Story by Amy Turner, Staff writer

Photo courtesy of Bryn Vance

College curricula place a great deal of emphasis on hands-on learning methods. Five students studying on the pre-medicine track got to participate in one such hands-on program this summer. The Rural Health Scholars Program is sponsored by the Purchase Area Health Education Center, housed in the University’s School of Nursing and Health Professions.

The mission of the Purchase Area Health Education Center is to “connect students with careers, professionals with the community and the community with better health.”

Each summer since 2007, five students have received the opportunity to go through the four or five week program with the goal of introducing them to health care options in western Kentucky.

“Our main goal is to expose students to health care. Hopefully they will come back and practice in this area,” Shanna Burgess, Purchase Area Health Education Center outreach coordinator, said.

Burgess said she enjoys the experience of seeing students react to what they are learning and share their excitement after days of work.

“One of my favorite parts is seeing students interact with the community,” Burgess said. “And hearing their stories about practicing medicine.”

During the program students get the opportunity to shadow in a rural hospital in western Kentucky, observe proceedings at bigger hospitals in Murray and Paducah, help with free health screenings for two different counties and visit various other health care facilities available in Kentucky. The group also completes a community service project and tours schools of medicine.

Bryn Vance, senior from Buffalo, New York, completed the program this summer. She said she admired the vast opportunities for many different kinds of health care that were presented to the students.

“We weren’t just put in specialties that we were interested in, but we were put in a lot of specialties where we had no idea that they existed.” Vance said.

Vance enjoyed her shadowing assignment because it taught her a lot about practicing medicine.

“My favorite part was shadowing Dr. Lurch,” said Vance. “He just started practicing a few years ago so he’s pretty young. He was really easy to learn from and a good teacher.”

In the coming year, the program is going to become two years long instead of the traditional month. For more information on the program contact Shanna Burgess at 270-809-4123.