"I don't think I'll ever be able to properly thank you for your help and guidance in helping me get into Medical School. This is a dream come true for me and it wouldn't have been possible without the experiences I had with Rural Health Scholars and without your knowledge of the ins and outs of the application process. I have friends at other schools who received little support or counsel and as a result can't get in. They're definitely jealous of our RHS program."
Stewart Wilkey-2009 SUU Graduate |
| Rural Health Partnerships |
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Partnerships Create Successful Health Careers Mini-Camps
How do you cram a three-day AHEC Summer Camp into a five hour school day? That was the challenge presented to the Center by the Utah Hospital Association Workforce Committee. A Health Career Day was hosted by the Uintah Basin ATC in November and was so successful it was repeated at Snow College Richfield Campus last month.
 At each of the events, 160 students from eight high schools were bused to their regional campuses where they participated in six, hands-on health careers related activities. Every student experienced the challenge of putting on a cast, suturing a chicken wing, giving injections to oranges, extracting DNA, intubating a mock respiratory patient, preparing and administering medication, transferring a patient, looking at x-rays and putting screws in bones.
 Presenters included the College of Eastern Utah and Snow College nursing programs, Weber State University's radiology and respiratory therapy programs and the University of Utah's pharmacy program. The casting activity and event registration was coordinated by premed students from SUU.
Sevier Valley Hospital, Uintah Basin Medical Center and Ashley  Regional Medical Center set up displays and provided nursing staff to assist with the suturing activities. Support from the local hospitals proved to be critical in the planning and success of the events. Other displays were presented by the Utah Medical Education Council, Tri-County and Central Utah Public Health Departments and the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
Additional Health Careers Days are being planned for the coming school year.
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| Staff Highlight |
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Director Receives Recognition
 Advising and helping students get into medical, dental, pharmacy and other graduate level health programs is what Rita Osborn, Associate Center Director, is all about. Rita developed the Utah Rural Scholars Program in response to a challenge to increase the number of SUU students admitted to medical schools. Since implementing the program in 2004, medical school admissions have increased sharply with 23 admitted so far this year, out of 25 applicants. She is still holding out hope for the remaining two!
Rita's success has not gone unnoticed. She was recently invited to present at a conference of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions. Her presentation, Utah Rural Health Scholars Program: Promoting Reflection and Cultural Awareness Among Rural Applicants, highlighted the growth of the program and the impact it is having on increasing the number of successful medical school applicants at SUU.
Rita was recently recognized as the SUU Advisor of the Year and was also named the SUU 2009 Service-Learning Fellow at a ceremony in the Gilbert Great Hall. As part of the medical school application process, students must demonstrate community service, exposure to the medical environment, leadership and cultural awareness. Rita has created opportunities for her students through the development of cultural imersion trips and a volunteer program that includes the Cedar City Low Income Clinic, a clinic that she developed and coordinates. Congratulations, Rita!
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