Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency
Scott Rempel graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2012 as an Anthropology major with a minor in Public Health. While studying with the Department of Anthropology, Scott was selected to participate in the Medicine & Society Program, which allowed him to explore his interest in both medicine and the greater good of society. This four-year program consists of a yearlong seminar in medical anthropology, a community health internship, several courses in medical anthropology, and a senior thesis or capstone project. Scott discovered that he was particularly drawn to rural medicine and after receiving his undergraduate degree was accepted at the University of Kansas School of Medicine campus in Salina.
During his second year at KU, Scott participated in the KU School of Medicine's Rural Primary Care Practice and Research Program. He was placed in Quinter, KS for the summer where he worked alongside two family physicians at Bluestem Medical and Gove County Medical Center. This experience only further solidified his desire to be a rural primary care physician. In a recent article published by KU, Rempel said "For me, a career in rural primary care was the perfect marriage between my small-town background and my desire to practice medicine in an underserved population."
The physicians at Bluestem Medical were so impressed with him that they offered Scott a contract to join their practice when he finished his residency. Scott is excited to join them in the future as he not only fell in love with their practice but also the town.
Recently, we asked Scott about his experience at Washington University and how his study in anthropology influenced him.
"I think all those things, Anthropology and Medicine & Society, gave me an invaluable and unique skill-set for clinical medicine. It has helped allow me to have a deeper respect, compassion, and understanding of all my patients. It has allowed me to intuitively look beyond the person sitting or laying before me and their obvious health conditions and physical characteristics. It has allowed me to be acutely cognizant of the social factors that influence any given patient’s health. And I know that has made me a better provider and will continue to serve my patients and community well for the rest of my career.
And from what I’ve seen so far in my medical education, it is that sort of trait that separates the mediocre from the truly exceptional. This isn’t just in physicians; it’s in nurses, social workers, aides, pharmacists, chaplains - really anyone connected to patient care."
For the time being, Scott will complete his residency at Smoky Hill Family Medicine in Salina, Kansas. His fiancée, who also completed a rotation at Bluestem Medical, will be serving her residency at Smoky Hill as well. They look forward to returning to Quinter and practicing there together in the near future.
