Medical students head to rural Kansas through STORM program
The summer elective pairs second-year medical students with rural physician mentors across Kansas.
Students in the University of Kansas School of Medicine’s Summer Training Option in Rural Medicine (STORM) program gathered on the Wichita campus on June 4 to begin an immersive clinical experience designed to introduce future physicians to the rewards and realities of rural health care.
The elective program provides second-year medical students from KU School of Medicine’s campuses in Kansas City, Salina and Wichita with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in rural medicine early in their medical education. Through STORM, students learn not only clinical skills, but also the dynamics of practicing medicine in communities where providers often serve a broad range of patient needs and play a vital role in the health of the region.
During orientation, students worked alongside KU School of Medicine faculty, residents, fellow students and rural physicians to strengthen their clinical skills in preparation for the four-week program.
laryngoscopy and non-invasive airway workshop.
Hands-on workshops covered a variety of essential clinical topics, including suturing and wound care, well visits, airway management and laryngoscopy, HEENT examinations, obstetric delivery and prenatal care, rapid response simulation training, musculoskeletal evaluations and joint injections, as well as proper gowning and gloving techniques.
On June 8, students traveled to their assigned rural communities across Kansas, where they will spend the summer working alongside volunteer physician preceptors and gaining valuable clinical experience through direct patient care.
“Students are eager to apply their skills and learn through immersive, hands-on patient care experiences that the rural experience provides,” said Neesa Butler, program manager for the Office of Rural Medical Education.
The STORM program offers students an early look at rural practice to help them build confidence in clinical settings, develop meaningful relationships with patients and communities and explore future career opportunities in underserved areas.
Research conducted by the STORM program has shown that students who participate are more likely to pursue primary care residencies and ultimately enter the rural health care workforce in Kansas, supporting ongoing efforts to address physician shortages in rural and underserved communities across the state.
