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Rural Medicine Education Symposium: The Rural Impact 2026

Porscha Fuller
Porscha Fuller

By: Porscha Fuller

The University of Mississippi School of Medicine IMPACT the RACE (ItR) will host the fifth annual Rural Medicine Education Symposium – The Rural Impact 2026. ItR a Health Resources & Services Administration grant funded project, is geared to enhance rural medical education for students, with the goal to increase primary care physicians throughout rural communities in Mississippi. This free continuing education event will be held on the UMMC campus at the Norman C. Nelson Student Union on February 20 and February 21, 2026. Physician educators contribute to improving the health of the public by delivering patient care and developing excellent and comprehensive educational programs along the continuum of medical education, including for students, residents, fellows, and independently practicing physicians. Through this symposium, ItR will provide a forum to exchange best practices for the various medical educational programs statewide and topics that affect rural care. 

Physicians, administrators, educators, and trainees will be able to:

  1. Examine the system issues that impact the provision of care for patients in rural communities.
  2. Explore best practices for management of certain patient populations in rural communities.
  3. Review tools that may be helpful in the provision of care for patients in rural communities.
  4. Define ways to leverage medical education to support rural health care providers. 

Registration for the Spring Rural Medicine Education Symposium will open soon. The Rural Impact 2026 symposium will feature expert speakers from around the state on rural medicine, business, policy, and workforce development. On Friday evening, attendees can look forward to a scholarship ceremony for medical students who pledge to practice rural primary care, and a research poster session. Saturday will include informative plenary sessions, a panel discussion, and a skills training session.  We encourage you to mark your calendars and share this invitation with anyone who may benefit from attending. CE Credits will be offered!