The Quillen College of Medicine will be hosting Primary Care Day for nine area college and university students Monday on the VA campus.
The college of admissions is heading up the program in hopes that more students will become interested in the field of primary care.
“The basic premise behind Primary Care Day is to help educate, particularly pre-meds from area colleges and universities, about primary care and the need for primary-care physicians in Tennessee and the surrounding Appalachian regions,” said Mike Stephens, admissions counselor for the College of Medicine.
Stephens said primary care consists of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and even obstetrics and gynecology. Although the Association of American Medical Colleges does not include obstetrics and gynecology in primary care, many people still consider it a part of primary care because it consists of a physician who has first contact with a patient and is part of their ongoing care.
Primary Care Day will begin at 9:45 a.m. with a welcoming reception and then a welcoming address from, Dr. Ronald Franks, the dean of the College of Medicine.
Some of the first- and second-year medical students have helped organize the events and have arranged for Dr. Jerry Miller from Holston Medical Group to discuss primary care.
The students will then take a tour of the VA campus before lunch.
“After lunch we’re going to have two panel discussions,” Stephens said. “One is going to be from an admission perspective. We’re going to answer questions and talk about applying and things that we look for in interviews.”
The other panel will consist of medical students. “This panel of medical students will answer questions and relate information about life as a medical student,” Stephens said. “What do I expect as a first-year student? What’s life like when you’re finally in your fourth year? Where do you typically live as a student? Do you have any free time? Those types of things that you really don’t know who to ask.”
After both panels have taken questions, Doug Taylor, assistant dean of admissions, will make some closing remarks.
The program will conclude at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Stephens said 70 to 80 students are expected to attend, but there is a possibility of more students coming to the program.
“We’re really hoping this will be so beneficial that it will reap benefits on down the road,” he said.
The allotted slots have been filled for Monday’s program, but the college of admissions will consider letting other students attend if they come talk to them and show a desire to participate, he said.
“The mission of this school since we started accepting students in 1978 has been primary care,” Stephens said.
“As long as we need physicians in Hancock County or Erwin or Butler we’re going to have a school that looks for people interested in primary care to fill those positions out there. So one day, one ideal day in the future, we can rethink our mission because we don’t need primary-care doctors out there, we’ve already got them.”
Call Stephens at 439-4753 for more information about primary care or Primary Care Day.

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