A commitment to training physicians for rural communities

As one of Minnesota's leading rural health care providers, Essentia Health remains committed to the training and placement of competent, compassionate doctors in rural communities. 

Our partnership with the University of Minnesota for the General Surgery Rural Training Track positions residents to work rotations in small communities for core surgeries and specialties in urology, obstetrics and more. 

Dr. Samantha Leonard-Ndomb was the first resident of the program, and she joined Essentia Health-Moose Lake in 2023. 

“New surgeons will be very well-equipped to enter a community with a wide breadth of skills that aren’t typically part of a traditional training track,” she said of the program.

In 2024, Essentia connected more than 2,700 students with nearly 480,000 hours of clinical training in medical, nursing, therapy and more at our network of rural clinics and hospitals.

About 84% of Essentia’s service area is considered rural, which makes this investment in education much more of a benefit for medical students and the overall health and well-being of the communities Essentia is privileged to serve.

“A healthy and thriving community needs a robust health care workforce,” said Kate Dean, executive director of the Essentia Institute of Rural Health. “Nurturing and supporting the next generation of health care professionals ensures a brighter and healthier future for all.”