Family Healthcare Network has joined forces with A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine at Arizona to recruit top students from Tulare & Kings Counties who wish to pursue a career in medicine.  As part of the unique “Hometown” program, Family Healthcare Network will encourage local students to “dare to dream” of becoming a physician.  According to Dr. Christopher Kolker, medical director for Family Healthcare Network, “The physician shortage in our nation hits areas like Tulare County particularly hard.  It is hard to recruit physicians to medically underserved areas and it is difficult to retain them.”  The perfect solution says Dr. Kolker is to find community residents who want to go to medical school and return to their hometown community to practice medicine.

    “Many of our young people don’t think college is a possibility – let alone medical school,” said Dr. Kolker.  “But the truth is that we are able to help through a unique partnership with ATSU.” The new medical school model will have students on the ATSU campus in Arizona for one year.  The second, third, and fourth years of medical school will be spent in small groups located at a community health center like Family Healthcare Network.

   Gary Cloud, Ph.D., director of Advancement at A.T. Still University, who oversees the Hometown program for ATSU, says, “We dare local children to dream of becoming a physician.  We give all community members the advantage of a health center advocate in pursuing their dreams.”

  People interested in finding out more about the Hometown program should contact Harry L. Foster at (559) 737-4777 or via email at hfoster@fhcn.org or visit www.atsu.edu.