Those students who come to Madisonville for their education have in some way brought their interest in a small community to the attention of the university. They may request coming to Madisonville, they may be from Hopkins County or a nearby community and express an interest in coming here for their final two years of medical school education. Most medical schools are in large cities. There is no place in the country with this many physicians clustered together in a relatively small community. For many years there have been too many physicians around the cities with medical schools and too few in and around smaller towns.
Students tend to practice medicine near where they have trained.
The best situation is to provide the broadest possible array of high-quality, cost effective care right in the areas where people live and work. There are many advantages to the student and the patient in a teaching situation. Quite possibly the student will interview the patient before the physician arrives. This early introduction to the student gives the patient a little time before the experienced physician gets to that patient. The patient is focused and the patient has a chance to collect his thoughts and focus on just what it is you, the patient, wants to learn from the physician.