MEDIA ADVISORY
CONTACT: Melissa Powell, College of Medicine
850-645-9699; melissa.powell@med.fsu.edu
May 31, 2018
BUS TRIPS GIVE FSU MEDICAL STUDENTS GLIMPSE OF RURAL MEDICINE
First-year College of Medicine students will board buses on Friday and fan out across North Florida to explore rural health care as part of the Florida State University College of Medicine Rural Learning Experience (RuLE), sponsored by the Florida Blue Foundation. The project aims to increase students’ familiarity with rural health — and the possibility that they’ll practice rural medicine — by exposing them early to rural communities and health providers.
This year, four buses will depart, each with 30 first-year medical students, first-year physician assistant students, several graduate students, plus faculty and staff from the College of Medicine. The destinations are Cairo, Georgia; Crawfordville, Medart and Panacea in Wakulla County, Florida; Marianna, Florida; and Quincy, Florida.
In addition to visiting rural hospitals, health departments and medical practices, students will meet and hear from primary-care physicians (including College of Medicine alumni), nurse practitioners, administrators, community members and leaders, and second-year medical students who participated in the 2017 RuLE. Bus trips will take place:
FRIDAY, JUNE 1
INTERVIEW AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 7:45 A.M. UNTIL 8:15 A.M.
FSU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
1115 W. CALL ST., TALLAHASSEE, FLA.
(All buses expected to return around 3:45-5:30 p.m.)
Directions: From downtown, travel west on Tennessee Street and turn left on Stadium Drive. The College of Medicine is at Stadium and Call Street. Press parking will be available by RSVP.
TO INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES
Join the groups between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in any of the towns. Call or text a trip coordinator in the town of your choice:
CAIRO: Karen Myers, 850-545-5679
WAKULLA: Terri Johnson, 850-544-0022
MARIANNA: Anthony Speights, 850-272-6626
QUINCY: Susan LaJoie, 850-294-1450
Visit Rural Medical Programs for more on the rural health programs.
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