For many students, making a career choice can be overwhelming. One program offers medical students a chance to explore their options in rural and urban medicine in order to facilitate faster decisions about where to practice.

On Oct. 22, a group of University of Saskatchewan medical students attended a Saskatchewan Medical Association Roadmap Tour in Swift Current, Sask., where they visited the Cypress Regional Hospital for the day. Roadmap Tours offer medical students a chance to experience rural and urban medicine by touring Saskatchewan’s community hospitals.

Delilah Dueck, a co-ordinator with the SMA, explains why Roadmap Tours were created for medical students.

“The Roadmap program is an initiative of the SMA and its Committee on Rural and Regional Practice. It is aimed at encouraging retention of new Saskatchewan physicians within our province by targeting medical learners early in their careers,” Dueck said.

With the SMA Roadmap Tour, U of S medical students learn from rural physicians.

Dueck explains that the Roadmap Tours program, in its fifth year of a six-year pilot, has seen an increase in interest from medical students every year and continues to contribute to a strong relationship between the College of Medicine and the SMA.

The Roadmap program not only offers tours for medical students but also hosts events and contests that medical students can partake in, such as a Rider Game appreciation night and family medicine site visits.

During the Roadmap Tour, programs were offered throughout the day to showcase what the hospital has to offer and to improve students’ skills in medicine. Emmett Harrison, a second-year medical student, speaks about his experience at the Cypress Regional Hospital.

“The local medical staff organized unique learning sessions for students, including medical emergency simulations, casting and suturing sessions and sessions on baby delivery,” he said. “We had ample opportunity to ask physicians and medical residents about their perspectives of work and life in Swift Current and  the surrounding area.”

Harrison’s experience at the Cypress Regional Hospital not only inspired him, but also had a significant influence on future decisions he will soon have to make.

“I really want to have a rural family medicine residency in the future, and I believe that Swift Current stole the first position for potential training areas and maybe even future employment,” he said.

Along with Harrison, Huyen Vu, a first-year medical student, explains how this program is beneficial for students who have never experienced rural medicine before.

“Roadmap is valuable because it provides a first-hand look into healthcare in rural communities and connects students to physicians and residents who can answer questions about what makes a rural experience unique. Regardless of whether I pursue rural or urban medicine, these tours will give me a better appreciation for rural community health in Saskatchewan,” she said.

Vu recommends that future students should use this tour to their advantage to get an idea of what makes each Saskatchewan hospital unique — plus students get the added perk of not having to spend a dime.

“Make the most out of the experience, and have fun. If you are seriously considering pursuing a career in that community, don’t be afraid to talk with the physicians and residents about what practicing there really looks like,” Vu said. “It also doesn’t hurt that the SMA feeds you and buys you drinks; it’s an all-expenses-paid trip.”

One of the many challenges rural hospitals face is trying to recruit physicians. Brooke Hoffman, first-year medical student and junior SMA representative, explains how these tours can create awareness of the experience students would have if they were to choose rural medicine.

“Until August of this year, I’ve only lived in Regina, so I’m very unaware of how rural medical centres operate. From what I can tell, a lot of my classmates are also in the same boat as me, and there’s really no ideal way to teach about it in class. Roadmap allows us to experience the lifestyle of rural medicine firsthand and to see if it’s something that might interest us,” Hoffman said.

The Roadmap Tour in Swift Current was just the beginning. Hoffman notes that there will be more tours in the future for medical students to partake in.

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Natasha Hausermann

Photo: tamaiyuya / Flickr