Press Release



Medical Student Rotation Home Opens in Beaver


November 12, 2016.  Beaver Utah


The Southern Utah Area Health Education Center is proud to announce the beginning of the Symond Rural Residency Rotation Program in Beaver, Utah. Years ago, David A. Symond, M.D indicated, “We need more country doctors, but learning to practice medicine in a rural setting can be difficult.”To fulfill this need for more healthcare practitioners with a passion for serving rural areas, Dr. Symond and his wife, Phyllis, funded a program to bring medical students into Beaver and Milford.  Dr. Symond's long-awaited dream has come true with the establishment of the Symond home in Beaver. 

The Medical Student Rotation Program allows medical students, physician assistant students, and nurse practitioner students to complete a hospital rotation in the local Beaver/Milford area, where they will learn from medical providers who are familiar with practicing in rural communities.  A three bedroom one bathroom duplex was provided as a living quarters for these students as a residence for them as they spend there time rotating in the area.  This program gives the students rotating the amazing opportunity to experience rural medicine and also the joys of being apart of a rural community.  

The establishment of this rotation program was lead by a member of the local community. Korbin Oakden, a pre-medical student from Southern Utah University who hopes to matriculate to medical school in the fall of 2018 worked with advisers at SUU's RHS department and doctors in the Beaver County area to set up the housing and rotation schedule for the medical students.  Korbin indicates, “growing up in a rural community…has helped me develop a passion for rural medicine because I have seen the impact that good doctors have on rural communities.  This has strengthened my desire to eventually make a positive impact in rural medicine.” Korbin is the son of Dr. Wade Oakden, who will act as a preceptor for some of the students and residents on rotation.  Dr. Oakden is excited about this project and says, “the creation of the Symond Home was a dream for Dr. Symond and it is fantastic to see this dream come alive.”

There is a great demand for medical professionals in rural areas.  The rewards of living and working in a rural community are often overlooked by students starting their practices.  This program will help to fulfill Dr. Symond's dream of improving rural medicine by allowing future medical professionals get a first hand experience with rural medicine that will help to open their eyes to the rewards that are often overlooked in this niche of the medical field ###.


Contact info:
Korbin Oakden 
korbinoakden@suumail.net
(435) 421-2910


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