By Hillary C. Wright, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Whitney LeAnn Davis of Hanson, Ky., a student at Campbellsville University, has been selected as a recipient of the Trover Rural Scholarship.
Davis, a 2007 graduate of Madisonville North Hopkins High School, is a sophomore at Campbellsville University.
The Trover Rural Scholar Program is a prestigious program established in 2002. The program is for students from one of 23 rural Western Kentucky counties who want to become physicians and come back to similar communities. If accepted, the student will receive an academic scholarship for their last three years of college. The student will also attend and participate in a four-week summer session each year, for which a $900 stipend is provided.
This year the summer session was from July 7 through Aug. 1.
Davis, a biology major and chemistry minor, said the program required her to complete an application with letters of recommendation, grades, test scores and an essay. However, she said she loved every aspect of it.
“The Trover Rural Scholar Program provides pre-med students with diverse experiences in rural medicine ranging from conducting free sixth grade physicals in surrounding counties, shadowing a doctor in the specialty of the students' choosing, attending tutorials to better prepare students for classes they will be taking in the following fall semester, working case studies with second-year medical students and the head of the program, and reading a biography to increase patient sensitivity,” said Davis. “It gave me a holistic view of what it would be like to practice medicine in a rural community.”
Davis said participating in the program could also earn early acceptance into the University of Louisville Medical School. “After completing the program and the following fall semester of college, students e-mail the coordinator of the program saying whether or not they are interested in early assurance acceptance to U of L Medical School within the Trover Rural Track,” said Davis.
“Dr. William Crump [head of the program] and others will then review the students' performances in the program and determine if they will nominated for the early assurance. If the student is accepted, he/she will schedule a medical school interview as early as spring semester of their sophomore year,” said Davis.
If the student passes the interview, they will be granted early acceptance provided they finish their bachelor's degree with all the medical school prerequisites, as well as meeting other requirements.
Davis said she would highly recommend this program to anyone considering a career in medicine. “The experiences I had this summer are truly irreplaceable and ones I will never forget,” Davis said. “Seeing other people serve the community in healthcare and taking an active role myself through different aspects of the program forever changed the way I view my future role in our health care system.”
For details and more information on the Trover Rural Scholar Program, call 1-800-998-5100, or visit www.troverhealth.org.
Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 2,601 students who represent 93 Kentucky counties, 27 states and 31 foreign nations. Listed in U.S.News & World Report's 2009 “America's Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 22nd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South for the second consecutive year. CU has been ranked 16 consecutive years with U.S.News & World Report. The university has also been named to America's Best Christian Colleges®. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his tenth year as president.