by Cindy A. Abole, Public Relations

They’re getting valuable experience they won’t see in a city hospital ward, family practice office or clinic.

Now, thanks to support from continuing federal and other state-wide resources, more South Carolina health profession students can participate in a unique interdisciplinary experience known as SCRIPT.

The product of collaborative efforts between MUSC and Low Country Area Health Education Center (AHEC) since 1993, the South Carolina Rural Interdisciplinary Program of Training (SCRIPT) challenges students within 10 health profession disciplines to practice health care in rural communities of South Carolina.

The program is a unique blend of health care professionals representing fields in family medicine, health administration, nurse midwifery, nurse practitioner, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, physician assistant, public health, speech and language pathology who work together in interdisciplinary teams to gain cultural competence throughout eight rural counties of the state.

Students are invited from three academic institutions— South Carolina State University, University of South Carolina and MUSC—to participate. “In many cases, students can go through an entire rotation or training program and not experience work with other disciplines. They need to know that when they go out and practice within communities, they interact with a variety of health professionals,” said David A. Hislop, associate director of Low Country AHEC.

The organization provides clinical placement and supervision, grant management and other services in the Lowcountry area and throughout the state. Initiated from a federal program associated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, the Bureau of Health Professions, SCRIPT grew from a unique concept designed in collaboration with South Carolina AHEC, MUSC’s colleges of nursing and health professions. SCRIPT serves as a model for other rural interdisciplinary programs throughout the country.

Under the leadership of Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs and provost, additional SCRIPT funding from MUSC has increased the number of eligible students in 1998 to 60 participants. Other grant benefits include improved student assistance, expansion of additional faculty and community based support.

Interested students must be enrolled in an MUSC health profession program, complete a minimum of one clinical course and be registered with their respective academic institutions. According to Hislop, the state’s focus for SCRIPT is directed towards cultural competence, interdisciplinary practice of rural lifestyles and the reality of working within rural settings.

SCRIPT students choose between two five-week work schedules offered during spring or summer within matched counties—Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper and Orangeburg. Students begin by utilizing classroom time which involves reading and course work, exposure to specialized institutions through field trips, and participation in a four-week clinical rotation within their matched placement site.

Participants will also receive up to a $500 stipend, possible travel reimbursement and housing locator assistance which places students within communities of local families they serve. Applicants must be sponsored by a Low Country AHEC SCRIPT staff member and obtain approval from a faculty campus-liaison. SCRIPT has already received wide acclaim. Students rate the experience very highly and have become the most effective recruiters for the program as they report to their fellow students about their experiences throughout the Lowcountry.

Speaking recently at a gathering of MUSC physician assistant students at the Harper Student Center were MUSC alumni Vickie Glover and Angela Hampton. Both completed their SCRIPT experience in summer 1997.

Working as a physician assistant student in Barnwell County, Glover remembered unique work activities which include visits to rural health clinics at the Estill Federal Corrections Facility, the Beaufort Migrant Camp and Defuskie Island. “It was a fun and rewarding experience which I would never had known about,” said Glover, now working as a physician assistant at Harrison Peeples Health Center in Varnville. “It was a great chance to meet and work with other students from other disciplines. We really did see how everyone’s work is intertwined. We needed that cooperation in order to make good decisions regarding problems within the community.” Physician assistant Angela Hampton recalls the positive cultural experiences associated with SCRIPT.

“If you’re a person who’s interested in learning about other cultures, then this is the program which deals with a wide variety of people,” said Hampton, now working with Carolina Family Care in Denmark. “You learn a lot about how people think and most importantly, how they perceive their medical care.” Hampton also focused on the benefits of working and living within the rural areas. “The rural communities are where our experience is essential,” Hampton said. “There’s nothing more rewarding than going into these areas to work. People seem to appreciate you so much more, plus you’re really and truly needed.”