MEDI 296, the Rural Health Elective, is based on the rural health clinics held at Bloomer Hill. The purpose of this elective is to discuss topics and diseases that are frequently seen in rural health clinics.  The class meets once a month, usually the first week after the Bloomer Hill Clinic.

There are five major requirements for this elective:

1) class attendance
2) attendance of 6 clinics from June 2008-May 2009
3) one topic presentation
4) a journal
5) attendance of one community outreach event.

Attendance is mandatory for all courses.

At each meeting one or two students give a talk on the topic of the week. Handouts are necessary for this discussion.

Service Learning Journal
The journal should consist of 10 entries, each 1-2 pages in length. The content should reflect your experience working in the clinics. One entry should be an in-depth history about a patient that you have met and interviewed in the clinic. Another should be based on your non-clinic contact in the community. Examples of topics include:

• What does community service mean to me?
• What are the root factors leading to the common illnesses we see in clinic?
• What are the special challenges of working in a rural health clinic?