The Student Summit on Rural Health was a landmark collaboration among Arkansas’s three medical schools and a core initiative of the Rural Health Association of Arkansas (RHAA). The program brought together medical students involved in rural interest clubs from:
- Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Together, these future physicians explored the challenges, opportunities, and realities of practicing medicine in rural Arkansas.
Program Purpose & Impact
The Student Summit on Rural Health provided a dedicated forum for medical students to reflect on the roles they envisioned for themselves in rural communities. Participants discussed what an ideal rural community would look like and examined the professional and personal factors influencing rural medical practice.
Students also engaged directly with practicing rural physicians and medical school leadership, creating space for candid conversations about workforce challenges, patient care, and long-term sustainability in rural health care. The summit fostered collaboration across institutions and helped build a statewide network of rural-focused medical students — something that had not existed in this way before.
Summit Reports
The last report, published after our 2023 convening, captured the insights, experiences, and recommendations shared by participating students. We extend our sincere thanks to the medical students who generously contributed their perspectives. Their voices played a critical role in shaping ongoing efforts to strengthen rural medicine and expand access to high-quality health care in underserved Arkansas communities. This report is intended for:
- Rural health advocates and community leaders
- Health care organizations and policymakers
- Educators and administrators invested in rural workforce development
- Anyone committed to transforming rural health care in Arkansas
After the Spring 2023 Student Summit on Rural Health, participants took part in an immersive field trip across rural Arkansas. This experience allowed students to meet community leaders and tour clinics and hospitals they might one day serve, deepening their understanding of rural health systems, community needs, and the lived realities of rural practice. Communities visited included:
- Eureka Springs
- Berryville
- Harrison
- Marshall
- Augusta
- Forrest City
- Helena
Previous Student Summits
The first Student Summit on Rural Health was held in 2018, bringing together 51 medical students at the Institute. The program was initially proposed by student volunteers during the 2018 Rural Health Summit.
During that inaugural summit, students shared their perspectives on rural health challenges identified by previous working groups and discussed barriers they anticipated facing in rural medical practice. Speakers included a guest keynote, practicing rural health providers, and leaders from all three medical schools.
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