Friday, May 22, 2015
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
HPHA Welcomes Medical Students for Discovery Week
On May 25, 2015 the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) will welcome 29 first-year medical students from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University in London, to its four hospital sites in Clinton, St. Marys, Seaforth and Stratford. For four days, the Clinton, St. Marys and Seaforth sites will host four students each and Stratford will play host to 17, as part of Discovery Week.
Discovery Week, coordinated by the Distributed Education Network (DEN) as part of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, is a mandatory one-week placement at the end of the first year for all undergraduate medical students. These placements are in more than 60 participating rural and regional communities in Southwestern Ontario.
Students have the opportunity to shadow family physicians and learn what their typical workday encompasses. Experiences include time spent in hospital, family doctors’ offices, specialists’ clinics and community service organizations providing students with a better perspective of some of the differences and similarities of medicine in small and mid-sized communities throughout Southwestern Ontario, compared to the London and Windsor medical school campuses. The week also involves socializing with the physicians and gaining a sense of the community. At the end of the week the students meet with the Assistant Dean Rural & Regional Community Engagement for a wrap-up discussion of their experiences.
"One of the great things about Discovery Week is that the students have no idea what to expect,” says Dr. Erin Heisz. “They could be assigned to the ER for the day or they could be doing house visits.”
Dr. Heisz was a Discovery Week student herself, returning to the HPHA for part of her clerkship and residency before deciding to settle in Stratford. “It’s extremely rewarding to be able to teach these students about your job, or your specialty or your interests,” she remarks.
As part of this year’s Discovery Week activities, the students will spend time in HPHA’s Emergency Departments, Ambulatory Care clinics and Operating Rooms, and work at doctors’ offices, in order to gain a better understanding of the medical needs of Huron-Perth residents. A special clinical skills day has also been arranged where students will learn and practice skills they will use in their future careers. Skills such as casting, suturing, mechanical ventilation, infant assessment and resuscitation, psychiatric assessment and health and safety in the workplace will be taught by HPHA Physicians and Allied Health team members. Social activities for the students will include a tour of the Local Community Food Centre, a visit to a farm in Seaforth and dinner hosted by a local physician followed by an evening of theatre at the Stratford Festival.
“Introducing first year medical students to the many and varied practice opportunities in rural communities early in their training is a tremendous way to strengthen long term recruitment of health care professionals,” adds Andrew Williams, HPHA President & CEO.
Media Contact:
Laurie Roberts
Corporate Lead Medical Staff
519-272-8210 ext 2426
laurie.roberts@hpha.ca
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