Podcast Episode 6: The Integral Role of Rural Residency Programs

In episode 6 of Thalamus Grand Rounds, I enjoyed speaking with Lori Rodefeld, Director of Rural GME Development and Support for the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural GME (WCRGME), about the importance of rural residency and fellowship training programs.

Lori shared insights into:

• The impact of the impending physician shortage on rural programs and patient populations, and how rural programs can help mitigate the issue. 
• Misconceptions about rural programs, and why applicants should consider them.
• How programs can convey the resident experience through virtual recruitment.
• How hospitals can establish rural training programs.

When discussing how residents benefit from rural programs, Lori explained, “[It’s] a unique place to train because you get to practice your specialty in its fullest scope. If you’re family medicine, you're not just referring patients, you're doing procedures in clinic, you may have an opportunity to work in the emergency department, you may be able to deliver babies work in a hospital setting, you really get a chance to kind of maximize your practice and be the doctor that your community needs.”

Lori Rodefeld is the Director of Rural GME Development for a statewide collaborative in Wisconsin (WCRGME).  She provides Wisconsin rural hospitals with technical assistance in development of GME and supports urban programs interested in development of rural training or pathways.  In addition to the work at WCRGME, she has 10 years of experience in medical education leadership which includes serving as the Manager of Medical Education at the Monroe Clinic where she developed a rural family medicine residency, emergency medicine fellowship, hospitalist fellowship, and medical student program. 

To listen to Episode #6: The Integral Role of Rural Residency Programs ft. Lori Rodefeld, click here, or find Thalamus Grand Rounds on your favorite podcast platform.

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