42 Jessica Branstetter This spring, four aspiring doctors were admitted to the Oklahoma State University College of Medicine through the Rural and underserved Primary Care Early Admissions Program. They will finish their undergraduate degrees at OSU in May of 2013, and begin medical school that fall. The students are part of a new plan designed to provide a solution to a chronic problem in Oklahoma — the shortage of primary care physicians in rural areas. “The Early Admissions Program has a specific mission, and that is to serve rural and underserved Oklahoma. Our four students want to help those communities in need. We are excited to see them tackle a critical issue in Oklahoma,” says Amy Martindale, director of student academic services in the OSU College of Arts and Sciences. Juniors Jessica Branstetter of Perkins, Chá Reeder of Stillwater, David McVay of Tulsa and senior Maria Vachapittack of Stillwater are the program’s inaugural class. Martindale says the four are passionate about the new endeavor. “Osteopathic medicine’s appeal to many of our students is its philosophy of taking care of patients holistically, not just focusing on the specific symptom presented today,” she says. “These students are also dedicated to primary care, to meet the general medical needs in rural and underserved communities.” Early recognition The OSU College of Arts and Sciences in Stillwater and the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa are collaborating on the plan. The OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources also is taking part in the unique venture. Under the program, students take pre-medical courses on the Stillwater campus for three years before starting medical training during their fourth — or senior — year. They earn a bachelor’s degree in four years and an osteopathic medical degree in three more. “We want to identify students who show early signs of interest in rural medicine. We want to keep their talents in our state and make sure they are successful,” says Dr. William Pettit, associate dean at the OSU Center for Rural Health. “It’s a phenomenal thing to start this program, and we are thrilled to be working with the College of Arts and Sciences.” “Most of my fami ly l ives in Oklahoma. This is where I want to be.”
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