Frequently Asked Questions
How is The Ohio State University Rural Program related to the OSU-Rardin and OSU-Urban Family Practice Residencies?The Ohio State University Rural Program is a rural training track, and is integrated on several levels with the OSU-Rardin and OSU-Urban programs. Each program recruits students separately through the National Residency Matching Program and has a separate program number for the match. The three programs link up each Wednesday for Grand Rounds and teaching over a videoconference connection, and faculty from all three programs participate in the teaching of residents in both Columbus and Logan County.
Where do I live during residency training?Residents are expected to live in Logan County throughout the duration of their training. Taking hospital call from home requires that you live within 15 minutes of the hospital. Residents who live further from the hospital are required to spend nights on call in the hospital. During the months that first year residents are required to commute to Columbus, commuting expenses will be reimbursed and lodging is provided for those individuals wishing to periodically stay overnight.
Is a rural track residency the equivalent of residency training in a more traditional urban university or community hospital setting?It is certainly academically equivalent and possibly even superior, particularly when it comes to many procedural skills and learning that is relevant to hospital and office-based rural practice. In the more intimate rural setting, the relationship between faculty and learner is more like an apprenticeship. At rural sites, you are often the only learners present. In published research, students and residents training for longer periods in rural areas have equaled or outpaced their peers in all behavioral, procedural, and cognitive areas examined so far.
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Quotes from Program Graduates:
"The Rural (Program) combines the best of both of two worlds. Time spent at the university, in particular the medical and neonatal ICU, gives you experience handling the toughest cases that get referred to a tertiary care center. It gives you a great feeling of confidence. The rural portion gives you grounding in how practice is handled in the private sector or 'real world.' The combination offers a superb training opportunity."
"The integrated nature of the Rural Track mimics rural practice and the OB experience is terrific."
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What is it like to live and train in such a setting? Rural communities are no better or worse than urban areas. They are usually less costly, and often a bit friendlier. It may not be cosmopolitan, but rural living is certainly rich and full.
Rural training is about taking charge of the most important part of your medical career, your preparation for independent practice and life-long learning. Rural training requires active learners. These individuals desire the most relevant training location and curricula for subsequent practice, whether it be rural, procedurally-oriented, or "full-spectrum" (e.g. family practice obstetrics). They enjoy variety and welcome the challenges of learning in a rural location. They want to work closely with patients and faculty and are self-motivated to learn.
Will I see enough cases and get enough experience?Actually, residents in the rural program care for similar numbers of patients and variety of clinical conditions as residents in larger hospitals. In fact, they are usually the first physician on a case and get to make rare diagnoses and care for unusual clinical conditions. I like to tell students that “rare things commonly happen,” even in rural places, because there are so many rare things!
How does call work in such a small program?Residents in the Rural Program take call one night a week and every 5th Saturday during the months they are on rotation in Logan County. Many nights there is no resident on call, and on those nights and weekend days faculty take call by themselves. So if someone is on vacation, maternity leave, or away on elective, the other residents do not have to take more call. Sundays are a protected day for residents, and on Sundays faculty physicians take call.
For the 5 months over three years that residents spend on rotation in Columbus call is the same as for other OSU residents in Columbus.
How do I apply?
