Caring for the Country: Family Doctors in Small Rural Towns / Edition 1

by Howard K. Rabinowitz

Overview

Medical students lack role models in rural primary care, contributing to the shortage of family care physicians in rural areas. This book addresses that need by profiling graduates from the Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP) of Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, who now practice rural family medicine. The text challenges pre-med undergraduates, medical students, and family physicians to consider rural family practice and is an excellent resource for pre-med and medical school advisors. In-depth profiles reveal the everyday reality of the physician shortage through poignant stories and candid dialogue. They cover the social and professional issues that rural family physicians face, highlighting topics such as the meaning of rural family practice, the roles of medical schools and hospitals, health care policy, rural obstetrics, and telemedicine. The concluding chapter summarizes the professional and personal lessons learned and outlines the future of rural family practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387209784
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	05/26/2004
Edition description:	2004
Pages:	262
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction.- 2. Brockway, Pennsylvania.- 3. Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania.- 4. Ovid, New York.- 5. Boswell, Pennsylvania.- 6. Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.- 7. Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.- 8. Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.- 9. Morehead City, North Carolina.- 10. Bedford, Pennsylvania.- 11. Corry, Pennsylvania.- 12. Caring for the Country.- Epilogue.- References.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Donald R. Frey, MD (Creighton University Medical Center)
Description: This unique book describes the multiple facets of life as a rural family doctor through the stories of 10 graduates of the Jefferson Medical College's program to train and place physicians in underserved rural areas.
Purpose: The book tells the stories of how real individuals have worked to meet the healthcare needs of an often ignored segment of our population. With each passing year, the needs of rural America continue to get shuffled to the back of the healthcare deck, as high-tech breakthroughs grab the headlines. This work rightfully refocuses our attention on what medicine is all about.
Audience: This work will be enjoyed by all readers. Physicians will find it inspiring, and the public will learn of the unique problems faced by rural physicians. The author is a distinguished family medicine educator who has been intimately involved with the program that developed the physicians described in the stories.
Features: Each chapter describes the backgrounds, motivations, and practice lives of a rural physician practicing in the rural east. The men and women represent many backgrounds and practice styles. What they all share is a love for rural America, their community, and most of all, their patients.
Assessment: This is not a standard book that will teach new techniques or add clinical knowledge. It will, however, inform and inspire. I would recommend it highly to all readers, especially those physicians experiencing "burn-out" or otherwise questioning their calling to medicine. This book will set them back on the right path.

Doody's Review Service

From the reviews:

"A collection of experiences in the lives of 10 family physicians working and living in small rural towns. … Recommended Readership: Family physicians, residents, and medical students who are interested in the specialty of family medicine." (Matthew E. Bernard, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Vol. 80 (4), April, 2005)

From the Publisher

3 Stars from Doody