Intervention Components of the Rural Medical Scholars Program (RMSP)
| Program Component | Track of Study | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Campus | Branch Campus | RMSP | |
| FM medical director | X | ||
| Pipeline recruitment programs* | X | ||
| Admissions programs | |||
| Regular committee | X | X | |
| Rural subcommittee† | X | ||
| Special requirements | |||
| 8 years in rural Alabama | X | ||
| FM/PC intent | X | ||
| GPA and MCAT thresholds‡ | X | ||
| Rural values/identity§ | X | ||
| Prematriculation Masters program | |||
| Biochemistry‖ | X | ||
| Rural Community Health¶ | X | ||
| Rural FM preceptor | X | ||
| Medical school location | |||
| Preclinical in Birmingham | X | X | X |
| Clinical in branch campus** | X | X | |
* Rural Health Scholars Program for high school students and Rural Minority Health Scholars Program for college students.
† Composed of one-third rural family physicians, one-third minority health professionals, and one-third branch campus faculty. A candidate is interviewed by one of each.
‡ Thresholds for grade point average (GPA) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) are 3.3 and 24, respectively.
§ Values and identity are assessed through interview.
‖ Two semesters of Biochemistry are included.
¶ Courses include Rural Occupational and Environmental Health, Rural Community Clinical Process, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Care Management, Behavioral Medicine, and Masters Major Paper.
** The 2 branch campuses emphasize family medicine (FM); the Birmingham campus emphasizes subspecialties and bench research.
PC, primary care.