Community Medicine - Rotation 7

So I am now into my Community Medicine rotation. For this rotation I am in the most rural location I have been yet... Christmas Valley Oregon. Lets just say its out in the middle of nowhere! It has a total population of about 800 people (this is an old stat, so it could be more or less now). 
Anyway, I am enjoying my time trying to adapt to such a rural community. I must say it is beautiful at night, you can see every single star in the sky. However I do have to travel about 90 miles to the nearest grocery store... 

Being back in family practice after working in the ER is really a challenge. I have to think in a totally different way and document things differently. Not only that... It is also a challenge to think about what I do while being in such a rural environment. Some patients cannot afford to drive 2 hours to the nearest big town to get certain tests or diagnostic procedures. Or they can't do it within a certain time schedule.

I have been able, however, to work on some of my hands-on skills a few times already. Since we are the only clinic in town (in fact for like 90 miles or so) we are also the Urgent care. So we get the opportunity to sew up some lacerations and work up some acute care or trauma care. 

I also have to do a community medicine project, which involves me speaking with my preceptor about needs of the community. We decide something that I can do to bring awareness to the community or serve them in some way. We decided that I could introduce people and help to make them comfortable with some complementary medicine. I wrote my clinical project paper on Yoga as a means for treating cardiac arrhythmias (especially atrial fibrillation). So I wrote an article that went in the towns newspaper reporting my findings. We also have a Yoga instructor in town who holds classes and can help individuals get started or come regularly.

It has been an enjoyable experience, the staff here are very friendly (as with everyone at all of my clinical sites). This rotation is flying by, I only have 2 more weeks left. Then I am down to my final 2 rotations before graduation! (it still doesn't feel real). Also on a second note, my wife just accepted a job as a speech therapist in Arizona, and her graduation is in 2 weeks! So a lot of things are changing, finally we will start to get some income and begin to make a dent in our student loans!