The Tulane Rural Medical Education (TRuMEd) program is designed to promote a primary care rural workforce through scholarships designed to support Louisiana residents intending to pursue a career in primary care medicine and to establish a clinical practice in a rural or small-town community in Louisiana. TRuMEd scholars may receive a full tuition waiver for up to four years of medical school at Tulane.
For consideration, qualified applicants must certify their intention to adhere to the following plan of training and practice:
- Be accepted to Tulane University School of Medicine.
- Complete the TRuMEd Family Medicine curriculum during their medical education at Tulane University School of Medicine.
- Complete a three-year Family Medicine residency training program .
- Enter the practice of Family Medicine in a rural area or small town in Louisiana.
- Be a Louisiana resident upon application for the TRuMEd program.
Although TRuMEd places emphasis on students entering a Family Medicine career in rural areas, the program will support students whose career plans include other generalist medical fields and who plan to practice in rural Louisiana.
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
Complete the TRuMEd application and submit with at least one letter of recommendation. The letter must be from a community leader who lives in the parish or area in which the applicant grew up or lived. Up to three letters are acceptable, and they must be submitted in addition to those from premedical teachers and/or a premedical committee that accompanied the AMCAS application. The letters should attest to the applicant's background, personal qualities, and to his/her commitment to practice in a rural physician shortage area.
Two TruMed Scholarships are available for each class:
The TRuMEd program offers two four-year full-tuition scholarships each year to qualified TRuMEd applicants from rural Louisiana who have met the criteria for the program.
- Priority will be given to residents from rural parishes, areas and small towns in Louisiana, with highest priority given to those who grew up in a physician shortage area.
- Scholarships are only offered to successful applicants to Tulane University School of Medicine.
Recipients must sign a contract that obligates them to enter primary care (Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine or General Pediatrics) or general surgery training, and practice primary care or general surgery for 5 years in rural Louisiana in exchange for the tuition waiver. All TRuMEd applicants are automatically considered for this honor. For more information about applying, please contact Lisa Dougherty, Program Manager for the Tulane Rural Medical Education Program.
TRuMEd students complete the standard Tulane University School of Medicine curriculum with extra features and emphasis that expose students to rural educational opportunities. Full time faculty members in the Department of Family and Community Medicine are assigned as advisors to TRuMEd students, beginning in the Freshman year and continuing throughout their four years at Tulane School of Medicine. Upon completing their first year of medical school, students will do an elective summer preclinical preceptorship in cooperation with the Louisiana Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), and may be eligible to receive a stipend to support this experience. TRuMEd students are expected to take their third year required Family Medicine Clerkship at a rural site, and will be given priority for placement choices on this rotation. (This six week clerkship is required of all Junior students.) TRuMEd students are encouraged to take their required senior sub-internship in Family Medicine, and also a Senior rural elective consisting of an in-depth experience with a physician in either solo or group practice. The TRuMEd office will work with TRuMEd students to select and assign clinical preceptors throughout their medical school experiences, wherever applicable.
Contact Information:
Lisa Mills Dougherty, Program Manager
Tulane Rural Medical Education Program
Department of Family and Community Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine
1430 Tulane Avenue #8033
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: 504-988-2838
Fax: (504) 988-4701
Email: lmills@tulane.edu
