Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP)

Third-year medical student, Ashlyn Jenc, is gearing up to begin her RPAP experience in Staples, MN! 📍 Excited to immerse herself in the community and build meaningful relationships, Ashlyn looks forward to experiencing the full-circle moment of becoming RPAP to a participant. Read more here: bit.ly/4dBSZiu.

Dr. Jakub Tolar, Dean of the Medical School, recently visited Alomere Health in Alexandria, MN. Read his letter to learn more about his insightful visit!

From the letter:
“During my time there, I learned about Alomere Health's vital role in shaping the educational experiences of our students through the University's Rural Physician Associate Program.”

Letter: Alexandria is well served by care delivered by Alomere Health From the letter: During my time there, I learned about Alomere Health's vital role in shaping the educational experiences of our students through the University’s Rural Physician Associate Program.

Dr. Jakub Tolar, Hodan Hachi and Dr. Kirby Clark visited Sleepy Eye Medical Center and heard about the breadth of services the medical team is providing in Sleepy Eye, including obstetrical care, cesarean sections, endoscopy, inpatient, outpatient and emergency department care provided by their group of family physicians - many who trained with the University of Minnesota! An inspiring visit with folks who clearly love and serve their community!

Rural Physician Associate Program brings medical students into smaller communities during education Medical student Nyika Friberg's passion for rural health care is ignited by the University of Minnesota's program in Winona Health.

Thank you to our incredible preceptors who made our 2023-2024 program a success!

This year we were delighted to award these preceptors, who were nominated by students for their exceptional work and dedication to teaching:

RPAP Primary Preceptor: Dr. Peter Schill, MD

MetroPAP Primary Preceptor: Dr. Shannon Neale

RPAP/MetroPAP Specialty Preceptor: Dr. Andrea Patten, MD

RPAP/MetroPAP Specialty Preceptor: Dr. Nersi Nikakhtar, MD

SFV Faculty Award: Dr. Katti Woerner, DO

Congratulations to our RPAP/MetroPAP Class of 2023-2024! 🎓

Last Friday, we celebrated the culmination of another successful year with our Community Health Poster Session, where our dedicated students showcased their impactful projects. We're incredibly proud of their hard work, growth, and meaningful contributions to their sites and patients.

A special shoutout to our exceptional scholarship recipients, Gabbie Gervais-Maynard (Birkey Scholarship) and Austen Ott (Aelony Scholarship).

And congratulations to our student award winners, Nyika Friberg (RPAP) and Lauren Vasilakos (MetroPAP), recognized for their outstanding work by their preceptors.

Former RPAP Preceptor, Dr. John McCabe, has been awarded Educator of the Year by The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. McCabe has been an incredible asset to our program, leading with commitment and passion. Congratulations Dr. McCabe!

“I frequently encounter resident [physicians] who have worked with [McCabe]. They all have the same response—he has been a major influence in their lives. Many credit him with why they feel family medicine is so meaningful & why they come to work every day to fulfill that same goal for their patients. He is an outstanding example of a teacher, a mentor & what it means to be a family physician" (David Rushlow, MD, chair of family medicine, Mayo Clinic Midwest).

Read more about Dr. John McCabe and his honor here: mafp.org/news/673166

Congratulations to Courtney Horton, MD, former RPAP student, on receiving The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Medical Student Leadership Award!

One nominator wrote: “In all my years of community organizing, Courtney stands out as one of the most remarkable individuals I have encountered. From the outset, Courtney demonstrated an unparalleled passion for women’s health that was both inspiring & uplifting…& an unwavering dedication to addressing health care disparities.”

Read more about Courtney Horton and this honor at mafp.org/news/673163

La Clinica MetroPap student, Miranda Harris, spent her childhood navigating between cultures—an experience that shaped her worldview and ultimately put her on a path toward a career in medicine. Now she is on a mission to reduce health disparities through primary care.

“I feel immensely privileged to receive such excellent preparation to enter the field of medicine,” Miranda says, “while also having time to engage in ways that support the communities that I came from.” Read more about Miranda’s story here: https://give.umn.edu/stories/culturally-informed-health-care

This week Willmar RPAP student, Austen, spoke at a U of M Foundation event for the new Saint Cloud Campus. Austen spoke about growing up in rural Indiana and seeking out the University of Minnesota Medical School, specifically for the opportunity to be part of the RPAP program. They were a great representative of our program, sharing about their positive experience with RPAP and plans to pursue family medicine. Way to go Austen!

Dr. Joe Renier, RPAP preceptor in New Richmond, WI, went above and beyond to fulfill his patient's final wish - performing a fetal ultrasound to reveal the gender of her grandchild before she passed away. Click the article to read more about this moving story.

Doctor helps fulfill Wisconsin grandmother's dying wish: "It's something I'll remember forever"

Last night was the UMN Medical School Dean's Tribute to Excellence in Education, and both MetroPAP and our education team were represented! Congratulations to MetroPAP preceptor Dr. Leonardsmith on receiving the Exceptional Primary Care Community Faculty Teaching Award, and congratulations to our education coordinator, Laurel, on receiving the Service to Learners Award! Dr. Leonardsmith is pictured below with Laurel as well as nominating student Miranda. Congratulations!

The family of former RPAP preceptor Dr. Roger MacDonald, who passed away at age 99 last June 2023, would like to invite former colleagues and students to attend a memorial service in Grand Marais, MN on May 18, 2024 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 11:00am. Please feel free to share this information with anyone who may be interested in attending and remembering Dr. MacDonald.

Dr. MacDonald was a rural physician from 1948 to 1980, when he became associate director of the RPAP program. In 1972, he became one of the first RPAP preceptors at his practice in Grand Marais. His daughter shared that her father's involvement with the medical school at the end of his career meant the world to him.

You can read our feature on Dr. MacDonald in our newsletter from September 2022: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l4a9b4Iwc8R1VjDGBe7X_IlGFOB93oqZ/view

RPAP/MetroPAP faculty member Dr. Javad Keyhani recently passed his Addiction Medicine Board Exams and is now an addiction medicine specialist. Congratulations, Dr. Keyhani! We are grateful to have his expertise to complement the addiction medicine training that RPAP and MetroPAP students receive each program year.

Congratulations to Austen (RPAP, Willmar) and Vineet (MetroPAP, Broadway) on their recent appointments with the AAFP! We are proud of our students' leadership!

Two University of Minnesota medical students were recently appointed to commissions with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Congratulations to Austen Ott and Vineet Raman!

|

This January, three of our RPAP students got to do some traveling up north! They braved the cold to do some ice fishing in Ontario and visit the Northwest Angle, the northernmost point in the contiguous U.S.A.!

We enjoyed seeing some of our accepted RPAP and MetroPAP students on the Twin Cities campus for an informal celebration yesterday! We look forward to gathering the full group soon. Congratulations to all of our incoming RPAP and MetroPAP students for 2024-2025!

Happy Monday! Here's a photo from one of our recent Specialty Faculty Visits in Austin, MN, home of the SPAM Museum!

Current RPAP student Elizabeth Edlund and RPAP/MetroPAP core faculty Dr. Sandy Stover, MD contributed to this article on "Resources for and barriers to maternity services for racial and ethnic minority patients in rural Minnesota." Congratulations, Elizabeth and Dr. Stover!

pubs.royle.com

Our latest newsletter is out! Check out photos from our end-of-year poster session in June and our program orientation in October. Read essays from Birkey and Aelony Scholarship recipients Emilie Mouritsen and Jadin Schiller. Don't miss our conversation with RPAP alum and Emergency Medicine resident Dr. Richard Campbell, MD.

Read the newsletter here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K-4yp3YZIAKppVgWhHsPGoLnYzBeJS-k/view?usp=sharing

Happy New Year! We love this article from Lakeview Clinic, Ltd. in Waconia, MN, where RPAP students have been training for more than 50 years. We are so grateful for our partners at Lakeview and for their dedication to our students!

Medical Students Experience Lakeview through RPAP Learn about the Lakeview Clinics long-time involvement with the Rural Physician Associate Program, a program for training U of M medical students.

Check out this feature on current MetroPAP student Miranda Harris, who received the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians' Medical Student Leadership Award! Congratulations, Miranda!

Miranda Harris Receives Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians’ Medical Student Leadership Award The Medical Student Leadership Award recognizes one student MAFP member for their involvement in family medicine and leadership activities.

Today is ! We are grateful for the dedicated healthcare providers serving rural communities in Minnesota and across the nation! Learn more at powerofrural.org.

On a visit to Staples this week, some of our team got to enjoy a local tradition with our students and preceptors: Lutefisk supper!

Happy Halloween from our MetroPAP students at Smiley's Family Medicine Clinic!

We enjoyed meeting with Duluth students today for an RPAP info session! Thanks to everyone who attended!

Remembering Dr. Leon Nesvacil, who was an early supporter of the St. John's Family Medicine Program and brought residents into his practice. Today, St. John's and Phalen Clinic are one of our MetroPAP sites. We thank Dr. Nesvacil for his dedication to medical education!

Obituary for Dr. Leon J. Nesvacil Nesvacil, Dr. Leon J. age 93, of Hugo, MN and formerly of Waunakee, WI passed away peacefully in Stillwater, MN on Thursday, September 21st, 2023. Preceded in death by his father, John; mother Clara; first wife of 50 years, Ruth Nesvacil; and his second wife of nearly 20 years, June (Romanik) Nesvac...

This poster by MetroPAP alumni Sydney and Hunter and faculty Dr. Javad Keyhani was presented at the Advances in Learning Health System Sciences Conference at the Union Depot in St. Paul! Congratulations to the team!