Kuberg completes rural medical internship

Katie Kuberg, 23, of Russellville, recently completed the eight-week 2010 Huntsville Rural Pre-medical Internship of the UAB School of Medicine, Huntsville Regional Medical Campus.

Katie Kuberg

Kuberg, a 2010 graduate of UAHuntsville with a degree in biology and communication arts, majoring in professional biology, is the daughter of Dr. Harry and Melanie Kuberg.

This highly competitive program provides selected pre-medical students from rural areas with a broad exposure to medicine which, hopefully, will inspire them to choose a career as a physician practicing in rural Alabama.

The internship is sponsored by the Alabama Family Practice Rural Health Board

The experience included 40 lectures on a wide variety of subjects ranging from farm injury to genetics research as well as several field trips, including visits to a chicken processing plant and a rural hospital.

Kuberg spent more than 150 hours shadowing and learning from physicians and other medical professionals in Huntsville and with Dr. Laura Lindsey and Dr. Kevin Kelly of Russellville. 

The interns also spent two days getting hands-on instruction in basic patient procedures  from twenty faculty members at Calhoun Community College’s Division of Health Sciences.

They were given time to take practice MCAT exams and learn skills for applying for and being accepted to medical school.

The Huntsville Rural Pre-medical Internship program is offered every summer.  Eligible students must have be from rural or small-town areas of Alabama, have completed at least their sophomore year of college by the time the internship begins, and have a demonstrated interest in becoming a physician.