Rural Track Program – Berryville and Eureka Springs, AR

This program, starting July 1, 2023, follows the 1-2 format, 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 Arkansas.

Unique Features

Northwest Arkansas

  • The fastest growing region in the state with a growing population and economy, rapidly surpassing the central portion of our state where Little Rock is the capitol city.
  • Second to none in our state in terms of natural beauty, outdoor activities and has for many years been listed as one of America’s most desirable places to live, work, and raise families.
  • The two most populous counties (Washington and Benton) are directly adjacent to several other very rural and medically underserved counties (Carroll and Madison counties in particular), in which it is difficult to recruit and retain physicians to practice.
  • Many Arkansas medical students as well as those from other states seek to train in a program that will prepare them to return to the kind of rural communities that they would like to call home to practice Family Medicine.  This RTT program will provide such an opportunity and will be unique to the northwest region of Arkansas.
  • Two major northwest Arkansas medical systems with long-standing ties to UAMS-NW graduate medical education programs have committed to establish and support the development of this RTT FM residency program.
  • Washington Regional Medical Center in Washington county will be where the PGY1 curriculum is to be delivered and will also provide a rural Family Practice Center training site in Eureka Springs (Carroll county).
  • Mercy Health in Benton county has had an affiliated graduate medical education program with UAMS NW (Internal Medicine) for over 5 years and has committed to provide a rural Family Practice Center training site in Berryville, also in Carroll county.  Mercy Hospital of Berryville (a critical access hospital) will serve as the rural hospital training site for the RTT residents.

Additional Information

Berryville, Arkansas (Mercy System)

  • The Board of Directors of Mercy Hospital Berry is supportive of this new RTT program development and is anxious to work with the RTT program to provide support for the residents as they work with the medical staff, provide call room and work space and provide adequate nutrition.
  • The Board Chairman of the hospital is also the President and CEO of Cornerstone Bank, a local financial institution, and is excited about the opportunity to provide financial services, assist in helping the RTT residents to obtain affordable housing and to promote the retention of these newly trained family physicians to stay and practice in Carroll county.
  • The Mercy Family Clinic in Berryville group has been supportive of the program development and has already provided a detailed site visit to demonstrate their capabilities to become a rural Family Practice Center for the PGY2 and PGY3 residents to achieve their continuity clinic requirements.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas (Washington Regional system)

  • Eureka Springs is a quaint town with a large tourist industry, and provides shopping, local entertainment and a nice hospitality capacity including historic hotels and B&Bs.  This small community is a favorite to live in or to visit by people all over the state.
  • Washington Regional Family Clinic has been an established primary care clinic in this small town for decades and has committed to serve as a second Family Practice Center for the RTT residents’ continuity clinic requirement to be completed.
  • For those RTT residents who are assigned to the Eureka Springs clinic, their drive to the Berryville hospital takes between 30-40 minutes, depending upon traffic. Ideally, housing for the RTT residents would be somewhere in between the two towns.

Location