National Rural Health Association Rural Medical Educators Special Interest Group
Conference Schedule for "Growing Our Own Future"
May 22-23, 2001 Dallas, TX at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Reunion
Purpose and format for the conference: The purpose of this working conference is to develop an agenda that includes both short and long-term goals that will help move rural medical education forward.
The concurrent sessions are structured such that participants have maximum time to share ideas and concerns about relevant topics. Each session will begin with a 10-minute overview of the topic, followed by time for brainstorming and issue development. Each group will be asked to come up with three priorities out of their discussion and put together short action plans for achieving those goals or addressing the concerns expressed.
On the second day, the entire group will hear short reports of the various smaller discussions and then vote on the topics presented. The outcomes of that vote will determine the agenda for rural health professions education for the next several years. Individuals will be asked to sign up to work on at least one identified priority topic area and time will be provided for the subgroups to meet and determine next steps.
Early activities May 21, notify rcbowman@atsu.edu if you would like to be included.
Tuesday, May 22, 2001
7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Registration
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Coffee Hour
9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Welcome and Overview
During this session, participants will receive a brief overview of the National Rural Health Association, explaining how rural medical educators can maximize their participation and influence within the association. They will also hear an overview of the state of rural health and the role for providers. The session will conclude with a discussion of the purpose of the conference and its expected outcomes.
10:30a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Break
10:45 to12:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions: RME‘s Role in Rural Workforce Pipeline
1. Who, what, why and how of RME—This session is designed to help folks who are new to the world of rural medical education or just need a review of the basics. It will cover: What is rural medical education? What are its components? Who are the players? How do they all interact? Why are there concerns about its future?
2. Filling the Pipeline With the Right Students—This session will discuss how to enhance the rural health profession’s pipeline—from grade school to residency—to ensure enough appropriately trained health providers are available to practice in rural areas.
3. Provider Retention—This session will look at provider retention issues focusing on the status of long-term retention in rural areas, factors that positively or negatively affect retention, and ways to enhance length of service in rural communities.
12:15 p.m. to -1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch with NRHA Leadership
1:30 p.m. to –3:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions: Integrating RME into the Community
1. Finding, Funding, Training and Keeping Preceptors and Faculty—This session will focus on the important role that community preceptors and faculty play in the rural medical education model. How do we find good preceptors, how to we effectively train them, and how do we find appropriate funding to ensure they can afford to maintain a commitment to community education?
2. Community-RME Relationships—This session will discuss how to gain buy-in from the community to support local training programs; what is the role and responsibility of the community in developing and maintaining these training sites; and what is the relationship between the university and the community?
3. Linking RME to Community Organizations —This session will look at community resources that are available to providers and rural training programs. Who are natural partners in a community? What other types of relationships and resources need to be cultivated? How is the best way to achieve those relationships? How can the community be used to support the health care providers?
3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions: Supporting and Enhancing Rural GME
1. Reimbursement Issues—This session will look at the various components and funding streams that finance graduate medical education and other health professions training. What is working? What does not work? How is rural training different from other training models? What are the special needs that exist for rural sites? How can these needs best be met?
2. Curriculum Development and Evaluation—This session will focus on the training needs for a student planning to enter a rural practice? Does the current curriculum meet their needs? What issues and concerns are not covered? How can the curriculum be changed to meet these needs? What resources are need to support these changes? Are there models in existence that can be replicated?
3. Future of Rural Medical Education (proposed addition) —This session will begin the work of setting the future course of rural medical education. Should educators depend on reforming medical schools? Does RME have needs that only dedicated medical schools can provide? How do we train the next generation of rural medical educators, in practice or in training programs?
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cash Bar Reception
Participants are invited to join their colleagues for short reception to enhance networking opportunities and to further the discussion begun during the day’s sessions.
Wednesday, May 23, 2001
7:15 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast/ Round Table Discussions
Time will be provided for individuals to engage in informal discussion and information sharing around specific topics. A sign-up list for topics will be available on the previous day.
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. General Session – Reports of Groups
During this general session, each of the eight groups from the previous day will present their priority topics and short action plans. Presentation will be no more than five minutes each with time for Q&A.
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Prioritize/Sign Up and Break
During this break, participant will be asked to vote for their top priorities from the list generated by the small groups. Participants will also be asked to sign up to work on one or more topics.
9:30 a.m. to Noon Develop Agenda/Business Meeting of SIG
During the first 45 minutes of this session, the RME Special Interest Group will have a business meeting to transact any necessary business. After that meeting, the results of the voting will be announced and task group assignments finalized. At the conclusion of the official portion of the meeting, these new task groups will be given time to meet to appoint chairs and plan next steps.
Noon Adjourn
Housing Information: same as in Annual Conference brochure
Transportation information: same as in Annual Conference brochure
Registration information:
Advance Registration (before May 9)
RME conference only: $200 (no distinction between member and non-member)
RME and NRHA Conference (members only): $590
RME and NRHA Conference (non-members): $650
(this represents a 25 percent savings on the registration for the NRHA conference).
Onsite registration:
RME only: $250
On-site fees for NRHA conference – no special price break.