Bonnyville to host bilingual experience for future healthcare professionals - The Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan

Students training in several healthcare disciplines are coming to Bonnyville for an introduction to rural practice and lifestyles in a French community. Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan, in partnership with Campus Saint-Jean, and Covenant Health, is hosting a bilingual Medical Skills event in Bonnyville on 26-27 November 2016. The participation of bilingual students is sponsored by Consortium national de Formation en Sante (CNFS), an organization that offers French-language curricula in various health disciplines, improving access to French-language health training programs in Canada.

Medical and nursing students from the University of Alberta (U of A), and respiratory therapy and paramedic students from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), will experience the area’s Francophone culture, while learning medical skills—such as suturing, casting, IV initiation, and obstetrics—from local healthcare professionals.

In addition to teaching students basic medical skills, RPAP Medical Skills events are valuable opportunities for rural Alberta communities to showcase local amenities to future healthcare professionals.  Participants will enjoy a number of activities throughout the weekend, including a community dinner at the French Cultural centre, and tours of the community, and a local farm.

Skills Days and Skills Weekend events, sponsored by Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan, are arranged by the RPAP Medical Students’ Initiative Coordinator and are scheduled throughout the year in rural Alberta communities. To learn more about Medical Skills events, see www.rpap.ab.ca/skillsweekends.

RPAP | Health Workforce for Alberta is an independent, not-for-profit company funded by the Alberta Ministry of Health. Established in 1991 by the Government of Alberta, RPAP supports the ongoing efforts of Alberta’s rural physicians, their families and communities to improve the quality of rural health care.

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