Published in The Pride of the Prairie newspaper
Bowdle to host health professions students in 2019 For the sixth consecutive year, Bowdle is welcoming health professions students for a four-week rural health experience.
Christian Cox, University of South Dakota (USD) physician assistant student from Aberdeen, SD, and South Dakota State University (SDSU) pharmacy student Tristan Wieseler from Wynot, NE, will follow providers at Bowdle Healthcare Center starting May 13th. Bowdle joins 14 other South Dakota communities selected to participate in Rural Experiences for Health Professions Students (REHPS). REHPS communities must have populations under 14,000 people and house a critical access hospital.
The program is designed to bring health professions graduates to rural South Dakota for rewarding careers. In its ninth year, REHPS will bring 30 students to 15 South Dakota communities. Each community hosts two students from different areas of healthcare who were selected through a competitive process. The REHPS program began in 2011, when three communities welcomed six students. Students are inspired by the experience, due in large part to the host communities, and their professionals’ mentoring skills.
“Dr. Kessler is an excellent provider and an amazing preceptor. I appreciated how she always took the time to explain certain conditions and her thought processes. I felt like a sponge soaking up all the knowledge and experience she shared with me. Her advice regarding medical school, residency, and medicine in general shaped how I want to practice as a future physician,” said medical student Nicole Clemen about her experience last year in Bowdle with SDSU pharmacy student Monica Pillatzki. The 2019 REHPS communities are: Bowdle, Britton, Burke, Chamberlain, Hot Springs, Huron, Martin, Miller, Parkston, Platte, Redfield, Scotland, Sisseton, Sturgis, and Winner. The REHPS program connects interprofessional groups of students enrolled in clinical psychology, family nurse practitioner, medical, medical laboratory science, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and social work programs at SDSU and USD.
“When selecting a site to host REHPS students, we look for a facility interested in the education of health professions students along with an understanding of the importance of giving them a first-hand look at how rewarding a career in rural medicine can be. We are also looking for vibrant and active communities who will welcome students and hopefully entice them to return when they are finished with their education. I would encourage families willing to host students for dinner or a family outing to contact the facility to make those arrangements,” said Cheri Buffington, REHPS Program Director. REHPS receives funding from the Office of Rural Health/South Dakota Department of Health and is managed by the Yankton Rural Area Health Education Center.