What is a Rural Program?
A rural residency program is an accredited program in health professions education and training in which trainees spend the majority of their time training (more than 50%) in a rural place. Many rural programs are rurally-located, primarily anchored in a rural place with minimum training in an urban setting. Other rural programs, traditionally called RTTs, train residents in urban settings for 4-15 months, and train them in rural communities for the remainder of their residency. For a history of rural residency program definitions, including ‘integrated RTTs,’ read A Proposed Nomenclature (also referenced below). In 2021 the ACGME created a process for pre-accreditation endorsement of a new ‘Rural Track Program,‘ where residents have both urban and rural experiences and spend more than 50% of their training in a rural community (a micropolitan or non-CBSA area). The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as of October 1, 2022, will now use this terminology in justifying the creation of a ‘rural FTE limitation’ or ‘rural cap’ for participating hospitals, whether or not the track is separately accredited. For a history of regulations relevant to rural residency training, read RTTs-Regulations-Two-Pager-2022-Update-1.pdf (152 KB pdf) .
A rural program in medical school is an organized and deliberate medical school strategy to produce physicians to rural practice and is described in an article in the Journal of Rural Health, Pipelines to Pathways (also referenced below).
For a current listing of the growing community of practice in rural medical education download Abbreviated-Rural-Program-Listing-1-2022.xlsx (146 KB xlsx) There are currently:
- Nine (9) schools of medicine that are located in a rural community
- Forty-two (42) medical schools with one or more formal rural programs, for a total of fifty (50).
- One hundred and fourteen (114) accredited rural residencies in Family Medicine, recruiting for 2022
- Twenty (20) active rural residencies in Internal Medicine, and a lesser number of rural programs in other specialties (see Rural Programs map)
For a map of program participants in The RTT Collaborative, see below. For a map of all the rural residencies in the United States click here. [Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, and General Surgery]
Rural Recognition Program
Aware of the need to highlight and expand the visibility of the rural physician training community and wishing to provide students with information relevant to their training for rural practice, the RTT Collaborative Board has chosen to recognize in a special way both rurally-located and rurally-focused programs in any specialty who have a history of placing graduates in rural community practice. Any program can be recognized for the percentage of graduates, on a 3-year rolling average, who have established an initial place of practice in a rural community and/or are in rural practice 3 years following graduation. Programs are listed if this percentage is >/= to 35% in the rolling three years ending in the year prior to recognition or if there were greater than 3 graduates per year in that same time-frame. Programs may follow these links for Recognition-for-Rurally-Focused-Programs-2021.pdf (103 KB pdf) and a Program-Recognition-Workbook-2021-1.xlsx (27 KB xlsx) that can be submitted to rttc@rttcollaborative.net for recognition. Applications for the 2021 list were due July 1, 2021.
Click here for a download of the 2021 list: Programs-Featured-for-Rural-Graduation-Rate-7.9.2021.pdf (142 KB pdf)
What is the RTT Collaborative?
The RTT Collaborative is a cooperative of rurally focused health professions education and training programs from around the United States. This includes both undergraduate and graduate medical education programs and is beginning to expand to include other health professions. Although not all programs are rurally located or meet the definition outlined above, they are all invested in producing health professionals to rural practice!
For a listing of participating programs as of July 2020 with hyperlinks, Listing-of-Participating-Programs-7-2020.pdf (246 KB pdf)
Longenecker R. Rural Medical Education Programs: A Proposed Nomenclature. Journal of Graduate Medical Education June 2017;9(3):283-286. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-16-00550.1
Longenecker, R.L., Andrilla, C.H.A., Jopson, A.D., Evans, D.V., Schmitz, D., Larson, E.H. and Patterson, D.G. (2021), Pipelines to Pathways: Medical School Commitment to Producing a Rural Workforce. The Journal of Rural Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12542
Map of Participating Programs
Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services
1120 N. Melvin Street
UIC FMR Rural Pathway is a comprehensive urban/rural family medicine educational training experience. Rural pathway residents complete their PGY1 year at UIHealth, an urban academic hospital with robust inpatient training.
Mercyhealth Family Medicine Residency Program
N 2950 St. Road 67
- Rural training in Family medicine
- Unopposed
- Opportunities for hospital and clinic procedures
- Strong support for specialists
- Moonlighting at UC/ED
- Traditional model
- Support from Janesville program
- Rural community with lots of outdoor activities
- Lake Geneva is filled with water sports and winter activities
- Many golf courses and resorts
- Travel and lodging provided with interviews
University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford/Monroe Clinic Rural Program
515 22nd Avenue
Monroe Clinic established a rural family medicine residency in 2015 in partnership with UIC Rockford. The program demonstrates commitment to osteopathic training also providing experiences in ultrasound, critical care, inpatient and outpatient procedures,
El Centro Family Health – Family Medicine Residency Program
538 N. Paseo de Oñate
ECFH is developing a Family Medicine Residency program as an RTT model with hospital partners in Espanola and Santa Fe. The NM Primary Care Training Consortium will serve as the Sponsoring Institution.
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho Nampa Program
9850 W. St. Luke's Dr., Suite 329, Nampa, ID 83687
We prepare residents for providing the full-spectrum care needed in rural and underserved communities. This community based, university affiliated program offers vibrant learning that is both intimate and innovative. We create a trusting relationship with our patients in a well-established FQHC and community hospital.
University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Family Medicine Residency Program
1100 E. Third St.
Our Family Medicine Residency is a three-year program that now sponsors seven residents per year. Thirteen physicians comprise our core faculty as well as one behavioral specialist. They are a diverse group with experience in rural and urban private practice,
Sutter Health Family Medicine Program – Amador Track
200 Mission Blvd.
The Amador track is a “1-2” program and our first residents started in June 2021! The first year will be spent in Sacramento. The second and third years will focus on rural Amador County with the linchpin for training being the Family Medicine Continuity Clinic in Jackson,
Chickasaw Nation Family Medicine Residency
1921 Stonecipher Blvd.
This is a 4/4/4 residency established by the Chickasaw Nation to train physicians that want to practice in rural areas. Evidence-based care is provide for a full range of patient from newborn to the very aged.
Marshall Community Health Consortium Rural Surgery Residency Program
Logan Regional Medical Hospital, 20 Hospital Drive
This unique Surgery Residency Program will incorporate training in Huntington WV hospitals as well as Logan Regional Medical Center. It will be separately accredited
Unique opportunity for surgery residents to learn about practicing in a rural area
Shiprock University of New Mexico Family Medicine Residency
PO Box 160/Highway 491
At the Shiprock UNM Residency Program, we train family physicians to work rurally and beyond. Year one is at University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The 2nd and 3rd years are in Shiprock,
Virginia Common Wealth University – Community Memorial Hospital Rural and Underserved Family Medicine Residency
1755 N. Mecklenburg Ave
This program is in development and currently not matching residents.
More details coming soon!
Bothwell Family Medicine Residency
3401 W. 10th Street
Bothwell FMR is a 1-2 Rural Training Track. Two residents per year spend PGY1 at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, a large academic health center. Residents transition to rural Sedalia,
ROME (Rural Opportunities in Medical Education) University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
1301 North Columbia Road
Students live and train in non-metropolitan communities under the supervision of physician preceptors. ROME students experience health care delivery in rural areas throughout North Dakota and Minnesota, where providing access to health care is sometimes challenging.
University of Vermont Health Network Champlain Valley Physician Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program
159 Margret Street
The UVMHN-CVPH Family Medicine Program is a community based, unopposed 6-6-6 program. We aim to train family physicians who wish to work in rural areas like our own. Our program was founded in 2016 with over a million dollars of community support.
IMEC Family Medicine Resident Rural Program
1111 6th Avenue
In existence since 1997, MercyOne Family Medicine Residency program focus is to provide the residents with the optimum mix of clinical experience, faculty supervision, didactic course and procedural training to become a successful family physician.
UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Madison Residency Program Rural Health Equity Track (RHET)
1100 Delaplaine Court, Madison, WI 53715
The UW Madison Family Medicine Rural Health Equity Track (RHET), at the Belleville Clinic, prepares residents to be leaders in improving rural health care. Through a customizable community focus and emphasis on health equity,
McLaren Northern Michigan Rural Training Track
416 Connable Avenue,
Our RTT is a 1:2 program with residents utilizing McLaren Health Care’s tertiary care 400 bed hospital in Flint, Michigan during the first year and the 200 bed regional hospital in Petoskey,
Indiana Regional Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program
835 Hospital Road
The mission of the IRMC Family Medicine residency program is to provide excellent, comprehensive, family medicine training, in order that our graduates might alleviate healthcare disparities in rural Pennsylvania communities.
UAMS Northwest RTT Family Medicine Residency Program
1125 N. College Avenue
The proposed 4/4/4 program will be a 1:2 model, with PGY1 curriculum integrated with the long-standing “urban” UAMS NW FM residency and PGY2/PGY3 curriculum to be delivered in rural sites in Carroll County,
East Tennessee State University, Bristol Family Medicine
208 Medical Park Blvd.
East Tennessee State University and the Bristol program are developing an RTT in Greenville and potentially other rural locations. The urban Bristol program is located in Northeast Tennessee, in an area known as the “Tri-Cities.”
Northern Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program RTT
194 East Main Street
Northern Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program RTT is a Rural family medicine residency program in development, anticipated date of recruitment is summer 2022, located in beautiful Fort Kent,
University of Nebraska Medical Center Rural Training Track
42nd & Emile, 983075 Nebraska Medical Center
The University of Nebraska RTT is a program conceived and developed by the Department of Family Medicine. Based on the concept that residents tend to practice within 100 miles of where they train,
LVHN – Schuylkill Rural Family Medicine Residency
100 Schuylkill Medical Plaza
The LVHN-Schuylkill Family Medicine Residency will provide comprehensive training in partnership with the community to ensure that graduates lead patient-centered, evidence-informed care teams while remaining resilient lifelong learners who find joy in rural practice in order to meet the health care needs of Schuylkill County and surrounding rural regions in Pennsylvania.
McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency Program
555 E. Cheves Street
The McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency is dedicated to graduate skilled physicians who are well-rounded and able to understand and treat the unique conditions of patients within the rural and underserved areas.
Montana Family Medicine Residency
123 S. 27th Street
Montana Family Medicine Residency’s mission is to develop, empower, and educate the next generation of full spectrum Family Physicians who provide excellent care for Montana with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.
Madison Rexburg Rural Training Track
21 Winn Drive, Rexburg, ID 83440
This 1-2 Rural Training Track is an innovative and quality focused residency which identifies and addresses the needs of the rural community and aligns these with the needs of the learners across the continuum of care.
KU-Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Rural Family Medicine Residency
3011 N. Michigan Avenue
This is a one plus two program with year one being at KU Medical Center for a tertiary urban experience and years two and three with Community Health Center in Southeast Kansas for a robust rural training experience.
Samaritan Health Services – Corvallis (Newport) Program
930 SW Abbey Street
Samaritan Coastal will be a 1-2 Rural Training Track affiliated with Samaritan Family Medicine Residency in Corvallis, OR. Training will take place in a rural critical access hospital in the vibrant and economically diverse coastal community,
Sierra Nevada Family Medicine Residency Program
155 Glasson Way
Located in rural Grass Valley, California, we serve a diverse patient population with a focus on the medically underserved and most vulnerable populations. We are dedicated to teaching the next generation of rural physicians to serve their communities with emphasis on social responsibility.
University of Cincinnati Area Health Education Center
1981 James Sauls Sr. Drive
The University of Cincinnati AHEC Rural Health Track is for current health professions students interested in positioning themselves to join a well-prepared, diverse and culturally competent primary care workforce.
The rural health track is just being created.
Montana WWAMI TRUST Program
937 Highland Blvd.
The Montana Targeted Rural and Underserved Track (TRUST) is an optional University of Washington School of Medicine Program. TRUST provides an exceptional educational experience to prepare University of Washington WWAMI medical students for careers working in underserved rural areas and underserved small cities.
Thermopolis Wyoming Rural Training Track
120 North C Avenue
An innovative program located in a truly rural/frontier environment set to immerse and train residents in a full spectrum family medicine experience. With a robust 1st year at the University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency in Casper,
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Centers (Magnolia) Rural Program
1617 N. Washington
Unopposed, small program with a total of 9 Family Medicine residents (3-3-3) lends itself to quality one-one-one interaction with faculty and provides plenty of hands-on learning experiences. Family Medicine Clinic is a designated Rural Health Clinic.
Providence St. Peter-Summit Pacific Rural Family Medicine program
600 E. Main Street
Traditional 1:2 rural program integrated with Providence St. Peter Family Medicine Residency program in Olympia, WA which offers hands-on training across the patient care delivery spectrum. Educational experiences span the continuum of patient care,
Wright Rural Medical Scholars Program
7600 Lake Campus Drive
The Wright Rural Medical Scholars (WRMS) program includes a track for students who want an extensive rural experience that spans their medical education and stand alone experience for students who want to “sample”
University Of Missouri School of Medicine Rural Track Pipeline Program LIC at Bothwell Regional Health Center
1 Hospital Dr
MU School of Medicine Rural Track Pipeline Program is working to implement a rural longitudinal integrated clerkship at three existing rural track training sites. The first being in Sedalia, MO with Bothwell Regional Healthcare.
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center
3100 Oak Grove Road, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
Our learning environment offers experiences that allow each resident to discover the best in themselves and to become competent, proficient and professional physicians. Residents will learn from direct patient care,
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Elko Rural Residency Training Site
701 Walnut Street, Elko, NV 89801
The Elko Rural Residency Training Site is an additional training site of the University of Nevada, School of Medicine, Reno’s Residency Program. It has the same ACGME number as the Reno program but a separate match number.
Roseburg Family Medicine Residency
150 NE Kenneth Ford Drive
Newly accredited, unopposed, 8/8/8 residency program embedded in an innovative Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) practice and affiliated with a full-service regional medical center in Roseburg, Oregon. Our mission is to train exceptional family physicians who are ideally suited for rural practice in the 21st Century.
Rural Family Medicine Program at Vidant Medical Center
Brody School of Medicine at Vidant Medical Center, 2100 Stantonburg Road, Greenville, NC 27834
Residents in the Rural Family Medicine Residency at Vidant Medical Center will spend the majority of their first year of training at Vidant Medical Center (for most specialty inpatient training blocks) and the East Carolina University Family Medicine Center (for outpatient procedures,
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Family Medicine Residency Program
495E East Perkins Street, Ukiah CA 95469
Integrated RTT – Ukiah, CA
At AHUV, we strive to be a leader in rural and global family medicine education through innovative curriculum, strong clinical experiences, and a commitment to positively impacting our community.
Swedish Port Angeles RTT
240 W Front St., Port Angeles, WA 98362
RTT Program where the 1st year is spent in Seattle at the Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine Residency. The second and third years are located in Port Angeles at the North Olympic Healthcare Network and Olympic Medical Center.
Central Washington Family Medicine Residency Program Ellensburg Rural Site
521 East Mountain View Avenue, Ellensburg, WA 98926
Central Washington Family Medicine Residency Program Ellensburg Rural Track (CWFMR-E) is a 3-year family medicine program sponsored by Community Health of Central Washington and affiliated with the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency Network.
University of Washington School of Medicine Chelan Rural Training Program
331 NE Thornton Place Seattle, WA 98125
1:2 rural training program based out of the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency. This unique program offers the best of both worlds as it combines the benefits of a large academic program with the hands-on,
St Peter Family Medicine Chehalis Rural Training Program
931 S. Market Blvd. Chehalis, WA 98532
Our residency is a high functioning Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), where you work with a tight knit team including family medicine faculty, medical assistants, a triage nurse, a nurse care navigator,
Aurora Lakeland RTT Family Medicine Residency
W3985 County Rd NN, Elkhorn, WI 53121
Our program is in the 1-2 format, with PGY1 in Milwaukee with the Aurora Family Medicine Residency, and PGY2/3 in Elkhorn Wisconsin. The Elkhorn/Lakeland area is a unique blend of agricultural and resort communities that offers a wide variety of training experiences for residents.
Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program
2669 N. Scenic Drive, Alamogordo, NM 88310
Our vision is to deploy well trained family physicians into our own community of Alamogordo as well as the surrounding rural areas within the southern part of our state. To that end,
Pierre Rural Family Medicine Residency
521 E. Sioux Ave., Pierre, SD 57501
The Pierre Rural Family Medicine Residency is devoted to providing an excellent education that prepares physicians for practice in South Dakota and other areas of the mostly rural upper Midwest.
University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency – Morgan County Rural Training Track
729 E. Railroad Ave., Fort Morgan, CO 80701
Morgan County RTT is a 1-2 program with the first year of training based at the University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency in Denver. The second and third years are in Fort Morgan,
HealthPartners Western Wisconsin Rural Family Medicine Residency Program
535 Hospital Road
This 1-2 rural training track provides a unique rural practice environment. The first year will be spent at Methodist Hospital in St Louis Park, MN, where we provide high volume inpatient care,
University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler Rural Family Medicine Residency – Pittsburg
2701 US Highway 271 N, Pitttsburg, TX 75686
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler Rural Family Medicine Residency – Pittsburg program is a rural training track that is independently accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education.
UNTHSC TCOM Rural Medical Education Program
3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107
The ROME Program at UNTHSC is an innovative educational program designed to prepare students for life and practice in a rural or underserved community. This rural medicine curriculum includes academic activities and clinical experiences that continue throughout all four years of undergraduate medical education.
University of Wisconsin Baraboo Rural Training Track Family Medicine Residency Program
1700 Tuttle St. Baraboo, WI 53913
Located just 45 minutes north of Madison, the Baraboo RTT Family Medicine Residency Program trains residents in a rural setting, providing them with a lifestyle that truly mimics private practice in a rural community.
UND Minot – CHI St. Alexius Health – Williston Medical Center/Rural Residency
1201 11th Avenue SW, Williston, ND 58701
The program emphasizes rural family medicine training in the setting where it is practiced. Residents enjoy a well-rounded first year in Minot, N.D., a small city of 47,000 and the subsequent two years in Williston,
UND Bismarck-Center for Family Medicine-Hettinger RTT
West River Health Regional Medical Center, 1000 Highway 12, Hettinger, ND 58639
The first year of residency is done in Bismarck at the core program. The last two years are done at the rural site in Hettinger. The core program has a strong 40 year history,
Swift River Rural Training Track
430 Franklin St. Rumford, ME 04276
At the Central Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency program, the only rural track in New England, students train at the Central Maine Medical Center, a community teaching hospital, for PGY-1.
Southern Colorado Family Medicine Alamosa Rural Training Track
1710 First St. Alamosa, CO 81101
The residents first year of training will take place in Pueblo Colorado, as part of a 40 year old family medicine training program with strengths in procedural training, to include OB,
Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program
1901 Redrock Dr. Gallup, NM 87301
RMCHCS is a private non-profit hospital located in Gallup, the county seat of McKinley County, in Northwest New Mexico. Our residency program is designed to train full-spectrum family medicine doctors to work in a rural context and to understand the nuances of caring for a largely Native American population.
Providence Oregon Family Medicine Residency Hood River Rural Training Program
810 12th Street, Hood River, Oregon 97031
We are a fully accredited ACGME 2-2-2 Rural Training Program located in beautiful Hood River, Oregon. Our program is designed to train full spectrum family physicians who are called to care for the needs of rural and underserved populations in the Northwest.
Oregon Health & Science University – Cascades East Family Medicine Residency
2801 Daggett Avenue, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601
Cascades East is a rurally-based three year residency program located in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It is university-administered through Oregon Health & Science University and community-based at Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls,
Ohio University Rural and Urban Scholars Pathways Program (RUSP)
1 Ohio University Irvine Hall 126, Athens, OH 45701
The Rural and Urban Scholars Pathways (RUSP) program helps prepare medical students to practice in underserved areas, both urban and rural. Through classroom preparation, rural and urban clinical experiences, and specialized professional development opportunities,
North Colorado Medical Center – Wray Rural Training Track
1017 West 7th St. Wray, CO 80758
The faculty of the Wray RTT believe that the best training to become a rural family physician is to BE a rural family physician. Following a robust 15 months education with NCFM in Greeley,
North Colorado Medical Center – Sterling Rural Training Track
615 Fairhurst Street Sterling, CO 80751
Following a robust first year with NCFM in Greeley, resident physicians move 100 miles northeast to Sterling, a community of 14,000, for years 2 and 3. An entirely longitudinal curricular approach is taken while in Sterling,
Wayne County Hospital RESST (Rural Expanded Surgical Skills Track) Fellowship
417 South East Street, Corydon, Iowa 50060
This is a 4th year of fellowship training offered by a Critical Access Hospital. The fellowship will provide procedural training in C-section, D & C, postpartum tubal ligation, upper and lower endoscopy and other surgical skills.
Hidalgo Medical Services Family Medicine Residency Program
1007 Pope Street, Silver City, NM 88061
The HMS Family Medicine Residency Program seeks to train the next generation of Family Medicine primary care physicians in a rural community health center environment, and prepare them to practice in rural,
Family Medicine Rural Training Track – Colville
1200 E. Columbia, Colville, WA 99114
It has been our privilege at Providence Northeast Washington Medical Group to have established the first Family Practice Rural Training Track site in the United States in 1986. The Colville Rural Training Track remains the longest running RTT in the United States.
Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana – Kalispell
401 W. Railroad St. Missoula, MT 59802
The Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana (FMRWM) is a 3-year family medicine program sponsored by The University of Montana and affiliated with the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency Network.
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, Inc., Magic Valley RTT
709 North Lincoln Jerome, ID 83338
South Central Idaho, commonly known as the “Magic Valley” due to the phenomenal growth of crops, is now also “magic” due to the medical community and the extremely broad training offered here.
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, Inc., Caldwell RTT
315 E. Elm St. , Suite 200 Caldwell, ID 83605
We develop outstanding family physicians to serve the citizens, the communities, and the state of Idaho.
- Well established residency program
- Committed faculty
- Unopposed program
- Clinic connected to hospital
- Real life rural experience
- Rural experience close to capital of Idaho
- Family friendly working-class with agriculture roots
- Community support
- Many year-round and healthy outdoor activities
For more information visit www.caldwellchamber.org
Cahaba Family Medicine Residency
405 Belcher St., Centreville, AL 35042
Cahaba Family Medicine Residency is an unopposed, community-based family medicine training program dually accredited by both the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).