Welcome to the Office of Rural Medical Education!
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine / UNT Health Science Center

As a top 15 ranked U.S.  Medical School in Rural Medicine, the Rural Osteopathic Medical Education of Texas (ROME) at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine offers innovative programs in medical education to prepare participants for life and practice in rural environments.

Our Vision:
To be a national and international leader in Rural Medical Education.

Our Mission:
To prepare the osteopathic graduate for practice in a changing rural environment in the 21^st century.

Our Goals:  

• To provide a foundation for life and practice in a rural community.
• To prepare the graduate for acceptance into premier medical education programs.

ROME offers students the opportunity to participate in educational experiences that will prepare them for practicing medicine in a rural environment through the Rural Scholars Program.

Our Accomplishments:

• 77% of participants enter practice in a Primary Care Field
• 76% of participants choose a Primary Care Residency
• 41% of those participants choose a Family Practice Residency

Our Unique Features:

• Our rural scholars are first assist on just about every procedure they come across in the rural rotation.  They are given direct access to their field faculty and provided with immediate feedback as they learn.
• The rural faculty have a genuine personal commitment to helping educate the osteopathic physicians of tomorrow.  They often welcome student doctors into their homes, their churches and daily work lives.  What they teach is so much more than what is listed in the syllabus.  Rural scholars have the opportunity to actually “try on” the life of a rural physician to see how it fits.
• The communities that support our rural scholars are a shining example of Texas hospitality.  Student doctors are often housed by local families, providing a place to live and study while learning from the local physician.  These families are welcoming and gracious; a true sampling of how a community rallies to pitch in where needed.

-- Dr. John Bowling

To contact our office, you may e-mail us at ROME@unthsc.edu or call 817-735-2275.

HOW TO APPLY