Internal Medical Rural Health Track Program - Dr. Jane Tuttle Shares Experience on Growth Within The Program

The Rural Health Track provides a dedicated track to residents with a desire to practice in a rural health setting and become leaders and advocates for rural healthcare. Residents learn how to function in resource limited areas and navigate the difficulties of practice in rural settings. The Rural Health Track stresses the development of comprehensive practice skills in several outreach sites in the heart of Appalachia.

Jane Tuttle, MD shared her experince within the Rural Health Track and how her personal values compelled her to partake in such an impactful program that is working to benefit the state of West Virginia. 

• Please tell me a little bit about yourself and your journey within the Rural Health Track. 

I was born and raised in a small rural town in West Virginia, where everybody knew each other and was willing to lend a helping hand to neighbors in need.  My father instilled in us the values of service to the local community and charity toward those less fortunate than ourselves. These are the values that compelled me to change careers and come back to West Virginia to pursue medicine as a vocation.   

I have since learned that as a rural state, most of WV is medically underserved and major health inequities exist as a result. I wanted to be part of the movement to address these inequities, so I applied to the Internal Medicine Rural Scholars program in medical school so I could learn more about the challenges of serving rural communities and to prepare myself for a future career in rural medicine. I realize that I may not be able to change the world, but I believe I can change the world for my patients in the rural community in which I live. 

• Please briefly describe the areas in which you have been placed throughout your time in the program. What can you tell me about each one in terms of differentially? (How do they compare to each other and how do they compare to a non-rural setting?) 

During my PGY-2 year, I completed a Hospitalist rotation at Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale, WV as part of the Rural Scholars program. As a community hospital, Reynolds has fewer specialty resources (such as ENT and Ortho) than tertiary care centers such as Ruby, so the Hospitalist staff performed more procedures and managed a broader scope of problems on their own as a result. Because of this, I learned a great deal about patient care during this rotation.  I also appreciated the “small-town” feel of a rural hospital, most all of the staff knew each other both personally and professionally, so the atmosphere was very warm and friendly.  

While in medical school, I rotated at a remote rural outpatient clinic in Franklin WV, which sparked my interest in rural medicine and the Rural Scholars program at WVU.   

• In your own opinion, how has/is this program impacting the state of West Virginia? 

I think that one of the biggest challenges to increasing rural healthcare access is convincing medical professionals of the value of working and living in rural areas. The Rural Scholars program gives residents exposure to the unique challenges and rewards of working in rural underserved areas. Physicians must be innovative and creative to work in these environments with fewer resources, and serving these populations is very fulfilling because the need is so great. Plus, residents get to experience the charms of small-town living in the beautiful state of West Virginia.