TRUST Curriculum

Curriculum Overview

The Targeted Rural Underserved Track (TRUST) curriculum is a focused medical school experience in rural and other urban underserved healthcare whose goal is to produce physicians committed to practice in the underserved areas of the WWAMI region.

TRUST scholars have an opportunity to practice with a mentor in a rural or small community health center for one or two weeks prior to their first year of medical school. They then return to their site, or a similar community site, for other experiences over the course of their education.

In addition to ongoing mentored experiences in underserved locations, TRUST scholars benefit from continuous contact with an assigned College mentor, advising from the TRUST staff, and enrollment in key programs and courses.

General Timeline

Compliance

In order to participate in their First Summer Experience and future TRUST activities, students must first complete every item on the compliance checklist by May 31, 2013.

TRUST First Summer Experience (May - September before first academic year begins)

TRUST Scholars spend 7 days (WA) to 10-14 days (MT) with a mentor at an underserved or rural community healthcare site, which, in most cases, they will return to for continued experiences.

As included in the goals and objectives for the TRUST First Summer Experience, Scholars will:

Academic Year

Year One

The Year One curriculum varies from campus to campus, but all TRUST Scholars:

  • Maintain contact with their community site mentor and arrange at least one return visit to their underserved site in the fall and one in the spring
  • Establish a second mentoring relationship with a UWSOM College faculty member in Seattle
  • Participate in journal club and specialized seminars
  • As funding allows, participate in national and regional rural and underserved health conferences once during their medical school career
  • Enroll in a rural health selective based on the location of their first-year campus:

Specifications for first year curriculum by campus:

TRUST Scholars two or more return visits to their continuity community during their first year.

Summer After First Year

TRUST Scholars participate in the Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program (R/UOP) and complete an Independent Investigative Inquiry (iii3), in collaboration with their continuity community mentor at their TRUST continuity community. If accepted into Global Health Immersion Program (GHIP), with prior approval and stipulation, GHIP can be substituted for RUOP students complete their iii3 as part of that program. While GHIP can be an enriching experience it breaks links with TRUST continuity community.

Year Two

TRUST Scholars:

Year Three

TRUST Scholars:

  • pursue their mentoring relationships and continue participation in specialized seminars
  • as funding allows, participate in national and regional rural and urban underserved health conferences
  • participate in the WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE), a 16 week + 4 week elective continuity clerkship within their home state, working with their continuity community mentor at their underserved site

Year Four

TRUST Scholars:

  • have the option to enroll in a variety of rural electives in different disciplines
  • pursue their mentoring relationships and continue participation in specialized seminars
  • as funding allows, participate in national and regional rural and urban underserved health conferences
  • explore opportunities for subinternship experiences at UWSOM affiliated residencies to help prepare for their R-1 year and consider early match with the residency
  • receive residency application counseling and support, career counseling, assistance with residency application, and possibility of an early match

    Evaluation philosophy:

    The TRUST program is relatively small. It will be easy for those evaluating and those being evaluated to identify each other. Feedback in TRUST is to be constructive and collaborative. We will not attempt to hide the identity of the evaluator. Like may experiences later in life, students and faculty need to learn the skill of helping people change their behaviors without destroying relationships. Students will know this from day 1. We will adhere to FERPA rules where they apply.