FROM THE MCMS BOARD PRESIDENT
“ M E D I C I N E S C U R E D I S E A S E S , B U T O N LY D O C T O R S C A N C U R E PAT I E N T S .” — C . J U N G
T
he best, the most competent and the most courageous of us finds a way into a career in rural medicine. As a rural practitioner you must be able to handle every patient presentation - young, old, complex - that finds its way to your office. My dream was to be a rural practice doc in Sugarcreek, Ohio. At Christmas time the downtown area of Sugarcreek looked identical to one you might find in Switzerland. The rolling farmland was beautiful, the people genuine. I wanted to get flavor of what practicing in a small community like that was like and looked for a rural rotation. As a fourth-year medical student I had the distinct privilege of working with two family doctors in Middlefield, Ohio, a farming community made up of roughly 50% Amish inhabitants. That was one of the most difficult rotations from a work standpoint that I was confronted with as a medical student. One of the physicians was the county coroner and handled all the unexplained deaths which had occurred in the community. Both doctors handled all the newborn deliveries, all the admissions including heart attacks at the small community hospital and conducted office visits 5 days weekly. It was very exciting as a young student to learn from these physicians and participate in the care of their patients that I requested the school extend my rotation with them, which they approved. Knowing what I know now, I can look back on those experiences with not only admiration but with the knowledge that practicing in that setting really does command the care of a highly skilled physician. But today, like those days 40 years ago in rural Ohio, a need still exists for physicians to practice in small town America. For all the difficulties that care in this setting encompasses, it is richly rewarding in the partnerships that can develop with patients and their families through generations. It demands we use the best of our instincts and hands-on care of patients over the use of technologic innovations. It provides a wholesome environment in which to raise a family, 4
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and one in which the values that have made America what it is today can still be found. And these days, given the need that exists in these communities, physicians find themselves enthusiastically welcomed and handsomely reimbursed for their services. I have worn many hats since medical school graduation, but the most satisfying has been to be in private practice and govern my own professional life. Life circumstances did not allow me to realize my wish to practice in Sugarcreek. But I would encourage medical students to involve themselves in rotations such as have been recently offered at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Professions Program and see if it dovetails with their career aspirations. We need more physicians in these settings, not “providers” that I fear will be using the lack of adequate health care coverage to expand scope of practice privileges, which will compromise the level of care provided in rural settings. Respectfully,
John Prater, DO
Dr. Prater moved from Ft. Myers, FL to Phoenix in 2017 and shortly thereafter became a Director on the Board of Maricopa County Medical Society. He was active at the state and local levels of organized medicine in Florida for decades where he served in several physician leadership positions, including President of the Southwest Florida Psychiatric Society and President of District Eleven of the Southwest Florida Osteopathic Medical Society. He is a board-certified psychiatrist currently practicing at the Phoenix VA Medical Center.
