Medical professionals at Essentia Health provided more than 400,000 hours of clinical education to students in the past year.
It's part of Essentia's commitment to the future and to ensuring students of today are educated properly for tomorrow's health care needs.
"Providing clinical site experiences for student education is a solid investment in our future workforce - a workforce we need in order to make a healthy difference in people's lives for years to come," says Kate Dean, director of Health Science and Graduate Medical Education at the Essentia Institute of Rural Health.
Students in health care programs are required to spend a significant amount of time doing hands-on learning in a clinical setting. Dean says all levels of health care education require clinical education, from medical assistants to physicians. Without these clinical experiences, students are unable to graduate. Essentia physicians, pharmacists, therapists, nurses and other employees spend time as teachers and coaches to the next generation.
"People are so interested in giving back to their profession," Dean adds. "They feel a personal responsibility and a great deal of pride."
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This year, the Family Medicine Department in the Brainerd lakes area is hosting a third-year medical student for nine months as part of the Rural Physician Apprentice Program (RPAP) through the University of Minnesota School Of Medicine. Many physicians and nurses will be involved in providing training to this future physician.
Clinical placements are in high demand and Essentia works closely with local academic partners to ensure that students with local ties to their communities are given top priority for these much sought after experiences.
Essentia Health has 17 hospitals and 66 clinics across Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Idaho, grouped into three regions: East, Central and West. In the Central Region, Clinical Education Specialist Bonnie Garding coordinates the learning experiences for students. The Central Region team supported nearly 21,000 hours of clinical experiences for students last academic year.
"Nelson Mandela said it well: 'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,' " said Central Region President Adam Rees.
