Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome Danielle Francen, a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, who is participating in the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP).
Through the RPAP program, a third-year medical student lives in a rural community for nine months and participates in rotations of hospital and clinic care of patients under the supervision of local physicians. In October, Francen began seeing patients with Dr. Don Hughes, Riverwood Family Practice physician who acts as the primary mentor and trainer for resident physicians and medical students at Riverwood.
In the months ahead, Francen will also learn about obstetrics and gynecology care and spend time observing surgical care from local surgeons. She will see patients in clinic, hospital, emergency room, nursing homes, hospice and within the community.
A native of Ham Lake, Minn., Francen completed her undergraduate studies at the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities, earning a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry. Her interest in practicing medicine grew out of her experience working as a nursing assistant in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes for four years.
“I completed a three-week internship at Riverwood in summer 2015, working with Dr. Hughes in both the Aitkin and Garrison clinics,” Francen says. “So I’m familiar with Riverwood and know I’ll have a great experience here learning about rural health care and becoming acquainted with local patients.”
Francen will live in the Aitkin area and work at Riverwood through the end of June 2017. For hobbies, she enjoys biking, golfing and lots of outdoor activities with her two sisters and parents, including frequent visits to the family cabin on Serpent Lake in Deerwood.
