Physicians and Mentors

Post-Graduate

• Provides incentives to rural preceptors in order to enhance their own satisfaction as rural practitioners and also recognizes the critical role faculty and preceptors have in providing meaningful RHI experiences for students.
• Partnership & Collaboration
• Mentor 1st & 2nd Year Medical Students
• Involvement with WVSOM RHI Events
• Financial incentives are available for RHI students who match with a primary care residency in West Virginia in an effort to keep them in the state where they can provide valuable services to patients.

Rural Practice

• The RHI program provides preceptors with continuing education opportunities for licensure requirements.
• Mentor 3rd & 4th Year Medical Students

Mentors

Student doctors selected for the Rural Health Initiative Program are matched with rural West Virginia physicians who serve as mentors. These physicians follow the student doctors through their clinical education and residency years.

Residents in the Mountain State Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions (MSOPTI) are also utilized as mentors.

• The RHI Mentor's role is to be a sponsor, a teacher/coach and a role model.
• The RHI Mentor Program connects our current students with doctors in their region. An RHI Mentor should portray qualities such as strong interpersonal communication skills, positive patient interactions, be a professional role model, have an active involvement within his/her community and be willing to assist the student's growth.
• Mentor report forms are collected on a monthly basis to document the interaction with the students and to track their continuing interest in rural primary care.