by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK, Meagan Barker, RN enjoys her job at Integris Baptist Hospital. Meagan works in the Cardiothoracic ICU. Meagan has been a nurse for 6 years and has worked at Integris for almost 4 years. “I just love my job here at Integris. I feel like I am really contributing to a loved one’s life,” she said.
Meagan attended Oklahoma City University for her nursing degree. When I asked Meagan what she wanted to be when she was a little girl, she answered, a chef. “My mom (who is also a nurse) persuaded me to go in another direction, so I decided that I would go for the nursing career instead. I have always had a desire to help others. Also, at one point, my aunt had cancer and was sick. I knew she was dying. I spent a lot of time at the hospital with my mom and I saw how the nurses were so compassionate and how helpful the nurses were. That was when I wanted to take care of others just like they did,” she said.
What qualities make a good nurse? “I think a nurse should have excellent leadership skills, and excellent communication skills. They also need to be very personable with the patients, knowing that compassion is everything,” Meagan replied.
“I feel like communication is so important for teamwork. I am so fortunate to work with some amazing nurses. Teamwork makes dream work. A nurse needs to know how heavily they rely on each other as a team. Like on a ship, if one doesn’t have teamwork, one drowns, they all drown,” Meagan said.
Meagan’s favorite part of her job is taking care of the patients. “Not only are my co-workers amazing, I also get to meet the different families, forming a bond between us. It’s a nice feeling,” Meagan added.
A typical day for Meagan begins early. “From the minute I walk into ICU, there is so much going on. We basically hit the ground running; Beeping alarms are heard throughout the day, never a quiet moment. Doctors and nurses are with the patients. After the many procedures are done and the patients are helped, the end of the work shift has come. We know we have had a productive day, helping others and we know that it is all worth it. It is a feeling of satisfaction that no one can take away,” Meagan said.
Meagan, along with the other nurses stays busy. They work 12 hour shifts, 3 days a week. “We have a 12-bed ICU. We usually have 9 nurses working all the time. The patients that are in ICU are very sick. Dealing with the heart, there are some inclusive procedures, along with the heart transplants. Integris Baptist Hospital is the only hospital in Oklahoma to do some of the extensive procedures. We have excellent doctors here and I am proud to work for such a great hospital,” Meagan said. “Working in ICU can be stressful at times but that is why patients come here. So we can take care of the patients to the best of our ability.”
Meagan’s spare time include spending time with her husband and family. One of my passions in life is running. I also like to cook. If I wasn’t a nurse, I would choose to own a bed and breakfast with a huge kitchen and add a bakery onto the side, she said with a smile.
What advice would you give to someone going into the medical field? “I would tell them the same advice someone gave me when I started. The honeymoon phase will start to wear off and when it does, take the time to celebrate the small things. The best thing about nursing is there are tons of opportunities for us. If you don‘t like one type of nursing, there is another type to choose from. Become a well-rounded nurse,” Meagan said.
I asked Meagan to describe herself. “I am a very caring, compassionate, goal oriented RN that works in the cardiothoracic ICU at Integris Baptist Hospital. I am proud to serve in the Army and Army reserves, unit 94th combat support hospital. I became a nurse to make a difference and help people. I love running with a passion; it is my stress reliever and after a very long day/week/month/year. Like being a nurse and running, I will never get tired of either one,” Meagan replied.

by Bobby Anderson, RN, Staff Writer

Karen Taylor, Oklahoma Nurses Association President, worked in psychiatric nursing for a number of years.
The fear of an unstable patient becoming aggressive was always a real possibility every time she set foot on the unit.
But the increasing threat of violence in many more nursing environments has the president of the Oklahoma Nurses Association on edge.
“It’s kind of disheartening that we have to listen to this and learn how to protect ourselves when we go into work,” Taylor said. “We go to work to care for people and nurture them but we have to be there in fight or flight mode nowadays.”
Taylor was speaking at the annual ONA Convention, held in Tulsa recently. This year’s convention – Empowering Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence – focused, in part, on violence in the workplace and offered nurses solutions to help them better protect themselves.
According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, healthcare workers are at an increased risk for workplace violence.
From 2002 to 2013, incidents of serious workplace violence (those requiring days off for the injured worker to recuperate) were four times more common in healthcare than in private industry on average.
In 2013, the broad “healthcare and social assistance” sector had 7.8 cases of serious workplace violence per 10,000 full-time employees. Other large sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and retail all had fewer than two cases per 10,000 full-time employees.
Speaker after speaker – from emergency room to women’s health clinic settings – shared their experiences with violence in the workplace during the ONA’s annual event.
Speakers from law enforcement and hospital security were also invited to share their perspectives and advice to the nursing profession.
“It’s very near and dear to my heart. It’s always been in my field,” Taylor said of the issue of violence in nursing.“I believe nurses are starting to speak out about it and they don’t want to be treated this way and that’s not what they’re here for.”
The ONA’s House of Delegates passing a workplace violence resolution that read, in part: “that the Oklahoma Nurses Association will no longer tolerate violence of any kind from any source. Nurses must be afforded the same level of respect and dignity as others … and nurses must make a commitment to and accept responsibility for establishing and promoting healthy interpersonal relationships with one another and with all members of the healthcare team.”
Workplace violence consists of physically and psychologically damaging actions that occur in the workplace or while on duty, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases an annual report about injuries and illnesses resulting in time away from work in the United States. In the health care and social assistance sectors, 13% of days away from work were the result of violence in 2013, and this rate has increased in recent years.
Examples of workplace violence included direct physical assaults (with or without weapons), written or verbal threats, physical or verbal harassment, and homicide.
The profession has always been one where nurses feel enduring a certain amount of violences is just part of the job.
“Part of it is perhaps (nurses) don’t know where the line is,” Taylor said. “Part of it is they don’t know their rights basically in situations like that. They probably need more education coming out of nursing school.
“I know when I was teaching I had nurses who told me they didn’t know about mental health because they were going to work in a medical hospital.
“Where do you think our patients go when they are ill?”
The two-day event also afforded nurses the opportunity to network and discuss evidence-based practice happening at their respective facilities.
“Seeing what nurses are doing,” Taylor said of her favorite part of the annual event. “I come from a rural area and I know there are a lot of publications by nurses but I don’t have time to read everything. And some of the publications I read are not from people I know so knowing people from Oklahoma, what they’re doing, the change they’re making, the voice they have in Oklahoma is great.”

http://okhca.org/xJobs.aspx?nJobPostingID=40749

by Vickie Jenkins – Writer/Photographer

Did you know that much of your physical pain stems from your feet and that pain can be eliminated? Welcome to Total Foot and Ankle, located at 3330 N.W. 56, Suite 6, in Oklahoma City, OK. Here you will see Dr. Scott Shields, a podiatry specialist. You will also see Tina Bridges, CPMA.
Tina grew up in Wetumka, Oklahoma, a small town in S.E. Oklahoma. “I have worked with podiatry for a little over 20 years now, working for different doctors in Oklahoma City. I have been at this location, working for Dr. Shields for 6 years. I love my job and can’t see doing anything else,” Tina said.
Tina’s typical day at work varies from day to day. “We see about 20 to 30 patients a day but that can change at the last minute, depending on different factors, like the weather or the patient’s situations. I take the patient back to the room and find out what is going on with them. Most of the time, the patients come in and their feet are killing them. They want some relief and that is what we are here to do. After an x-ray and talking to Dr. Shields, he has an answer for the patient,” Tina said. “I go over the treatments with the patients. We try to take care of the patient’s problem as soon as we can. We try to make the patient feel as comfortable as we are able,” Tina said.
“I love seeing the patients and getting to know them. I love to meet new people. Talking is my favorite thing to do,” Tina commented with a laugh. “I am definitely a people person,” she added. “In fact, I’ve never met a stranger.”
What qualities make a good nurse? “Well, I think a nurse needs a lot of patience for her patients. The way I see it, you have to listen to your patient and focus on what they need ASAP. My biggest challenge is when the patient doesn’t listen to the doctor, and they really don’t do what he is telling them to do. When they don’t listen to the doctor, really listen, it slows down their healing process and sometimes, if they don’t comply, it is like a step back and it puts them back to when they first came to see Dr. Shields,” Tina replied. “My advice, do exactly what Dr. Shields says to do,” she added.
Tina has quite a few family members in the medical field. “My grandmother was an LPN, my aunt Rita and I worked together for Dr. Wade at one time and we still work together here for Dr. Shields. I guess I just followed in their footstep as far as that goes,” she said. “It’s kind of like a family tradition now.”
What advice would you give someone going into the medical field? “The best thing I could tell someone is, pay attention no matter what! You are there to learn. Do not quit! When you work for a doctor, cling to his every word. If you do dictation for him, it has to be right! Why, it has to be perfect! One little mistake could make a big difference,” Tina replied.
Now, a few facts about Tina. When Tina was a little girl, she had a dream of being a racecar driver. Tina has two sons 32 and 21. She has two dogs; one Blue Heeler, Herder and one Mutt, Sissy. Tina’s hobbies include gardening, anything outdoors, pool side entertainment and the most exciting hobby, RACING CARS. She grew up racing cars at the fairgrounds on the dirt track. She loves the NHRA (National Hot rod Association) racecars and NASCARS. (National Associate for Stock Cars) Tina, a sweet and gentle person at work, a need for speed, racing cars in her spare time! Ha…Who would have known?
Asking Tina to describe herself, she said, “I’m just a fun-loving out-going girl,” she laughed. “I want to be known for my happy self and my contagious smile. The words I lives by, “Don’t be that guy!” Last but not least, she was asked to sum up her life in one word. “WOW!”
All in all, Tina is a loving, caring individual that takes care of the patients. She is also a bit of a dare devil, seeking the adventurous life on a race track! Tina, you have the bests of both worlds!

Jim “Steve” Mayhan has more to be thankful for this November as he returns to work after suffering from a severe stroke earlier this year.
Mayhan is a deputy sheriff at the Garvin County Courthouse in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. On Aug. 16, Mayhan was returning from lunch and grabbed a door handle, feeling like he was shocked, then going completely paralyzed on one side of his body.
Mayhan was able to drag himself down a hallway to get the attention of one of his deputies who called 911. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics told him he needed to be transported to an Oklahoma City hospital by helicopter, but when he took a turn for the worse, the helicopter diverted to Norman Regional HealthPlex in Norman. Upon arrival to the HealthPlex, Mayhan remembers Matthew Bonner, MD, emergency medicine physician, calling a “code stroke.”
Dr. Bonner told Mayhan they needed to do a computed tomography (CT) scan to see if there was bleeding on his brain, and if there was, he would need to go directly into surgery.
“It was very scary, but we did the CT scan and thank God there was no bleeding on the brain,” Mayhan said.
Mayhan was then given a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). A tPA has to be administered within four hours of a stroke to be effective.
After stabilizing Mayhan, Norman Regional’s EMSSTAT paramedic team transported him to Norman Regional Hospital, which is home to the health system’s stroke program and dedicated stroke unit. He was admitted directly into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Mayhan said the first night in ICU was long and scary, as he couldn’t feel one of his arms, but he was surprised and excited the next day when he was able to lift his hand.
From the ICU, Mayhan was transferred to the Progressive Care Unit (PCU) before going to Inpatient Rehabilitation. His entire stay totaled nine days.
“I’m glad [the medical flight team] came here because I had a good experience. I have nothing but praise for Norman Regional. I was expected to be in Rehab for two weeks, but instead I was only there for three days. The doctors and nurses kept calling it a ‘remarkable recovery,’ which was the result of the tPA, but they also acknowledged that it had to do with lots of prayers,” Mayhan said. “The doctors, nurses and entire staff—everybody was really good and so caring to us.”
Becky, Mayhan’s wife, said that everyone she came in contact with was good to her and everyone explained everything in detail so she was never left unsure about Mayhan’s treatment plan. Becky stayed by Mayhan’s side the entire nine days. The nurses even showed her a place where she could shower and clean up without having to leave her husband.
“It was a very scary time, but it was a very good experience. This hospital is one of the things to be thankful for—we have a big circle of things to be thankful for this year and God orchestrated it all,” Becky said.
Mayhan walked into the HealthPlex less than two months after his stroke to personally thank Dr. Bonner and his other emergency medicine doctors for saving his life.
Dr. Bonner said he was happy to see how well Mayhan has recovered, commenting on the fact that no one would even be able to tell he recently recovered from a stroke.
“I love hearing ‘thank you,’ especially in person—it means a lot,” Dr. Bonner told Mayhan.
Mayhan is still attending outpatient physical therapy sessions, as well as doing follow up visits with Brett Dees, MD, a board-certified neurologist. Dr. Dees released him back to work this month.
“Dr. Dees is super. He has the best bedside manner I’ve ever seen. He sits and talks to you and makes you feel like you’re somebody important,” Mayhan said.
Now that Mayhan is back to work, he said he’s busy, but feeling great and it seems like everything is smoothing out again.
“I’m very thankful to have this time to just visit after all the dark times we went through. It finally feels like I’m back to my normal life,” Mayhan said.

To me nursing is …? Oklahoma Nurses Association Annual Convention

Lifelong learning. I started out naive thinking it was giving shots and putting on Band-Aids.

Karen Taylor, APRN

The profession that encompasses practically all the other professions.

Allen Nottingham, RN

It’s about giving to others and getting lost in service to others.

Denise Barnett, RN

Simple – caring, compassion, accountability and teamwork.

Marticia Hurley, RN

Q. I work in health care. I am disillusioned and stressed. I am a nurse but operate more as a secretary. I never wanted to be a secretary. I wanted to work at the bedside taking care of sick patients. I am looking at the curriculum to be a hair stylist. I need suggestions on how to decide the fate of my career. — Jane

A. You included in your question that you have made the following list of the good things about nursing:
* Bedside nursing – I love taking care of my patients.
* 12 hour shifts – Sometimes the 12 hours can be very demanding and tiring but it helps me have more time with my family.
* Flexibility and opportunity – There are many different types of nursing, i.e., hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, rehab centers, etc.
* Education – I have so many opportunities to advance my knowledge and continue learning.
* Benefits – The insurance appears to be good even though my co-pays have gone up.
The bad things – (also known as why I might want to be a hair stylist)
* Unappreciated – I can count on one hand the number of times in the past few months that I have ever received a “good job” from my manager.
* Understaffed – I usually arrive in a good mood and often I find out that we do not have enough nurses and I will now have 6 or 7 very sick patients to provide quality care and keep my pleasant attitude.
* MY HEALTH – I was not taking any medication when I started this job. I am now taking medication for anxiety and I have gained weight. “What is happening.”
* Secretarial Duties – I did not go into nursing to spend so much damn time in front of the computer doing mindless charting, answering phones, making copies, etc.
* Too many hats – I am a nurse and a secretary but I am spending way too much time with mindless charting and answering the endless phone calls.
Jane sums up her dilemma with the following:
So as I look at what I need to do to change careers I am sad. And frustrated. And angry. I graduated from nursing school only to find that nursing seems to be secondary. I am also sad. — Jane

The National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Health and Human Services have awarded the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation three new grants totaling $5.7 million.
The federal grants span from two to five years and will support the work of a pair of OMRF scientists who are investigating different aspects of autoimmune disease: Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., and Joan Merrill, M.D.
In autoimmune disease, the body mistakenly turns its immune system against itself. Researchers have identified more than 80 autoimmune illnesses, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Together, these conditions affect as many as 23.5 million Americans.
“There’s a profound need to improve our understanding and treatment of autoimmune diseases,” said James, who also serves as OMRF’s Vice President of Clinical Affairs. “By integrating laboratory studies with patient-oriented research, we hope to accelerate the process of delivering better and more effective care to patients.”
Designated by the NIH as one of only 10 Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence in the U.S., OMRF has long been recognized as a world leader in autoimmune disease research and treatment. OMRF’s clinics provide comprehensive care for patients living with these illnesses, and the foundation’s scientists have played a role in identifying 65 of the 101 known genes for lupus.
The new awards are:
* A $4.37 million grant to James to better understand autoimmune illnesses characterized by pain in the muscles and joints. The project, called the Oklahoma Rheumatic Disease Resources Core Center, will provide resources to help scientists investigate and uncover potential treatments for diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The project is supported by the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases under award number P30 AR073750.
* A $1 million award to Merrill to improve recruitment of minority patients to clinical trials of new therapies for lupus.
* A $350,000 grant to Merrill to study the impact of common lupus treatments on the degree to which specific genes are making blueprints (RNA) for proteins that regulate the immune system. This will allow better selection of therapies for individual lupus patients based on their underlying immune profiles.
Funding for these projects will be provided by grants from the Dept. of Defense/U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (W81XWH-18-1-0693), and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (CPIMP181167).
“OMRF researchers have consistently been at the forefront of research on autoimmune diseases,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “With this new round of grants, they’ll lay the groundwork for the next generation of breakthroughs.”

by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

Valir Hospice Care is a family of dedicated professionals who care for terminally ill patients, providing them and their families with physical, psychological, social and spiritual support. Using individualized pain and symptom management plans, hospice team works to enhance the patient’s quality of life.
Meet Kristal Vasquez, RN, Community Educator Liaison with Valir Hospice. Kristal grew up in the Midwest City and Moore areas of Oklahoma. “I was blessed to spend my summers in Las Vegas with my father,” she said. “I went to nursing school at Moore Norman technology, where I received my LPN education, then Rose State for an associate in nursing science and OCU for my bachelor’s in nursing science. I am currently enrolled in Maryville University pursuing my masters in adults/geriatric primary care,” she stated.
Kristal has been a nurse for 16 years. The first job that she had as a nurse was Dialysis. “When I was little, I wanted to be a wife and a mother and a barber. Actually, after high school, I cut hair for 6 years while I was thinking about going to nursing school,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t know why it took me so long,” she added.
“I have worked for Valir for 3 years now and I have to say, I love my job! I love the interaction and relationship with the patient and their loved one. I have been blessed to meet so many amazing individuals and learn something from each one of them,” Kristal commented.
What is your biggest challenge about your job? “The biggest challenge is the fact that it is hard to see the patients go. Sometimes, we get so attached to the patient; it feels like losing a family member. That can be so rough at times,” Kristal said.
Asking Kristal what qualities make a good nurse, she replied, “I think a nurse should be caring, compassionate, kind, ethical, knowledgeable and hardworking.”
Qualities for a nurse with Hospice. “It’s pretty close to the same thing but I would add, honesty, dedication and mentally sound,” she replied.
Did anyone have an influence on you becoming a nurse? “Yes, my best friend, Jeany Neely encouraged me to join her in applying for nursing school when all the nursing shortages were all of the media reports. We both applied and we were both accepted and here I am. We lost Jeany in the last big tornado that hit Moore. She was such a dedicated LPN that served her residents well. Of course, I miss her but think of her often.”
Kristal’s greatest reward about her job is the blessing of being a part of someone’s end of life journey. “I have witnessed some amazing things as a patient peacefully passes on. I would like to teach others the importance of being with your loved one at the end of their life. So many of us are so busy in this hectic world that we miss the big picture. I am guilty of that myself with nursing and school,” she said.
What advice would you give someone that wanted to become a nurse? “I would tell them that it is a tough job and it is so important to think about self-care and personal needs. As nurses, we often run on empty and we don’t even realize it. Take time for yourself so you don’t burn out,” she said.
On a personal note, Kristal is married; 18 years and going strong! They have 2 children. Their pets include 2 dogs. She likes to spend time with the family, whether it is at the lake or traveling. Her greatest asset at work is her knowledge and skills. I asked Kristal where she saw herself in five years. “I have no idea what God has in store for me but I am excited about the next step. As a practitioner, I am hoping to have full practice authority and have a practice that holistically treats the elderly population. I want to educate patients on natural medical treatment optional.”
Summing up Kristal Vasquez, RN, Community Education Liaison with Valir Hospice, the words caring, kind and advocate are very appropriate. Thank you Kristal for being the person you are.

OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation is an additional location of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine

photo and story as published in the Anadisgoi news of the Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences today announced the establishment of the nation’s first college of medicine to be located at a tribal health facility in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, set to open in 2020.
The new OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation will be an additional location of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine has received approval from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation for an additional location in Tahlequah, pending a satisfactory site visit in the spring of 2020.
Current plans call for the enrollment of an inaugural class of 50 students, starting in the fall of 2020 with a total of 200 students when fully operational. The new medical college will be located at the W.W. Hastings Hospital campus, 100 S. Bliss Ave, and will occupy approximately 60,000 square feet. Renovation work to accommodate the new medical college will take place once existing patient services have been relocated to a new outpatient health facility on the same medical campus. The new 469,000—-square—-foot outpatient health facility is expected to be complete in 2019.
“The establishment of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation is the culmination of years of work and is part of our steadfast commitment to making Cherokee Nation’s health care not only the best in Indian country, but the best in the state of Oklahoma,” said Bill John Baker, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “Recruiting primary care physicians to practice within the Cherokee Nation’s 14—-county jurisdiction remains a constant struggle. We admire and support OSU Center for Health Sciences’ efforts to populate rural Oklahoma with doctors from rural Oklahoma. That mission will create healthier families and communities in northeast Oklahoma and improve the lives of Cherokees for the next seven generations.”
The creation of the nation’s first tribally affiliated medical school falls directly in line with Oklahoma State University’s mission as a land grant university,” noted OSU President Burns Hargis. “Chief Baker and the Cherokee Nation share a mission with the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine to provide primary care physicians for rural and medically underserved areas of the state. What better way to achieve those goals than partnering together to bring a new center of medical learning to the Cherokee people?”
“Chief Baker and the Cherokee Nation understand the severe physician shortage crisis in rural Oklahoma and share our vision of populating rural and tribal areas of our state with OSU—-trained primary care physicians,” said Kayse Shrum, D.O., OSU—-CHS president and OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine dean. “Our partnership with the Cherokee Nation has deepened over the past 12 years. In 2006, our medical students started completing clinical rotations at W.W. Hastings Hospital. In 2009, we established a family medicine residency program in Tahlequah. We now have the opportunity to take this partnership to the next level through the creation of a new college of medicine. I can’t think of a better way to attract and train primary care physicians for rural and underserved Oklahoma than to train them in rural communities such as Tahlequah.”
“This new site will give our young people a place to learn and to become doctors while staying close to home,” Baker said. “Having medical students hone their skills right here in Tahlequah is a win—-win for the Cherokee Nation. Our people will have access to doctors, making northeast Oklahoma a great place to work, to live and to raise a family.”
The Cherokee Nation health system is a closed system, like the VA system, meaning it serves a single population – in this case, Native Americans. That means many patients exclusively utilize the Cherokee Nation health care system from birth to death and can be monitored for their long—-term health. This new partnership will also yield groundbreaking research on health issues affecting Native American populations: data analytics, population health, precision medicine and epigenetics. The list of potential research collaboration is endless. Lives will be made better because of discoveries made possible through this partnership.
Nationally, only 0.2 percent of medical school students are Native American. At OSU—-COM that percentage is as high as 16 percent some years.
A large number of OSU—-trained physicians are already practicing medicine in northeast Oklahoma because of the success of the OSU residency programs in Tahlequah. Data shows that each physician brings about $1 million in economic stimulus to a community. The combination of better access to medical care and the economic boost is a huge win for these communities.
OSU Center for Health Sciences has already begun implementing recruiting strategies to identify biomedical and clinical faculty and potential students for the new site. OSU—-CHS plans to leverage its long—-established relationship with Northeastern State University in Tahlequah to attract students. NSU is already a part of OSU—-CHS’ 3+1 Program, which allows rural students to gain admission into OSU—-COM after their sophomore year of college and start medical school following the completion of their junior year. The process streamlines the combined eight—-year undergraduate/medical education into seven years.
Oklahoma suffers from a chronic and worsening physician shortage. OSU Center for Health Sciences estimates the new site will have in total up to 200 medical students in training by the time the first class graduates in 2024.