Associate Dean Talks About Faculty Preparation for First Day of New Med School

(KNSI) – The new University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus in St. Cloud isn’t just a first for the students. In its early days, the faculty will be learning how best to prepare the students for rural medicine in Greater Minnesota.

Associate Dean Dr. Jill Amsberry says the curriculum taught locally will be the same as in the Twin Cities or Duluth, but there will be plenty of unique wrinkles. “Our students will enter into the rural clinical spaces in their first 18 months, and when they do that, they’ll actually go out three times in their pre-clinical curriculum to our rural communities and learn in those rural communities.”

Dr. Amsberry likens it to an ice cream cone. Vanilla is the base, but expect St. Cloud to add in its own mix of flavors and sprinkle toppings. She says point-of-care ultrasounds are one technology that is especially beneficial when practicing in smaller communities, and the St. Cloud campus will emphasize its use.

“This is really an important skill set that our rural physicians need when they’re out there by themselves, trying to decide if a patient can stay in their community or if they need to go elsewhere. Any additional diagnostic information that they can use is incredibly helpful in that decision-making.”

The med school held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in late July. The first day of orientation is officially August 18th. The school will build over four years to have 96 total students. It is the first expansion of the U of M med school system in five decades.

Dr. Amsberry explains that CentraCare has a long-standing tradition of training both medical students and residents, with a prime example being its partnership with the University of Minnesota Family Medicine Residency in St. Cloud. While CentraCare has historically welcomed students from a wide range of institutions, this diversity has sometimes made it challenging to understand each student’s learning objectives and where they are in their clinical development.

“With students coming from different programs, I often have to spend extra time understanding their goals, gauging their skill levels, and figuring out what’s already been covered in their curriculum,” says Dr. Amsberry.

Now, with CentraCare primarily hosting medical students from a single institution, the process is becoming more streamlined. “It allows us to better align expectations and provide a more cohesive learning experience across the organization,” she adds. This consistency not only supports learners but also strengthens CentraCare’s role as a dedicated teaching health system.

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