On a recent day before lunch, Morris took part in about 10 routine obstetrical appointments, measuring the growth of each fetus and listening to its heart. She did a couple of postpartum check-ups, several annual "well-woman" exams with Pap smears and breast exams, and a few first-time OB exams that included blood tests and ultrasounds. Altogether, she saw about 20 patients.

"That's pretty much an average morning, maybe a little light," Morris says. "I've done dozens and dozens of pelvic exams and Pap smears since I've been here. I bet I've seen and participated in 25 deliveries, which is a great experience. I feel confident I can walk into a room and do these exams. That's a great feeling for a student. This is making practice in a small or mid-size town more attractive."

Pediatrician Michelle Cebulko, a St. Joseph native, was one of the first MU students to go through the rural track program there. "I knew I wanted to come back to St. Joseph or a similar kind of town, but I wanted to see what it would be like first. It was a wonderful experience for me," she says. "You can see people from different walks of life, from towns without pediatricians. You feel they appreciate your service a lot."

After completing her residency at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City in 2000, Cebulko and her husband, Craig, who is also from St. Joseph, went straight back to their hometown. She immediately signed up to be a preceptor for the program.

"Being a preceptor keeps me on my toes," Cebulko says. "The students are doing their reading and often ask me about something rare. You have to be thinking about these things and keeping up to date."

Cebulko often sells her students on the advantages of living and working in a small community. "You live among your patients," she says. "You run into them at school or a baseball game or at Wal-Mart. I enjoy watching the children grow over time."

While Cebulko can tell that not every student she mentors is destined for rural practice, most are captivated by its attractions. "Many of them want to find out, 'How do I get a job in St. Joseph?' They fall in love with the place," she says. "I think they enjoy the community while they're here."

It's reactions like that that make Lowell Kruse, president of Heartland Health, a fan of the rural track program. "Anything we can do to build our own workforce, we're better off," he says.

Published by the Office of Research.

©2006 Curators of the University of Missouri. Click here to contact the editor.