Johnson Memorial Health Services (JMHS) is pleased to host Ryan Fox, a first-year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth. Fox will work under medical director Dr. Ayaz Virji and other providers during his time at JMHS.
Fox is the first student JMHS has hosted through the Rural Medical Scholars Program. The 13-month program pairs medical students with rural family practice physicians, giving students the opportunity to practice skills and learn what it’s like to work in a small town.
Medical Director, Dr. Ayaz Virji said “As a rural facility, we feel it is important to introduce those pursuing a career in healthcare to the realities and benefits to practicing in a rural setting, such as ours. We find students are often surprised at the level of technology and services available in rural facilities.”
In the program, students are assigned to partnering facilities based on a questionnaire that helps match them according to their interests. Fox’s evolving interest in medicine and the physiology of weight loss made Dr. Virji, who is Board Certified in Obesity Medicine and also runs a successful bariatric clinic, an excellent match.
On January 11, Fox began his first week at JMHS. Said Fox “I have noticed that staff have an excellent rapport with their patients, and the community has trust in the hospital and the entire healthcare system.”
Fox is originally from Miesville, MN a small town located near Hastings, MN. He is the youngest of three siblings. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar, weight lifting and shooting sports.
For more information on the Rural Medical Scholars Program from the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth, please contact Cori Bothun, Clinic Manager at 320-769-4393.