MONTICELLO, FL — Future doctors are stepping out of the classroom and into rural communities to better understand the healthcare challenges facing small-town Florida.
- FSU medical students participate in a Rural Learning Experience in Jefferson County.
- Students tour local health facilities and community resources to understand public health needs.
- Watch the video below to find out how many physician assistant graduates stay and practice in Florida.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"It can be difficult sometimes for individuals to navigate the healthcare system," medical student Jade Hewitt said.
FSU medical students trade the classroom for a day in Jefferson County
I’m Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter, speaking with a future doctor about how this rural visit is reshaping her vision of where and how she wants to serve.
It’s called the Rural Learning Experience — a daylong immersion organized by the FSU College of Medicine, the Jefferson County Health Department, and the Monticello Chamber — to expose students to health care in small towns like Monticello.
From touring the Jefferson County Health Department to visiting downtown churches, food pantries, and historic buildings, students explored the many factors that influence care in rural communities.
Group leader Allison Justice, a practicing physician assistant and assistant professor at FSU, says bringing students face-to-face with health disparities in rural counties is a powerful teaching tool.
"It’s really important for our young healthcare providers, clinicians, to come out to rural counties to experience a rural county — to really look at the challenges, the disparities in health, disparities, and availability of healthcare providers and facilities," Justice said.
First-year medical student Jada Hewitt is a first-generation college graduate and now a first-generation medical student. After today’s tour, she says working in a rural community is a real possibility.
"I graduated as a public major, so it was very nice to see public health at such a community level. It’s important to know that even if you’re in a big city, there’s different types of communities that surround you," Hewitt said.
According to the Florida Physician Workforce Survey, counties like Jefferson average fewer than 10 doctors per 10,000 residents. With a population of just over 16,000, Jefferson likely has fewer than a dozen full-time physicians.
The day ended at Florida Georgia Citrus, a rural farm just outside town, where students heard from local leaders.
Justice says 77% of FSU physician assistant graduates go on to practice in Florida. She hopes immersive days like this one will inspire students to stay local.
In Monticello, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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