By: Dr. Jean Lonie and Dayton McElyea
Tarleton State’s Center for Rural Resilience hosted 30 doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) students from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (UNTHSC) and the University of Texas at Tyler for their Agromedicine conference on April 22.
The goal of this outside-the-classroom engagement is to help better prepare future rural practitioners for conditions, scenarios, and risks that may not be prevalent in other settings.
“The intersection of agriculture and medicine is increasingly important, as it highlights the unique health drivers and challenges faced by agricultural workers and rural communities,” Dr. Barry Lambert, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said. “From physical safety to mental health, we need to bring critical attention to issues often overlooked in traditional healthcare models.”
Lambert noted that finding new, more holistic ways to address health and well-being in agricultural and rural communities was a driving force behind the creation of the new Center for Rural Resilience.
The Center for Rural Resilience brings together the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Health Sciences to collaboratively explore the intersection of agriculture, rural living, and health.
Also hosting the group along with Lambert were Dr. Ramona Parker, Associate Vice President and Executive Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Tarleton State and Dr. Jean Lonie Dudley, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
The goal of the Center for Rural Resilience’s involvement was to provide an overview of the Center’s formation and objectives, emphasize how future doctors can engage with the Center to bring new information back to their communities, and highlight how they can continue to support agriculture and rural communities.
“Having the opportunity to host this conference was important for the Center,” Parker said. “The work of the Center will not only engage communities across Texas but also help prepare our students in the agricultural and health science sectors with practical knowledge and applied experience to go serve and lead after graduation.”
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at Stephenville also contributed to the conference, providing equipment and expertise to showcase some of the key drivers of exposure risk on farms and ranches. The medical students were able to handle and ask about tools and practices that are common in agriculture, better understanding how chronic and immediate risks can impact their patients.
“Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries occupations have high fatal work injury rates, as well as higher incidences of nonfatal occupational injuries than the all-industry average,” Lonie said. “This means that our health professionals in agricultural and rural communities need extra knowledge and resources to help diagnose, treat, and support the people they serve.”
The conference was coordinated by the UT Tyler team that operates the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health. Dr. Vanessa Casanova of the UT Tyler Health Science Center discussed special health considerations in agricultural populations during the event. Dr. Mark Matocha with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension addressed the health effects of agricultural pesticides, while Dr. Jeffrey Levin of the UT Tyler Health Science Center presented agricultural respiratory diseases. Their presentations highlighted critical health challenges faced by agricultural workers.
This group of D.O. students meet in person twice a year, alongside virtual sessions that further explore agromedicine and the intersection of medical training and agricultural health. The session hosted in Stephenville focused on potential areas of patient impact and risks associated with farming.
“We hope that this session is the first of many forums the Center will host, and we appreciate this new relationship with UNTHSC and UT Tyler,” Lambert said. “With more than 3,000,000 Texans living in rural areas, it will take all of us working together to help create healthier, more resilient communities.”