RPCE 120


The Rural Primary Care Rural Elective program (RPCE 120) is a four-week elective course offering medical students an opportunity to observe and experience community-based primary medical care.

Main contact: Shirlene Bender students@swlahec.com

The purpose of RPCE is to increase students' interest in practicing primary care in a rural or underserved setting by directly observing medicine as it is practiced by physicians in a rural, inner city, or other under-served environments. Students are placed during the summer with a physician practicing clinical medicine is one of the primary care fields, namely family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics. Supported by the Louisiana Area Health Education Centers, Louisiana Office of Public Health, Louisiana Office of Mental Health, the course is offered in the interval between the end of the freshman year and the beginning of the sophomore year.

Eligibility: Students must be eligible to enter their sophomore year at LSUHSC N.O., LSUHSC Shreveport, or Tulane School of Medicine. SWLAHEC gives preference to students who were Louisiana residents prior to entering medical school.

RPCE 120 Application: Students should check in December or January of each year with their respective Louisiana medical school.