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There isn’t anyone more passionate about rural medicine, rural health care and the underserved communities across the state of Texas than Maria Crompton, DO, FAAFP, DipABLM. For her dedication, she received the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Rural Medical Education Founder’s Award.

The award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to rural medical education and who exemplifies the spirit and ideals of osteopathy. Crompton, the director of rural medical education at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, is the second person to receive the award since its founding in 2023. The inaugural Founder’s Award recipient was Dr. A. Clifton Cage.

The award honors Dr. John Bowling, whose efforts to create, sustain, and propel rural health care to the forefront of medical education led to the creation of the Rural Scholars Program at TCOM in 2006. His leadership in the field extended far beyond TCOM as he served both state and national organizations advocating and promoting rural medical education.

“I am truly honored to accept this award in recognition of Dr. Bowling’s remarkable contributions,” Crompton said. “As a pioneer in developing the vision and content for rural medical education-not only at TCOM but on a national scale- his impact has been profound, including the shaping of my own training and career in rural medicine. Following in his footsteps is both a privilege and a challenge, as they are indeed big boots to fill. I will continue to work diligently to uphold his vision and advance rural medical education for future generations!”

Bowling joined TCOM’s Department of Family Medicine in 1988 with the mission of developing a rural family medicine track. In 2006, he oversaw the creation of the Rural Scholars Program, an innovative four-year curriculum designed to better prepare students for rural practice.

During his 28 years at TCOM, Bowling transformed how the medical school trained students to deliver health care to rural and underserved populations. People in rural communities across Texas live healthier, fuller lives under the care of talented TCOM rural medicine graduates.

The ROME program has been a template for many of the rural medical education programs throughout the United States. Even in retirement, Bowling serves as a consultant with newly minted osteopathic medical schools helping to establish rural tracks and training programs.

Crompton is a TCOM graduate who pursued the rural track in preparation for practicing in rural East Texas. After 10 years in practice, she followed her calling to academic medicine and returned to TCOM as faculty.

She assumed the leadership role of rural medical education in 2023 in what Bowling calls “the full-circle realization of a dream set almost twenty years ago.” Crompton’s multiple accolades include the expansion of rural medical education curriculum, integration of lifestyle medicine in rural medical education courses and activities, focused whole health initiatives to create healthier rural communities, and the training and implementation of social determinants of health screenings to address needs that are often unnoticed.

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