Rural and Urban Scholars in Community Health

Preparing Future Medical Students

RUSCH is designed to support students who are passionate about addressing health disparities and serving rural, urban and tribal communities in Wisconsin. The program is open to undergraduate students enrolled at any campus within the Universities of Wisconsin, including Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Parkside, Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Stout, Superior and Whitewater.

Students from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation college students, those from underserved or underrepresented communities and economically disadvantaged, are encouraged to apply.

RUSCH gives you the opportunity to increase your exposure to careers in medicine. You’ll work side by side with UW physicians, faculty and medical students and develop knowledge, skills and attitudes to strengthen your application to medical school.

Medically underserved areas in rural and urban Wisconsin need physicians now and the need will continue to grow. RUSCH prepares students well for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s two medical education training programs:

• Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM)
• Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH)

How to Apply 

Program Structure

RUSCH is a two-year longitudinal program that includes research and enrichment internships, health equity seminars and field trips to underserved rural and urban areas, MD admissions workshops and advising, and career development.

• The Academic Year Enrichment Experience spans one year after summer one and links RUSCH students to mentors, provides seminars on various medical and health care topics, and facilitates student involvement in research and community service. The RUSCH academic year offerings enhance the existing pre-med advising and campus health career organization programming at our partner campuses and provides MCAT preparation support.
• Research Summer Experience offers an eight-week research experience coordinated by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Students live on campus at UW-Madison and participate in MD admissions workshops, health equity seminars, campus experience, community service and field trips to Wisconsin areas with health disparities.
• Community Summer Experience is an eight-week summer enrichment program that provides academic seminars and community health hands-on work experience. Students encounter public health concepts and community health resources while they participate in community health improvement projects and work with underserved populations through Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) internship placements.