Smith worked with the plant's health clinic and with the S.C. Chapter of the American Diabetes Association and drug manufacturer Eli Lilly, to distribute Spanish-language pamphlets about diabetes during the company's Health Awareness Week. For Greenville native Springle, choosing the rural clerkship in nearby Williamston was natural. A National Service Corps scholarship recipient, Springle knows he will be working in an underserved setting somewhere within the Palmetto state. It's easy to see that this is not the way most medicine is practiced today, Springle said. Overall, it's better for the patients.
People seem to be appreciative in receiving our services.
Working with people who have diabetes provides a unique opportunity for students to assist with the care of people with potentially serious chronic disease in a rural setting, said Garr, who practiced rural medicine in Utah for six years. It helps the student realize that diabetes care involves more than telling the patient what to do. To be successful, the physician needs to become a partner with the patient in the care of people with this disease. During their rural clerkship, students learn to apply the principles of Continuous Improvement. COM student Sidney Smith examines the foot of a patient as part of the program's focus on diabetes care.