The Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track provides additional training that is either in addition to, or supplements the standard curriculum for those students expressing a strong desire to practice in a rural environment. These students have exhibited a high level of academic achievement, as described below, and have expressed a strong interest in becoming a part of the Track that is assessed through an interview process. This track begins at the second semester of the 1st year for these students and spans 3.5 years, in addition to the formal osteopathic medical curriculum.
Track Participation Restrictions: The academic demands on any osteopathic medical student are high. Sufficient study time for successful completion of the curriculum is limited. As a result, Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track members may not participate in another Special Track for credit. Students who are not members of the Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track may, on occasion, be invited to participate in a Rural Track event at the sole discretion of the Course Director.
3rd Year Clinical Externship Lottery Information for Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track Students: Beginning with the Class of 2023, Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track students will undergo an internal lottery to determine their Core Sites for third year clinical externship training. The Colorado-based Rural and Wilderness students will participate in their own, separate lottery and the Utah-based Rural and Wilderness students will also have their own, separate lottery. Participation in these two early, internal lotteries will be mandatory for all Rural and Wilderness Medicine students.
Results of these two internal lotteries will not be released until all students in both Colorado and Utah have completed their respective full class lotteries.
The exact distribution of Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track students in the Core Sites will depend both on the number available core sites and the number of students in the track each year. However, a general model of Core Site distribution for both campus locations is listed below.
Acceptance into the Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track.