Lori Martensen and Dr. JJ Sreenan join Rotary Club Monday afternoon to discuss physician shortages and ways to solve it.
LIMA — As the need for physicians increase, local schools are creating ways to bring more job seekers into the field of medicine. Members from the Ohio State College of Medicine MD Track joined the Rotary Club meeting Monday afternoon to dicuss the program.
“There’s a huge physician shortage in the United States,” said Program Director Dr. JJ Sreenan. “That is particularly relevant in smaller cities and rural communities. That’s where it’s getting hit the hardest. Actually, right now the average age of physicians in the United States is over 55 years old. So you can see where this is heading as we move forward.”
Sreenan shared the steps of gaining an undergraduate degree and applying to medical school. Students interested in the program are then placed in the Community Medical MD Track. According to its website, the program is to help students have a fruitful career. The students begin in Columbus and then go to Lima for clinicals through Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center.
“The Community Medicine track is going to be in conjunction with the Ohio State College of Medicine,” said Martensen. “The first two years are going to be at Ohio State in Columbus in the last few years. We’ll be training within our region. It’ll be centered at Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center. We hope to get preceptors throughout our region so they can get a real feel for that.”
Since the start of the program in 2016, Sreenan said one third of the graduates have decided to live and practice within the region. Program Administrator Lori Martensen shared the importance of the program and the practicing physicians who agree to help with students.
“If you go to the doctor and they have a student with them, thank them for taking the student because it is a luxury to work for them,” she said. “We think the physicians need to feel the appreciation for the community and knowing the community values and doing this.”
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
