Rural Health Book Club
Waco AHEC is proud to invite you to our book club. We will be discussing issues in the healthcare field through reading accessible texts, and then discussing the materials at our meeting on the last Wednesday of every month. Reading the text is not mandatory for attendance.
AHEC Scholars can earn up to two didactic hours each month by participating in RHBC. One can be earned by reading the text and completing the linked Google form for the month. The second can be earned by attending the discussion session.
How does it work?
Each month we will read a book concerning rural health. Scholars will have the opportunity to answer questions about the text in order to earn credit for reading the book, and then an additional hour for attending the meeting. Community members can register on Zoom without taking the quiz.
The book club meeting itself is held on at 12:00 PM CST on the last Wednesday of every month. Attendees are encouraged to discuss their experience with the book, as well as any connections they’ve found in their own practice.
Healthcare professionals and students do not frequently have space to discuss the social, political, and intersectional issues they may see every day. We’re here to provide a safe, accessible space to change that.
"The Price We Pay" by Dr. Maty Makary
One in five Americans now has medical debt in collections and rising health care costs today threaten every small business in America. Dr. Makary, one of the nation's leading health care experts, travels across America and details why health care has become a bubble. Drawing from on-the-ground stories, his research, and his own experience, The Price We Pay paints a vivid picture of the business of medicine and its elusive money games in need of a serious shake-up. Dr. Makary shows how so much of health care spending goes to things that have nothing to do with health and what you can do about it. Dr. Makary challenges the medical establishment to remember medicine's noble heritage of caring for people when they are vulnerable.
The Price We Pay offers a road map for everyday Americans and business leaders to get a better deal on their health care, and profiles the disruptors who are innovating medical care. The movement to restore medicine to its mission, Makary argues, is alive and well--a mission that can rebuild the public trust and save our country from the crushing cost of health care.
January 29, 2024, 12:00 PM CST
Blazing Hot Takes by the Curbsiders Addiction Medicine podcast
Join us to hear the latest pearls and best practices on talking to patients about vaping, if e-cigarettes can be used to stop smoking cigarettes, and every other question you hadn’t thought to ask about vaping with Drs. Pam Ling (UCSF) and Maya Vijayaraghavan (UCSF).
February 26th, 2025, 12:00 PM CST
The Wellness Trap by Christy Harrison
“It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.” You've probably heard this phrase from any number of people in the wellness space. But as Christy Harrison reveals in her latest book, wellness culture promotes a standard of health that is often both unattainable and deeply harmful.
The Wellness Trap delves into the persistent, systemic problems with that industry, offering insight into its troubling pattern of cultural appropriation and its destructive views on mental health, and shedding light on how a growing distrust of conventional medicine has led ordinary people to turn their backs on science. Weaving together history, memoir, reporting, and practical advice, Harrison illuminates the harms of wellness culture while re-imagining our society’s relationship with well-being.
March 26st, 2025, 12:00 PM CST
FAQs
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The RHBC is held on the last Wednesday of every month, at 12:00 PM CST.
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No! Both Scholars and community members are welcome to attend to participate in the discussion, regardless of if they’ve read the book or not.
Scholars will earn one didactic hour for attending the session, regardless of if they’ve read the book.
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No! Scholars may earn one didactic hour through reading the book and answering the quiz questions linked underneath each month’s book.
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Most books are available at your local library, or through inter-library loan. Audio book copies can also be accessed through Libby or cloudLibrary. If you are in the Waco area, physical copies are available on a first come, first served basis.
Scholars who need a copy can contact caelie.morris@txaheceast.org or their local center for an audio or ebook copy.
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On top of building community and sharing knowledge, book club attendees who attend 3 meetings in a semester will earn a Starbucks gift card. Be there or be square!
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Please reach out to Morris at caelie.morris@txaheceast.org
They are happy to help with any additional accommodations or questions.