TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Thirty-five high school students from rural Alabama participated in summer programs at the College of Community Health Sciences to learn about the need rural communities have for more doctors, dentists and other health care professionals.
Through the Rural Health Scholars Program, Rural Dental Health Scholars Program and Medical Opportunities and Outreach in Rural Education Scholars Program, all part of CCHS’s Rural Health Leaders Pipeline, the students spent five weeks on the UA campus taking college courses for credit, shadowing physicians and learning how to prepare to enter health professions education and training.
The Rural Health Leaders Pipeline was created to address the shortage of primary care physicians in rural Alabama. The nationally recognized pipeline includes a sequence of programs from high school through medical school that recruits students from rural Alabama who are interested in health care careers and working as health care professionals in rural communities.
The Rural Health Scholars Program provides opportunities for rising high school seniors to pursue careers in medicine. Students take college courses, participate in seminars with practicing health care professionals and visit health-care facilities.
Rural Health Scholars:
- Lauren Barnett, Morgan County
- Emily Blakely, Elmore County
- Kendal Davis, Morgan County
- LaTara Dumas, Butler County
- Sophia Hall, Baldwin County
- Delanie Heath, Dale County
- Avery Hice, Cullman County
- Andrew Hopper, Etowah County
- Lindsey Johnson, Autauga County
- Amari Long, Colbert County
- Emily Lynn, Jackson County
- Kayla Moore-Jones, Marengo County
- Kimora Moore-Jones, Marengo County
- Jon Murray, Monroe County
- Alden O’Connor, Pike County
- Kendall Phillips, Jackson County
- Constance Sloan, Tallapoosa County
- Brennon Stevison, Choctaw County
- Marcy Strange, Etowah County
- William Streetman, Marion County
- JaTaviah Tarver, Bullock County
- Joshua Terry, Dale County
- Katherine Walker, Walker County
The Rural Dental Health Scholars Program is for students between their junior and senior years of high school who have an interest in practicing rural dentistry. Students take college courses, visit health care facilities and participate in community engagement projects and seminars about health care topics.
Rural Dental Health Scholars:
- Hudson Hutcheson, Franklin County
- Landon Listoe, Houston County
- Jackquelyn Zepeda, Blount County
The Medical Opportunities and Outreach in Rural Education Scholars Program, or MOORE, is for high school seniors who plan to enter college in the next academic year. Students take college courses, participate in seminars, visit health care facilities and shadow physicians and other health-care professionals.
MOORE Scholars:
- Blanca Alarcon, Marengo County
- Omar Baltazar, DeKalb County
- Chloe Denson, Covington County
- Esperanza Galvan, Marengo County
- Kourtni Jackson, Hale County
- Trinity Johnson, Clarke County
- Arreonna Lopez, Conecuh County
- Kennedi Rollins, Hale County
- Allison Steinburg, Clarke County
The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state’s flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides a forward-thinking environment and over 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus. A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. As the state’s largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.
Contact
Kandis Snyder, UA College of Community Health Sciences, kasnyder2@ua.edu
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