Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) student Mariah Dahmen shadows family medicine physicians Glenn Nemec, MD, and Teresa Devine, MD, three to five days each week and experiences first-hand what it’s really like to work and live in a rural area. “The opportunity to share my experience with the next generation of doctors and help them learn, grow and be inspired is very important to me and to Stellis Health,” says Dr. Nemec.
Mariah is learning clinical medicine, procedures, community health, and the business of medicine alongside Drs. Nemec and Devine. RPAP is a nine-month, hands-on educational experience in which third-year medical students work with physicians and specialists in the clinic and hospital. Stellis Health has a long history of mentoring medical students by participating in RPAP at the University of Minnesota as well as training other students to become Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and family medicine and pediatric residents. In fact, many of the current Stellis Health providers were students trained at Stellis Health.
“We are proud to train and inspire the next generation of providers in Minnesota,” says Douglas Hanson, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of Stellis Health. “We’re dedicated to addressing the provider shortage and truly relish sharing our medical experience as well as the great quality of life we enjoy in an x-urban community.”
In RPAP’s nearly 50-year history, the program has placed over 1,500 medical students in rural communities across the state. Two out of three former students practice in Minnesota and over 40 percent practice in rural locations, with 75 percent in primary care.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Devine or for more information, call 763-271-3800.
