Ryan Clark, Rural Physician Associate Program
Riverwood Healthcare Center is pleased to welcome Ryan Clark, a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School – Duluth 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, Clark 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, Clark will also learn about obstetrics and gynecology care and spend time observing surgical care from local surgeons. He will see patients in clinic, hospital, emergency room, nursing homes, hospice and within the community.
A native of Esko, Minn., Clark completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a BS degree in biomedical engineering with an emphasis on cell and tissue engineering. In 2012, he did a one-month summer internship in medicine at the Cloquet Community Hospital, and from 2011 to 2013 he participated in five weeks of clinical rotations at the Moose Lake clinic and hospital.
“I grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota so I feel very at home here and everyone is so friendly and welcoming,” says Ryan Clark. “My interest in the field of medicine developed as I worked as a nursing assistant at a nursing home in Carlton during my high school years and breaks from college. I read a lot about diseases and soon developed a desire to further my work in the healthcare field.”
Clark adds: “I’m amazed at how much Riverwood has to offer patients for a small rural community. The integrated clinic and hospital environment supports quick access to consulting with other doctors and making hospital rounds. I really look forward to becoming acquainted with patients and learning from those who will mentor me in the months ahead.”
Clark will be living in the Aitkin area and working at Riverwood through the end of June. For hobbies, he enjoys automotive repair, stamp collecting, biking, running and weight lifting.