HERMISTON, OR – On July 11, 2016, Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) welcomed two third-year medical students from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) in Yakima Washington. Both students, Megan Hubbard and Leif Sjoren have strong ties to the community, as Ms. Hubbard’s father-in-law spent time residing in Hermiston, and Mr. Sjoren is a Hermiston native. This is the third group of medical students that GSHCS has hosted from PNWU.
While at GSHCS these medical students will be completing rotations in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Women’s Health, Behavioral Medicine, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine. These rotations are meant to help medical students determine which area of medicine they would prefer to specialize in. In speaking with Ms. Hubbard and Mr. Sjoren, both are excited to be here in Hermiston. “With my father-in-law being from Hermiston I already knew a little of what to expect from the community. So far I have been spending time shadowing the providers at Family Health Associates and have been enjoying it,” said Ms. Hubbard. Mr. Sjoren, being from Hermiston is equally as excited to be here, “I’m really looking forward to each of my rotations and keeping an open mind as to what I may choose as a future specialty, but I do have a strong interest in general surgery. I think that each of the rotations will help make me a better and well-rounded doctor.”
Chief of Medical Staff at GSHCS, Gary Trupp, M.D., obstetrician and gynecologist, who has proctored the previous groups of PNWU medical students as they have done their rotations through the Good Shepherd Women’s Center, believes that PNWU is producing some great students who are willing to listen and get involved in their learning experience. “This is a great opportunity for us to expose medical students to practicing medicine in a rural setting. Medical students receive a well-rounded and diverse mix of skills during their time with us, ultimately helping them to become better doctors. And of course, our hope is that once these medical students complete their residencies they will remember the people and experiences they had at GSHCS and will return to practice medicine here and care for our community,” shared Dr. Trupp.
Medical students performing their rotations at GSHCS are not eligible for independent privileges and may perform authorized activities only under the personal and direct supervision of the sponsoring/supervising staff appointee who must be in attendance at all times when medical students engage in activities at GSHCS. A medical student may perform supervising physician-directed treatment plans that permit observation, assistance, and performance of evaluations and procedures under the direct observation of the supervising physician. Sponsoring/supervising physician(s) must introduce the medical student and explain presence to all patients whose care will be observed, and the patient must consent to such observations.
#### Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) is a progressive non-profit community health system located in Hermiston, Oregon founded in 1954 by a group of well-minded community members wanting to make an impact on the community by providing health care services in the form of a fully functioning acute care hospital. Accredited by Det Norske Veritas, GSHCS has grown to provide inpatient care, emergency services, same-day surgery, health education classes and events, and a wide range of outpatient imaging and lab services. Additional services include primary and specialty care offered by the Good Shepherd Medical Group, Home Health, Good Shepherd Clinic Pharmacy (with locations in Hermiston and Boardman), Vange John Memorial Hospice, Home Medical Equipment retail outlet, and the Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation.
