March 7, 2024
The College of Community Health Sciences’s Rural Medical Scholars and Rural Dental Scholars participated in a Rural Health Policy Institute Conference in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12-15 to learn more about providing access to health care for rural Alabamians.
The 35th annual conference was hosted by the National Rural Health Association, a national nonprofit organization that provides leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education and research.
The scholars talked with United States representatives and senators from Alabama and listened to topics on workforce development and medical technology needs for health care providers.
Kayla Harris, a Rural Medical Scholar, said attending the conference was a great experience. “I was able to learn more about other rural towns in the United States and how they are handling health disparities present within their community,” she said. “The conference allowed us to network with attendees and visit places such as Capitol Hill and the White House.”
The conference also allowed the scholars to observe first-hand the importance of communicating with elected officials about resources and strategies to help improve health care access in rural Alabama.
The Rural Medical Scholars Program is exclusively for rural Alabama students and includes a year of study, after students receive their undergraduate degree, that leads to a master’s degree in rural community health and early admission to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
The Rural Dental Scholars Program is a separate admissions pathway to the UAB School of Dentistry specifically for students from rural Alabama. The program includes a year of study and a master’s degree in rural community health at CCHS, after students receive their undergraduate degree, and early admission to the UAB School of Dentistry.
