SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Nearly 30 Alabama high school students interested in healthcare careers visited Coosa Valley Medical Center on Thursday, June 11 as part of the University of Alabama’s Rural Health Scholars and Rural Dental Health Scholars programs.
The group included 29 rising high school seniors from rural communities across Alabama. Twenty-three students were participating in the Rural Health Scholars (RHS) program, while six were enrolled in the Rural Dental Health Scholars (RDHS) program.
Students toured the hospital campus and heard from healthcare professionals about careers in medicine and dentistry. Accompanying them were college student counselors from the University of Alabama, most of whom were seniors studying fields including pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, nursing, and the business side of healthcare.
In attendance was Dr. Anthony Nix of Nix Family Medicine in Childersburg, who is also part of the Coosa Valley Medical Center medical staff. Nix, a native of Jemison, participated in the Rural Health Scholars program as a high school student and later completed the Medical Opportunities and Outreach in Rural Education Scholars (MOORES) program.
“I remember being in y’all’s shoes when I was in high school,” Dr. Nix told the students. “I grew up in a very, very small town. I loved the program when I was in it. Take advantage of it. This is the primary reason why I ended up settling in a smaller town. It certainly paved the way.”
Nix also credited program director Cynthia Moore with helping “jumpstart” his medical career and encouraged students to stay focused on their motivations for entering medicine.
“Remember why you wanted to get into medicine as you get older,” he said. “Whatever that motivation is, that will be what helps to keep you going.”
Moore said the Rural Health Scholars program was established in 1993 in response to Alabama’s ongoing shortage of rural physicians. The Rural Dental Health Scholars program was added in 2023.
“The goal of this program is to get more physicians in rural Alabama,” Moore said. “Depending on where you are in the state, you may not have access to good physicians. If you have somebody who cares about you, then you’ll do better and your community will as well.”
The RHS, RDHS, and MOORES programs are part of the UA Rural Health Leaders pipeline. Participants spend part of the summer living on campus, taking college courses, attending seminars, and visiting healthcare facilities across the state. This week alone, students also toured Bibb Medical Center, Fayette Medical Center, and Whitfield Medical Center in Demopolis before continuing their travels to Birmingham following Thursday’s visit.
