The Oregon Story: Country Doctors, Rural Medicine | Page 1
Lesson 1: Heath Care Careers: Becoming a Rural Provider
Grade Level: 7-12
Background Information:
People living in rural areas have the same health care needs as those living in urban areas, and a few, such as
injuries due to farm equipment, of their own. However, as a population, they tend to be underserved as doctors,
and health providers of all types, settle in more populous areas for a variety of reasons. In these activities,
students will explore a variety of health care careers and they will consider whether life as a rural doctor could be
for them. For more information, watch the Country Doctors video, or see the Country Doctors Home Page.
Content Standards
This lesson addresses the following Oregon Content Standards:
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Economics: Understands economic trade-offs and how choices result in both costs and benefits to
individuals and society.
State and Local History: Understand and interpret events, issues, and development in the history of one’s
family, local community, and culture.
Writing: Use a variety of modes and written forms to express ideas.
Extension Websites from PBS
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Children’s Hospital: Visiting the Medical Fields
http://www.pbs.org/opb/childrenshospital/classroom/index.html
Utilize the PBS Children's Hospital tapes to take a virtual field trip through the medical field. Students
will use the newly acquired knowledge to act as a medical pioneer to establish a new clinic in the
neighborhood.
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Livelyhood: Nightshift
http://www.pbs.org/livelyhood/classroom/nightshift/health.html
Examine sleep requirements and the strategies used by night shift workers to cope with sleep deprivation
and an adjusted schedule.
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Nova: The Making of a Doctor, part 2
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/2207_doctor.html
Learn about the Hippocratic Oath and stress on the job.
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Nova: Survivor, MD
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/2806_doctors.html
Students will become acquainted with a variety of health care careers.
The Oregon Story: Country Doctors, Rural Medicine | Page 2
Activity 1: Would you be a Rural Health Care Provider?
Time Allotted:
One 45-minute class period
Materials:
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Butcher paper
Markers
VCR and Television
Copy of the OPB program Country Doctors, Rural Medicine
Objectives:
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Students will compare and contrast careers as rural and urban doctors.
Students will examine assumptions regarding life in rural communities.
Students will consider whether life as a rural health care provider is right for them.
Teaching Instructions
1. Ask students to imagine themselves as rural doctors. Have them write an imaginary journal entry
describing what their life might have been like in the last 24 hours (have students keep this journal for use
in future activities).
2. Pair students in groups of two. Distribute a piece of butcher paper to each group. Have students share
their imaginary journals with each other. Then have students create a T-chart listing pros and cons of
their image of the life of rural doctors.
3. Watch the Country Doctors video:
Start at “Dr Lee Harris Finally Retired from his practice in 1990 at age 75”
End after: Dr Lee says to a shopper: “How you doin’ Everett? Looks like you’re doig pretty well…
(17:00 to 22:55)
4. Ask students to review their T-charts and to add new ideas generated by the video clips.
5. As a group, create a class T-chart by having students share ideas from their own work.
6. Discuss the results and the following questions:
a. Do you think it takes a particular personality type to work in a rural practice?
b. Do you think you could work as a rural doctor?
c. Why are there so few providers in rural areas?
d. Are there any unique benefits that would make working as a rural doctor appealing?
The Oregon Story: Country Doctors, Rural Medicine | Page 3
Activity 2: Rural Practice: It’s Not Just For Doctors
Time Allotted:
One to two 45-minute class periods
Materials:
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Reference materials describing various health care professions
VCR and Television
Copy of the OPB program Country Doctors, Rural Medicine
Objectives:
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Students will brainstorm a list of health care issues faced by rural people.
Students will link health needs to medical providers.
Students will generate a list of health care professionals needed to provide for rural areas.
Students will research the roles and responsibilities of a medical professional.
Teaching Instructions:
1. Ask students to review the hypothetical journal they wrote for Activity 1 to determine what types of
medical needs people in rural communities might have. Note: if you didn’t complete activity 1, you might
have them do the first step of activity 1 now.
2. Watch the video clip:
Start at: “Here in Condon, David Jones…”
End after: “But the problem is… they’re not preparing PA’s for positions like this” (32:40 to 37:20)
3. Compile a list of needs on the blackboard or overhead.
4. Push students to compile a complete list.
5. Now ask students to work in groups of 2 or 3 to brainstorm health care professionals and to try to match
the needs to the professional providers who they think would cover those needs. For instance,
obstetrician or midwife might cover childbirth, Note: the following list is professionals whose stories
appear on the main country doctors web page (link). Your list may include more.
a. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
b. Dentist (DDS, DMD)
c. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
d. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN, LVN)
e. Medical Doctor (MD)
f. Naturopathic Doctor (ND, NMD)
g. Nurse Midwife (NM)
h. Nurse Practitioner (NP)
i. Physician’s Assistant (PA)
j. Registered Nurse (RN)
k. Specialist
6. Each student should select a health care career to learn more about.
7. Either in class from resources you have collected, or as homework, students should research information
about the career they have selected. Ask them to include information on:
a. Preparation for the career
b. What they are certified to treat
c. Who they treat
8. Note: if you intend to have students interview a professional, you might combine the final product of both
assignments into one assessment. Presentation of this information might be accomplished in one of
several ways:
a. 2-page written paper
b. poster or visual depicting preparation and duties of provider
c. oral presentation teaching the class about the preparation and duties of the provider.
The Oregon Story: Country Doctors, Rural Medicine | Page 4
Activity 3: Interviewing a Health Care Professional
Time Allotted
Two 45-minute class periods plus adequate time outside of class to conduct interviews and prepare work, two
weeks is suggested.
Materials
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Research from Activity 2, or reference materials describing various health care careers
Names and numbers of professionals willing to be interviewed (optional) (see list at the end of this
teacher resource section with a list of rural health care clinics for possible contact information)
Phone book (optional)
Objectives
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Students will translate what they know about a health care profession into a series of interview questions
designed to probe deeper into what that profession entails.
Students will conduct an interview with a health care professional to learn more about a career.
Teaching Instructions
1. Students should review their research from activity 2 to remind them what they know about the chosen
career.
2. Students should then generate a list of 10-15 questions to be used when interviewing a provider in the
chosen field. These questions should be used to probe the following more deeply:
a. Training necessary to be licensed.
b. Roles and Responsibilities in this field.
c. Experiences that might be unique to life in a rural or urban setting.
3. Teachers should check students interview questions for appropriateness and depth. Check-off.
4. Students should then contact a professional and set up time for an interview. Interviews should probably
not exceed 15 minutes.
5. Once students have conducted interviews, they should be prepared to present what they have learned.
Instead of giving a strait-up presentation or paper about a career, try having students imagine they have
chosen to pursue the chosen career. Have them write or present a prediction of what the next ten years
will be like for them if they choose to enter their chosen field. As with Activity 2, they might use any of
the following formats or they might combine more than one.
a. 2-page written paper
b. poster or visual depicting preparation and duties of provider
c. oral presentation teaching the class about the preparation and duties of the provider.
Extension Ideas:
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If your community is too small to support the entire class interviewing individuals, you might choose to
have a professional come to your class to describe his/her experiences.
To learn more about health care professions, see the Country Doctors homepage at
www.opb.org/oregonstory