Page 5 - Sunflower Health Network - Newsletter Winter 2014

WINTER 2014 Page 5 practice as they prepare for entry into medical school. The program exposes students to the variety of health care services in rural areas, including hospital and office practice. During the junior and senior undergraduate years, scholars learn at the side of an assigned rural physician mentor in the region of his or her home community. A total of 200 hours are accumulated during the four semesters and one summer. Program eligibility requirements include being a Kansas resident with significant experience living in a rural community, an intention to practice medicine in rural Kansas, and evidence of the dedication and compassion necessary to be a competent and caring physician. Once in medical school, Scholars are eligible to apply for the Kansas Medical Loan Program. If the Scholar ultimately practices primary care medicine in an underserved area of Kansas, one year of the loan is forgiven for each year of eligible practice. The Scholars in Rural Health program was established in 1997. Since that time, 122 rural physicians have served as mentors for students in the program. Thirty‐one Scholars have completed their medical education and 28 (90%) practice in Kansas. Several have served as mentors for a younger generation of Scholars. Q&A with Drs. Bloesser and Dinkel Dr. Bloesser and Dr. Dinkel both finished their residency training at Wesley Family Medicine Residency program in June, 2013 and joined Heartland Health Clinic in Abilene, August 2013. Do you have a full practice in Abilene? Dr. Dinkel: Yes, I am fortunate to be practicing in a community where 3 physicians retired. This left a lot of patients without a a physician, which really helped build my practice from the beginning. As a new physician, I am still accepting new patients and hoping to grow my practice even more, but I definitely have a lot of already established patients and a busy work schedule. Dr. Bloesser: Yes, I have a full scope practice in Abilene. What do you enjoy most about your practice/patients? Dr. Dinkel: The variety of people I get to see and the variety of diseases or conditions I get to treat. I also really enjoy getting to know my patients beyond just their illnesses and get to know their family members, hobbies, work, etc. Dr. Bloesser: I enjoy seeing patients, caring for families and delivering babies. Do you enjoy being in a rural community? What about Abilene is appealing to you? Dr. Dinkel: Yes! I was born and raised in small town, Kansas. I always knew I would want to end up in a rural setting. I like the small town atmosphere. I like the community support. I enjoy being able to go places and see people I know and interact with them outside of work. I enjoy becoming a part of the community and being active in community events. Dr. Bloesser: I enjoy the quiet, lack of traffic and open space. How are your spouse’s adapting to life in Abilene? Dr. Dinkel: Very well. My husband grew up in Newton, KS. Although Abilene is quite a bit smaller, he has adjusted well to life in Abilene. He has enjoyed getting involved with our church, meeting our neighbors, and becoming an active member of the community. Dr. Bloesser: It is a little difficult to adapt to the small town when you are accustomed to larger communities. There are not as many activities to be involved in and it is difficult to get to know people outside of work. My husband works from home so it has been even more challenging for him. Continued on page 28