BY AMANDA HARRISON
Michigan State University has launched a new program that will place medical students in rural hospitals in Northern Michigan.
Students enrolled in the program will begin working at McLaren Northern Michigan, Charlevoix Area Hospital and Alpena Regional Medical Center.
Andrea Wendling is the director of the Rural Health Curriculum at Michigan State.
She said it's important that students understand the unique challenges of healthcare in rural areas.
"Physicians who practice in rural areas need to be a bit more self sufficient than they need to be in more urban areas and that's mainly because they don't have the resources that are available in larger centers." Wendling said.
Wendling said she hopes the program will encourage students to work in rural areas after graduation.
