Program Description

CRISP is a comprehensive program that focuses on rural medicine throughout medical school. Rural elements are then embedded in the medical education through mentorships, seminars, research, and electives. Required clerkships lay the foundation for developing skills necessary to succeed as a rural practitioner. Graduates are expected to practice in an eligible community in Iowa for a minimum of five years after they complete a qualifying residency.

CRISP Overview

Purpose of the CCOM Rural Iowa Scholars Program:

To attract, educate and inspire future rural physicians who will help Iowa meet its need for health care in rural areas of the state. The program ensures participants gain the breadth and depth of experience and knowledge to maximize the likelihood of a successful career in rural medicine. This program focuses on the following medical education program core competency and medical education program objective (SBP01):

System Based Practice (SBP). Develop a system-based practice approach to patient care as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of, and responsiveness to, the larger context of health care. This includes developing skills to effectively call on system resources to provide optimal health.

  • SBP01 Understand factors that affect access to and delivery of healthcare and the patient-doctor relationship including cultural, environmental, socioeconomic, policies, financing and healthcare systems.

CCOM Rural Iowa Scholars Program Learning Objectives:

  • Gain experience with the specific health care needs of a rural patient population
  • Apply knowledge and skills gained in medical school to the rural setting
  • Explain the challenges of healthcare delivery within a rural setting

Establishing Community Connections

Shadowing experience with a physician in a rural community:

  •   2 days during M1 year

Mentorship:

Students match with a physician mentor early in their medical school training. CRISP students are encouraged to seek mentorship through Early Clinical Experiences (ECEs), MECO, local/hometown providers, and other physician relationships. CRISP students will identify their CRISP mentor by spring of their M2 year. Interactions will include shadow experiences and discussions regarding career planning, especially during the final year of medical school.

Medical Education in Community Orientation (MECO) program:

During the summer after the first year, students will participate in a Medical Education in Community Orientation program in a rural setting. In this program, students are immersed in the medical community, spending 4 – 12 weeks in an Iowa community hospital observing and working with physicians.

Field Experience:

Students will participate in field experiences in rural medicine including relevant public health concerns in rural medicine.

Ensuring Classroom Relevance

Relevant courses:

CRISP students will complete the Rural Health and Agricultural Medicine elective course or similar offering.

Seminar series:

Monthly Seminars/Lunch & Learns – required attendance during M1 and Fall M2 years of medical school. Hour long seminars are usually held once a month over the noon hour and will introduce various topics related to rural medicine, specialty selection, and career planning.

Building Clinical Experiences

Clerkships:

CRISP students will complete 4-week clerkships at a rural site in both Primary Care and Family Medicine during the 3rd year. During the 4th year CRISP students will complete a 4-week Rural Medicine Elective clerkship.

Breadth of knowledge:

During the 3rd year, CRISP students will complete no fewer than 8 weeks of selectives in Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Urology, Electrocardiography, and Laboratory Medicine.

Contributing to Medical Knowledge

CRISP students will begin a community-based project during their 2nd year of medical school. This project will continue through the 3rd and 4th year of medical school culminating in a Rural Capstone research project and presentation.

Establishing Wider Professional Connections

Students will be encouraged to participate in state, regional, and/or national conferences associated with rural healthcare throughout their education. The research projects completed by students may be submitted for poster sessions or presentation at such conferences.

Iowa Associations & Conferences

National Associations & Conferences

Curriculum