SIU Medicine’s charter class of rural physicians ready for residency, greener pastures

When you grow up in a town of 3,000 residents, you know every amenity won’t be readily available. But when Blake Laird, MD, saw a basic need like health care continually slip away, it caused him to reevaluate his career path.

In New Baden, an Illinois town a half-hour east of the Metro-East area, Laird saw his neighbors, friends and family pay the price as the local doctor wouldn’t stay long. It forced residents to travel a considerable distance for basic care.

“A lot of the people I knew would not drive over to O'Fallon or Belleville for their care,” Laird said. “If it wasn't immediately accessible, they were just going to skip it.”

His interest in family medicine evolved into a mission after he job-shadowed a few physicians as an undergraduate. The direct, in-person aspect of the work appealed to him, and he was a small-town guy at heart.

Then the Lincoln Scholars Program (LSP) at SIU School of Medicine launched, and Laird found the perfect match. Initiated in 2019 to create a pipeline to train physicians with a focus on rural medical care, the program graduated its inaugural class on May 18, 2024, including:

•    Owen Alford-Bichsel, son of Bruce and Theresa Alford of Quincy, and spouse of Paige Alford-Bichsel
•    Madison Funneman, daughter of Richard and Theresa Funneman of Smithboro
•    Blake Laird, son of Kevin and Sheila Laird of New Baden, and spouse of MacKenzie Kellogg
•    Tyler Natof, son of Dave and Tammy Natof of Rio
•    Madison Nelson, daughter of Mike and Hannah Nelson of Jacksonville

The five students – whose hometowns’ cumulative population is ~60,000 – received their doctorate degrees at the 50th annual commencement ceremony in Springfield, walking the stage with the other 74 members of the Class of 2024 to help create the largest number of physicians to ever receive degrees in the school’s history.

A new, personal level of rural care

Training for the scholars deviates from the medical school’s standard track in critical ways. The program’s timeline is June to June, and the students remain in downstate Illinois all four years, rather than relocating to Springfield for years 2 through 4.

Learners are strategically chosen both for their academic potential and for their experience in, and dedication to, rural Illinois. The unique MD track gave the cohort of students the knowledge, skills and perspective to provide care in rural areas. 

“We wanted to get the students closer to where the action is: with the patients, to better understand their needs,” said Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH. “Research has shown a link between a physician’s connection to rural areas and their subsequent practice of rural medicine. The immersion in rural care is structured to deliver a much greater, well-rounded education with this program.” 

The curriculum is innovative and accelerated, with an emphasis on continuous clinical experience beginning in the first weeks of the program. During the first year, the LSP students train alongside SIU Medicine’s physician assistant learners. This team interaction is not done anywhere else in the United States.

Students can also specialize. During their second year, they have 6-week clerkship rotations in neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics, emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery and obstetrics-gynecology. For example, Dr. Madison Nelson will be studying neurology at Indiana University during her residency. 

The start of the next generation

Building momentum since the first year, the class of ’24 found its footing, out of both necessity (dealing with pandemic protocols) and innovation (a hallmark of SIU School of Medicine).

“A lot of our growth happened after we realized something we needed to add,” said Dr. Owen Alford, a member of the charter group. “The class below us had a lot of things we did not, and the class below them got even more. We kept building as we went, but it's not like we were at a disadvantage. We all passed our boards and scored above the national average as a cohort. Someone has to build the foundation.”

Under the current leadership of Dr. Jennifer Rose (right) and Dr. Christy Hamilton, the program is bustling. Each of the current classes have eight students, and a new cohort is lined up to begin classes this June. 

The program was the brainchild of Dr. James Daniels, former SIU professor of family and community medicine and architect of the program, and Cheri Kelly, an associate professor with the School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program. 

Kelly knows firsthand what it is like to be a student pioneer. “I was in the first class of physician assistants that SIU trained. It is important for students to be flexible, as there are always changes. But it is truly special to be a ‘first’ and be part of something big and new.”

For Dr. Alford, that modest class size and one-on-one learning style present distinct advantages for those interested in becoming “country docs.”

“You’re getting extra clinical experience with no hierarchy of residency getting in the way. You have so many more opportunities,” Alford said. 

“If you believe in yourself, if you take that confidence that you're getting from seeing all these additional patients early and use it, it really does enhance your medical education.”