Rural Community Health, MS

This 30 hour degree program is designed to provide some of the tools necessary for future rural Alabama physicians to become community health leaders. The program teaches principles of rural public health as a basis for community health leadership, characteristics of rural health concerns and approaches to biomedical science study. The curriculum is combination of Basic Science Courses, Rural Primary Care discussions, activities, visits and an introduction to basic clinical medicine through didactic sessions, clinical simulations and shadowing with physicians. It will help prepare them to lead in the development and maintenance of community health center practices and other health care practices. There are two concentrations: Rural Medical Scholars and Rural Community Health Scholars.Each track within the program - the Rural Medical Scholar (RMS) and Rural Community Health Scholar (RCHS) tracks - require a minimum of 30 credit hours to complete. The RMS track is a one-year program, and the RCHS track is a two-year program. All students will complete a set of common core courses, plus the additional core courses and approved electives within their respective tracks. Students who complete the first year of RCHS track and are accepted into the RMS track in spring of year one will complete the RMS track core curriculum and approved electives in year two. Students who complete the first year of RCHS and are NOT accepted or choose not to apply or enroll into the RMS track will complete the remaining RCHS core curriculum in year two.