The Utah Rural Outreach Programs (UROP), a program operated by medical students at the University of Utah, is designed to address the issue of disproportionately low numbers of health care providers in rural and frontier Utah. Medical students visit high schools in rural and frontier communities in an attempt to increase awareness and interest in health careers and education. In addition to the visits, the students are working to recruit rural physicians to act as mentors for prospective students in their communities. This program began with a grant from the Association of American Medical Colleges in collaboration with the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative. Currently, it receives support from the Utah Academy of Family Physicians, The University of Utah School of Medicine, Dean's Office of Diversity, and the Utah Medical Association.
