Hello, I'm Don Uden, Director of the Minnesota Rural Health School (MRHS) and Professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota. I invite you to review this module and learn about an interdisciplinary education program taking place in rural Minnesota.
It is becoming increasingly understood that no one profession can solely possess the skills necessary to provide the best patient care. Through the MRHS, a rural interdisciplinary education program funded by the Academic Health Center of the University of Minnesota, students from different disciplines, will be provided an opportunity to learn to work as a team to deliver quality and cost-effective health care.

The MRHS recruits students from a variety of disciplines including physician, nursing, physician assistant, pharmacy, and social work. Through interdisciplinary teamwork, students participating in the MRHS are gaining knowledge of rural health care, learning skills they need to work in interdisciplinary teams, and solidifying their interest in practicing in rural communities.

Biannual MRHS sessions take place in seven community sites, including: Moose Lake, Hibbing, Grand Rapids, Staples, Paynesville, Willmar and New Ulm. The learning process in the MRHS does not follow the usual lecture approach. Students participate in a variety of activities including a community project, interdisciplinary case studies, and a telemedicine project. Since its inception in 1996, over 175 students from colleges and universities throughout the state have participated in the program.

Educational experiences in rural communities have been shown to be a very effective method to promote future rural practice. Through the MRHS, students are provided an opportunity for learning traditional health care content in a rural practice and they learn directly the rewards and challenges of practicing in a rural community.