Background
Sam Houston State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU‑COM) is one of only three osteopathic medical schools in Texas. The program’s mission is to prepare culturally aware, diverse and compassionate physicians who emphasize primary care and rural practice. Its founders set an explicit goal to increase the physician workforce in eastern Texas and improve access to primary care. Student doctors at SHSU‑COM benefit from state‑of‑the‑art facilities and a curriculum designed to serve medically underserved communities across the state. The school has earned “Accreditation with Exceptional Outcomes” from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, reflecting both academic excellence and a commitment to community health.
Challenges
As SHSU‑COM grew, leadership began to search for ways to innovate the curriculum with the latest technology while maintaining their mission‑driven focus on rural and community health. The program faced several obstacles:
- Securing diverse, high‑quality clinical experiences. Like many medical programs, SHSU‑COM struggled to access a broad range of rotation sites. The Texas Hospital Association noted that lawmakers must study impediments to educating and training new nurses and physicians, including barriers to securing clinical space and the wage differential between clinical nurses and preceptors. These same barriers affect osteopathic medical students, making it difficult to find enough preceptors for specialties like psychiatry and women’s health.
- Preceptor and clinical site shortages. Workforce advocates have urged the Texas legislature to provide robust funding for clinical site preceptor programs and to offer incentives to encourage more participation in nurse‑preceptor programs. Without a statewide solution, many programs compete for the same limited pool of preceptors.
- Regulatory complexities. Texas law requires physicians who deliver telemedicine services to hold a full Texas medical license; the state’s medical board has suspended issuance of telemedicine‑only licenses and is converting existing telemedicine licenses to full licenses. This regulatory environment complicates cross‑state telehealth partnerships and demands careful compliance management.
- Administrative burden. Coordinating clinical placements, verifying preceptors, and tracking documentation placed a heavy load on faculty and staff.
Solution
To address these challenges, SHSU-COM integrated telemedicine into its curriculum in collaboration with MomentMD. The initiative allowed students to build clinical skills through virtual encounters while maintaining the program’s emphasis on patient-centered care.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Technology‑driven preceptor network – MomentMD matched SHSU‑COM students with vetted preceptors across pediatrics, women’s health, primary care and psychiatry. By leveraging telehealth, students could complete observational experiences with specialists outside their immediate geographic region, overcoming regional shortages.
- Compliance and licensing support – MomentMD’s platform manages licensure verification and ensures that preceptors meet Texas regulations, including the requirement for a full Texas medical license for physicians practicing telemedicine. The platform also tracks documentation and evaluations, reducing administrative work for faculty.
Results
The partnership produced tangible benefits for both students and the program:
- Strong student demand for telemedicine rotations – After an exploratory period, students began requesting telemedicine rotations. SHSU‑COM initially offered Family Medicine and Dermatology telehealth rotations and is now expanding to additional specialties based on student interest.
- Increased rotation capacity – Telemedicine allowed SHSU‑COM to secure placements without competing for limited local preceptor slots, effectively expanding the program’s clinical footprint and reducing delays.
- Enhanced community‑health learning – By embedding telemedicine, students witnessed how virtual care improves access for rural and underserved patients, reinforcing the school’s mission.
- Reduced administrative burden – Automated documentation and licensure management saved faculty time, allowing them to focus on mentoring and curriculum development.
Lessons Learned
SHSU‑COM’s experience demonstrates that innovative technology can advance mission‑driven medical education even in the face of regulatory and workforce challenges. Key takeaways include:
- Telemedicine expands access without sacrificing mission – By leveraging virtual encounters, programs can connect students with diverse preceptors while continuing to prioritize rural and community health.
- Policy awareness is essential – Understanding state licensure requirements (such as Texas’ full‑license mandate for telemedicine) helps institutions navigate regulatory hurdles and maintain compliance.
- Partnerships strengthen curricula – Collaborating with a technology partner like MomentMD can alleviate administrative burdens and open new learning opportunities for students in Telemedicine and AI.
Conclusion
Sam Houston State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is living its mission to serve rural and underserved communities by embracing telemedicine. Through its partnership with MomentMD, SHSU‑COM has transformed challenges into opportunities: expanding rotation capacity, enriching community health education, and preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to deliver patient‑centered care wherever their patients are.