The Rural Health Equity Track prepares residents to be leaders in improving rural health care. Through a customizable community focus and emphasis on health equity, RHET prepares residents for rural practice and rural health advocacy. The program facilitates rural rotations and resident engagement in rural Wisconsin communities. RHET residents gain skills to help patients with needs that otherwise might go unmet in rural communities, such as medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
RHET Residents fully participate in the Madison residency curriculum, which emphasizes broad skills, including OB, ICU care, and strong elective options. They attend the same didactic sessions and participate in rotations through St. Mary’s, UW, and Meriter Hospitals. Two resident physicians join the RHET each year through a post-match selection process.
Benefits of RHET Participation
- Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) Leadership
- A leadership curriculum deepening the residents’ understanding of rural health issues and avenues for improving rural health and rural health care
- Connecting the residents with mentors and organizations that will further their lifelong involvement as rural health advocates (e.g. NRHA meetings, steering committee mentors)
- Practice preparation
- Full participation in the Madison residency which already emphasizes broad skills (e.g. OB, ICU care, strong elective options)
- Regular participation in a rural free clinic and critical access hospital work in the R2 and R3 years
- Mental Health and AODA training including training as MOUD prescribers
- Customizable community focus
- RHET residents who have – or wish to develop – connections with a specific Wisconsin rural community (i.e. potential future practice site) can have more of their rural rotations and community projects in that community
