The Tuscaloosa Rural Pre-Medical Internship is celebrating its fifth year of preparing future rural physicians through clinical experiences, skills training and mentorship.
Established in 2021 as part of the College of Community Health Sciences’ Rural Health Leaders Pipeline, TRPI was created to encourage university students from rural Alabama to pursue careers in medicine and return to practice in their communities.
The pipeline is a sequence of programs from high school through medical school that recruits students from rural Alabama who are interested in becoming physicians and other healthcare professionals in rural communities.
“We are proud of the success and accomplishments of our students over the years,” said Candace Lacey, Rural Programs coordinator.
The College recently welcomed 10 students to this year’s TRPI program.
The seven-week program allows students to learn about the health needs of rural Alabama residents, particularly in the specialties of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Students also gain a better understanding of the day-to-day life of family physicians. In addition, the program seeks to enhance their understanding of medical school and increase their competitiveness for admission.
The students also receive interactive, hands-on training in clinical skills such as suturing or stitching wounds, basic life support and blood pressure assessment.
In addition, the program also provides mentorship in medical school preparation, including guidance for the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT.
To be eligible for TRPI, students must have completed four semesters of undergraduate coursework, earned an overall GPA in the B range or higher and scored at least 22 on the ACT or 1200 on the SAT. Only rural Alabama residents are accepted.
Learn more about CCHS Rural Programs on the College’s website.
The 2026 TRPI Class:
- Arlie Armstrong, of Hatton
- Benjamin Bruce, of Collinsville
- Evelyn Carroll, of Haleyville
- Katey Glass, of Linden
- Tailan Hall, of Tanner
- Cheryl Harden, of Tuskegee
- Mason Miller, of Springville
- Aaron Peck, of Killen
- Samuel Segarra, of Deatsville
- Jack Simmons, of Geneva