The Tuscaloosa Rural Pre-Medical Internship (TRPI) celebrates its fifth year of preparing future rural physicians through clinical experiences, skills training and mentorship, said Candace Lacey, Rural Programs coordinator for the College of Community Health Sciences.
Established in 2021 as part of the CCHS Rural Health Leaders Pipeline, TRPI was created to encourage university students from rural Alabama to pursue careers in medicine and return to practice in their communities.
The pipeline is a sequence of programs from high school through medical school that recruits students from rural Alabama who are interested in becoming physicians and other health care professionals in rural communities.
“We are proud of the success and accomplishments of our students over the years,” Lacey said.
The College recently welcomed 10 students to this year’s TRPI program.
The seven-week program allows students to learn about the health needs of rural Alabama residents, particularly in the specialties of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Students also gain a better understanding of the day-to-day life of family physicians. In addition, the program seeks to enhance their understanding of medical school and increase their competitiveness for admission.
The students also receive interactive, hands-on training in clinical skills such as suturing or stitching wounds, basic life support and blood pressure assessment.
In addition, the program also provides mentorship in medical school preparation, including guidance for the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT.
To be eligible for TRPI, students must have completed four semesters of undergraduate coursework, earned an overall GPA in the B range or higher and scored at least 22 on the ACT or 1200 on the SAT. Only rural Alabama residents are accepted.
Visit the CCHS Rural Programs website to learn more about TRPI.
The 2026 TRPI Class
- Arlie Armstrong of Hatton
- Benjamin Bruce of Collinsville
- Evelyn Carroll of Haleyville
- Katey Glass of Linden
- Tailan Hall of Tanner
- Cheryl Harden of Tuskegee
- Mason Miller of Springville
- Aaron Peck of Killen
- Samuel Segarra of Deatsville
- Jack Simmons of Geneva