BRENHAM, Texas (January 9, 2009) - After serving the community through excellent patient care for more than 50 years, the physicians of Brenham Clinic are now providing hands-on clinical training to third-year medical students at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.

When HSC-College of Medicine leaders started making plans to expand their educational programs in the Brazos Valley to include community-based clinical training, they sought to partner with multi-specialty clinics in community settings. The college approached Brenham Clinic about providing clinical experiences for third-year medical students by allowing them to train with the clinic's 12 staff physicians.

"As we build our clinical campus and clinical faculty in the area, we are pleased with the addition of Brenham Clinic as an affiliate," said Danielle Dickey, Medical Education Program coordinator. "Its faculty and staff provide a rich learning environment for our medical students by sharing their medical knowledge and skills and mentoring our future physicians."

During the current academic year, the clinic has hosted students on internal medicine and pediatrics rotations, with plans for other clerkships.

"This has been a great experience for the physicians of Brenham Clinic," said Gracie Slattery, Brenham Clinic administrator. "They are eager to have these students on their rotations to share their experiences and teach in a true ‘hands-on' manner. It's a positive affiliation that enriches the clinic as well as the students."

Students having already participated in rotations in Brenham have been overwhelmingly positive about the experience.

"I had a blast in Brenham," said third-year medical student Drew Weiner. "It was a unique experience that is definitely valuable to the (pediatric) rotation. Overall, I had a great time, and it was a great rotation."

Brenham Clinic physicians actively participating in the clinical training are Kenneth Baker, Cassandra Bryant, Donald Draehn, Kenneth Landgraf, Frank Leal and Bobby Marek (all M.D.s).