Search Results for: REHPS

Small towns make a big impact.” I applied to the REHPS program in hopes to learn more about rural health and that is exactly what I experienced. I was placed in Platte, SD a town of about 1,200 people and I stayed with a local family in their guest house. My preceptor was Tia Hanes who graduated from the USD physician assistant program about 8 years ago and has worked in Platte since. I traveled to other small communities nearly every day to provide health care. I traveled to White Lake, SD and Geddes, SD. Those small clinics are where…

Read More

  My experience at Monument Health Sturgis Hospital in Sturgis, SD presented an amazing, eye-opening, and exceptionally valuable opportunity to learn more about rural healthcare! I hoped to participate in this program as I grew up in a small town and have always been interested in pursuing a career in a rural area. As I am going into the occupational therapy profession, I only have a general understanding of those I work with most often, such as physical therapy, speech-language therapy, and nursing. However, there are numerous others I was able to encounter over my four weeks that increased my…

Read More

Growing up in the small community of Herreid, SD, and after experiencing life in bigger cities in South Dakota, I clearly see that rural living is the life for me. I was fortunate to be accepted in the FARM program and spend my first year of clinicals in Mobridge, SD, which only solidified my desire to work as a rural family medicine physician. Nevertheless, after receiving an email explaining the REHPS program, I thought it would be interesting to experience healthcare in other rural settings and be able to see the similarities and differences in duties that family medicine physicians…

Read More

The REHPS experience has impacted my student career in ways I did not think were possible. I set out a goal of obtaining a more holistic view of the healthcare system, and I was able to achieve that to the fullest degree. My partner in this experience was a fourth-year med student from whom I learned a ton from. On the first day of our experience, we introduced ourselves and gave our numbers to the different departments in the hospital, ranging from radiology to the emergency department. This allowed us to be in contact with the majority of the hospital…

Read More

The rural health experience at Huron Regional Medical Center was exceptional. My partner, Trent, and I were able to engage the community with ease as a result of their hospitality. We also saw fantastic pathology and participated in care to such a degree that the learning experience was quite valuable. I would recommend the experience to any of my classmates considering a summer learning opportunity. My favorite part of the rotation was simply the experience of developing relationships with the staff at Huron Regional and floating between departments to serve. Friendships gained over the course of a month made goodbyes…

Read More

My experience in Martin exceeded all expectations. They have you jump into action the first day you arrive in Martin. I was able to strengthen my skills and learn many new ones. My time at Bennett County Hospital will forever be something I cherish. I got so much experience and exposure in my three weeks that I now see how special and valuable rural medicine is. Everyone works together as a team and many people wear multiple hats throughout the facility. An experience I will carry with me forever is the hardships of living in a rural community. Everyday we…

Read More

Before starting my REHPS experience at Martin I didn’t really know what to expect. When I arrived at the Bennett County Hospital all of the staff was very friendly and welcoming. The facility is a hospital, nursing home, and rural health clinic all connected in the same building. I didn’t have much hospital pharmacy experience prior to starting the REHPS program. After the first few days at the Bennett County Hospital, I could tell that this experience was going to be a great opportunity to grow as a learner. This experience has allowed me to see and learn about a…

Read More

My first year as a PA student we learned about the REHPS program, and I instantly knew that I wanted to be involved. Growing up in the Martin community I understood some of the challenges the come with working in a rural area, but I also knew that I would never truly appreciate those challenges until I was facing them. I immediately signed up for the program and hoped to return to Martin for this program, which I was fortunate enough to have happen. I had just finished a rotation at Bennett County Hospital in Martin before starting the REHPS…

Read More

Huron is a town I have traveled to on occasion when visiting extended family for holidays, birthdays, and spending time at the state fair. Over the past month, I have been blessed to see and experience a completely different side of Huron, South Dakota. I witnessed a personal and interconnected healthcare team that thrived in how they aspired to lead their community. This team believed and worked toward achieving high standards through engaging in public health and helping individuals in their own journeys of health and wellness. While at the Huron regional hospital, I was welcomed by multiple departments throughout…

Read More

The 4-week REHPS experience in Huron was primarily Dr. Loewen, a well-respected family medicine doctor as well as following case managers of IMPACT, a division of community counselling services. Following Dr. Loewen, I learned how to bring a smile and positive attitude to each patient encounter, from opening the door all the way to thanking the patient for coming in. I witnessed what 30 years in family medicine with OB can create – a close-nit community where you take care of the family with each encounter, rather than the just address the chief complaint. IMPACT and Outpatient counseling showed me…

Read More