in Pediatrics. Allison Ast wanted to go somewhere warm and ended up in Gainesville, Florida, in Pediatrics. I guess she got her wish.
About a third matched in Wichita, training in a Wichita Center for Graduate Medical Education (WCGME) program. That’s especially important to Kansas since about 65 percent of KU School of Medicine-Wichita graduates from both the school and one of the 13 WCGME residency programs practice in Kansas.
Take a moment to check out the complete list of 4th-year Wichita students who matched today.
I’m very proud of our students and confident they’ll all be wonderful doctors. Congratulations & Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
This year’s class wore “Kiss me I matched” t-shirts, featuring a complete list of their classmates’ names, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wichita Medical Students to learn residency matches on Thursday, March 17!
During their fourth year, medical students interview with residency programs in Kansas and across the country in the specialty of their choice and rank the programs while the programs also rank the students. At 11 a.m. CST on the third Thursday of March, U.S. students will learn where they matched.
WHAT: Match Day
WHO: KU School of Medicine–Wichita 4th-year Medical Students
H. David Wilson, MD, dean
KU School of Medicine–Wichita
WHERE: KU School of Medicine–Wichita
1010 N. Kansas
Roberts Amphitheater
WHEN: 11 a.m., Thursday, March 17
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Residency is a stage of graduate medical education and gives in-depth training in a specialty such as anesthesiology, emergency medicine, or neurology. Leading up to Match Day, medical students in their fourth year interview at hospitals across the country. At the end of the interview period, students submit a rankorder list of where they want to practice; hospitals also create a list. Those rankings are entered into a database and the students are then “matched” to a hospital.
The University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita is nationally recognized as a pioneer in community-oriented medical education. Since the first class graduated in 1975, more than 1,600 physicians have earned medical degrees. About half eventually established practices in the state, fulfilling the school’s promise of “Educating Doctors for Kansas.”
For more information about the University of Kansas Medical Center’s research, training, and
programs, contact Cari Merrill at 316-293-2643.
Media Release by University Relations, KU School of Medicine-Wichita
WHAT: Match Day
WHO: KU School of Medicine–Wichita 4th-year Medical Students
H. David Wilson, MD, dean
KU School of Medicine–Wichita
WHERE: KU School of Medicine–Wichita
1010 N. Kansas
Roberts Amphitheater
WHEN: 11 a.m., Thursday, March 17
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Residency is a stage of graduate medical education and gives in-depth training in a specialty such as anesthesiology, emergency medicine, or neurology. Leading up to Match Day, medical students in their fourth year interview at hospitals across the country. At the end of the interview period, students submit a rankorder list of where they want to practice; hospitals also create a list. Those rankings are entered into a database and the students are then “matched” to a hospital.
The University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita is nationally recognized as a pioneer in community-oriented medical education. Since the first class graduated in 1975, more than 1,600 physicians have earned medical degrees. About half eventually established practices in the state, fulfilling the school’s promise of “Educating Doctors for Kansas.”
For more information about the University of Kansas Medical Center’s research, training, and
programs, contact Cari Merrill at 316-293-2643.
Media Release by University Relations, KU School of Medicine-Wichita
Monday, March 7, 2011
Physician Assistant to join Sheridan County Health Complex
 |
Keith Clements, Physician Assistant |
HOXIE, Kan.—Keith Clements, physician assistant, joined Sheridan County Health Complex in February 2011. In his hometown of Haviland, Kan., Clements received pre-nursing training at Barclay College and then pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Sterling College in Sterling, Kan. Later he received training as an Emergency Medical Technician before obtaining a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree at Wichita State University. He completed the Masters of Physician Assistants Studies at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, Neb. in 1998.
“As a PA, one of my goals has been to serve a rural community,” he said. “I value the sense of community and knowing who my neighbors are.”
Mary Krannawitter, Director of Human Resources at Sheridan County Health Complex, states that Clements will bring diversity to their provider staff.
“Clements is very experienced primarily in providing health care in rural settings. He shows commitment to community and is known to be a caring and competent clinician,” said Krannawitter.
The Kansas Recruitment Center, which provides placement assistance to rural health organizations, seeks to enhance the quality and quantity of health care professionals in rural Kansas by helping providers like Clements find a practice in Kansas.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Life As A Doctor In Rural Kansas Luncheon
Don't miss Dr. Brian Cooke, Family Medicine, from Osawatomie, KS who will be speaking at this year's Life As A Doctor In Rural Kansas luncheon on Wednesday, March 2, from noon to 1pm.
Location: Stoland Lounge/Rieke Auditorium, KUMC
Sponsored by: RHES, Family med interest group and Rural med interest group.
For more info contact Andrea Ellis at 588-1228 or aellis2@kumc.edu
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