Several first year medical students had a unique opportunity to experience the practice of rural medicine in Quinte West and Brighton.
Docs By the Bay Physician Recruitment and Retention Program recently hosted students from the University of Ottawa and Queen’s University for Community Week 2023.
Community Week exposed the students to various aspects of rural healthcare giving them insight into the challenges, rewards, and unique medical needs of rural communities.
Students worked in family medicine clinics, alongside physicians in the emergency department, operating room and in-patient floor at Trenton Memorial Hospital and toured the 24 Health Services Centre at 8 Wing Trenton.
The week also allowed them to experience the aspects of a rural lifestyle as they stayed at a cottage on the Bay of Quinte and for some, it was their first time at a waterfront cottage.
They took tours of Quinte West and Brighton with Mayor Jim Harrison and Mayor Brian Ostrander, dined at popular area restaurants, and visited a local escape room.
One of the students joined the TMHF Youth Council to discuss the process of applying to medical schools.
Feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the experience as eye-opening and transformative with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a rural environment allowing them to develop a deep appreciation for the holistic nature of rural medicine and the close-knit communities they serve.
Docs By the Bay says the results of the Community Week program are starting to pay off with two former participants showing interest in returning to the community to practice.
