Friday, May 27, 2016
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
HPHA Welcomes Discovery Week Students
On May 30, 2016, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) will welcome 28 first-year medical students from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western Ontario, 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 16, as part of Discovery Week.
Discovery Week, coordinated by the Office of Distributed Education as part of the Schulich School of Medicine and 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 through 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 of Rural and Regional Community Engagement for a wrap-up discussion of their experiences.
"We've been participating in Discovery Week for more than 10 years", adds Laurie Roberts, Corporate Lead Medical Staff. "The feedback we've received from the students after their visit has been very positive. The students have loved the flexibility in practice, the warm welcome they've received from our physicians and staff the the exposure to our unique communities in Huron and Perth."
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 doctor's 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 the future careers. Skills such as suturing, infant assessment and resuscitation, and health and safety in the workplace will be taught by HPHA Physicians. Social activities for the students will include a tou of the Local Community Food Centre, dinner hosted by a local physician followed by an evening of theatre at the Stratford Festival.
"It was my exposure to the unique and positive experiences of community medicine with an inspiring mentor that brought me to HPHA and it is the variety of wonderful patient experiences and community culture that keeps me here", adds Dr. Shanil Narayan, Chief of the Department of Internal Medicine and Regional Academic Director, Huron Perth, Schulich Medicine, Distributed Education, Western University. "I'm looking forward to showing off our amazing group of mentors and the experiences they will provide to the next generation of learners. Welcome to reality-based medicine!"
Media Contact:
Laurie Roberts
Corporate Lead, Medical Staff
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
519-272-8210 ext 2426
laurie.roberts@hpha.ca
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