Selma student among others accepted into UA rural health program

Jailyn Shepard of Selma was among 11 others to be accepted in the University of Alabama's (UA) Rural Health Scholars Program for students who intend to practice medicine in rural areas. 

“Founded in 1996, the Rural Medical Scholars Program is a national leader in rural medical education,” said Dr. Drake Lavender, director of Rural Programs. “Our mission is to recruit and train primary care physicians to care for patients in the rural underserved areas of Alabama.

“With 54% of our graduates going into rural practice upon completion of their training, our success rates are as high as any program in the U.S., but we have much more work to do to eliminate the shortage of primary care doctors in our rural communities.”

According to a press release from UA the program is a five-year endeavor that leads to admission in the UA School of Medicine and a medical degree. 

Others that were accepted are: 

Jackson Byrd, of Fitzpatrick; Aubrey Cox, of Winfield; Alexis Hyde, of Green Hill; Bryce Jeffrey, of Green Hill; Lili Kaplan, of Anniston; Chase Layton, of Enterprise; Sam Penque, of Trussville; Erin Roberts, of Coaling; Lily Wiedmer, of Anniston; and Jenna Wood, of Winfield.

“We are excited to welcome 11 students into our program this year from rural areas all over our state,” said Lavender. “They come to us with diverse backgrounds and received their education from many different colleges, but all have a common dream: to be a doctor in rural Alabama. We look forward to helping them along their journey to fulfill that dream.”