RAMPing Up Rural Medicine: Immersive Learning in Appalachia 

Rural communities face unique healthcare challenges, and future physicians need firsthand experience to understand and address them. Through the Rural Appalachian Medical Preceptorship (RAMP), Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine offers second-year medical students an immersive summer experience that combines research, clinical practice and community engagement in a rural setting. In this Q&A, Jill Schenk, MD, CPE, assistant professor of family and community health, shares how the program prepares students to make a difference in underserved areas while advancing the school’s mission to improve care in Appalachia. 

What is the RAMP program?  

RAMP is the Rural Appalachian Medical Preceptorship — it's a new and exciting alternative to the summer research elective. This experience gives select second-year medical students a unique opportunity to complete a research project while also receiving early clinical exposure via one-on-one experiences in rural and community medicine. Students learn about the factors affecting rural healthcare and they get to live and work in a rural community, caring for patients as part of the local healthcare team.  

What kind of clinical and community experiences will students have? 

Clinical experiences are tailored to the student and the setting, involving hands-on learning with primary care physicians and other local healthcare providers. Experiences include:  interviewing and examining patients, assisting with medical procedures, and house call visits with a provider. Community experiences include interviewing rural community members and researching the community to gain insight into the factors impacting rural healthcare delivery, including but not limited to food availability, local transportation, infrastructure, medical support services, education and local and state advocacy. 

What types of research projects can students expect to work on?  

Research within the RAMP program involves a quality improvement project. Through a combination of observation, data gathering and analysis of patient encounters, the student explores aspects of healthcare delivery where process improvements can lead to better patient outcomes. 

What is the role of faculty in the RAMP program?  

RAMP program faculty includes experts in community medicine, rural healthcare advocacy, nursing and community-based care as well as medical education. The faculty member's role is to model excellence in various areas of community and rural healthcare and act as a sounding board for the student's discovery of rural medicine challenges and rewards. 

How can interested students apply or learn more?  

The application window opens in early spring of the first year of medical school. Participant selection and location matching is completed by April of each year. The rotation begins in June. For questions, students may email Jill.Schenk@mhnetwork.org. 

Date Posted: Monday, September 15, 2025