New OSU program will bring medical students to Lima

Aug. 11—LIMA — Third and fourth-year medical students will soon have the chance to train at Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center, which is partnering with The Ohio State University College of Medicine as the medical school creates a community medicine program aimed at solving a physician shortage in underserved communities.

Medical students who enroll in the community medicine pathway, which will be available starting in 2024, will spend two years at OSU in Columbus followed by two years of clinical training in Lima.

OSU President Kristina M. Johnson compared the initiative to the establishment of satellite campuses, which brought classrooms closer to where students lived.

"Today, we're bringing students closer to where the need is," Johnson said during an event at the Graduate Medical Education center in Lima Thursday.

Students will train alongside clinicians and students from other disciplines like nursing, pharmacy, public health and behavioral health, which OSU Medical School Dean Dr. Carol Bradford said will help students to work collaboratively and understand the contributions of other specialties.

Still, the program's chief aim is to encourage more medical students to practice in mid-sized cities and rural communities.

"Our country is predicted to face a profound shortage of physicians in the coming years," said Dr. Matthew Owens, chief clinical officer for Mercy Health-Lima. "The shortage will likely feel even more significant in small, rural communities."

St. Rita's has focused on expanding its residency programs in recent years to attract more physicians to Lima, culminating in the construction of the Graduate Medical Education center.

The new partnership between St. Rita's and OSU medical school will bring even more physicians to the area.

The addition could also boost economic development. While the city has focused its revitalization efforts on the downtown area, Mayor Sharetta Smith on Thursday said the city is "anchoring those improvements around education."

"We are rebranding our city and we're writing our next chapter," Smith said.

She added: "I'm thrilled to share this city with others with the hope that these future doctors that will study under this partnership will come to find more than a career or educational environment, that they will also find a welcoming place to call home."