Eileen and Mel Clow may be landlords, but when medical learners come to stay in the basement suite of their Hanna home, the couple act more like hosts.
Wearing multiple hats is not all that uncommon for Eileen. As the office manager, referral navigator, and senior administration officer at the Hanna Medical Clinic, as well as a member of the area’s attraction and retention committee, she understands how ensuring that medical learners have positive experiences during their rural rotations can pay off down the road.
“I realized how important it is to give the students such a good working experience and living experience when they come to rural Alberta that maybe they’ll remember Hanna one day [as a place to set up a practice],” said Eileen, who has been opening her door to learners since 2016 in the community two hours northeast of Calgary.
“We try to make it as homey as we can. We get to know the students; we like to do things with them if they want or leave them alone if they just want to study.”
“I love meeting the students, I love getting to know them and their history. It’s been a wonderful experience for my husband and me.”
– Eileen Clow, a property owner who opens her family’s home to medical learners
The Clows work with RhPAP’s Rural Accommodation Program, which is responsible for finding appropriate furnished housing options for medical learners to use during their rural training rotations across Alberta.
“Rent is covered by RhPAP so learners [generally those in their clerkships or residencies] don’t face extra costs associated with studying away from home or the added stress of finding a place to live in rural Alberta where temporary housing options can be limited,” explained Shawna Banman, RhPAP’s rural housing coordinator for Southern Alberta.
In the case of the Clows, they love getting to know the learners.
Sometimes, the couple invites their guests to a roast dinner upstairs or to gather together at the nearby golf course club house for a meal.
One fellow became so comfortable in the Clows’ home that he would come upstairs to watch television.
“We would watch some medical shows and he would say, ‘that can’t be done, that can’t be done, you can’t do that. [It would] make you laugh,” Eileen said of the paramedic who was training to become a physician.
He even offered to take out Mel’s stitches after knee replacement surgery.
“I love meeting the students, I love getting to know them and their history. It’s been a wonderful experience for my husband and me,” said Eileen.
“We’ve had some really interesting times with them.”
Bow Island
Two and half hours south of Hanna in Bow Island, learners have a wonderful view of the golf course from their walkout basement suite.
Darla Hurt began taking medical learners into her home after a local physician, Dr. Jerry Woodruff, proposed the idea 20 years ago.
“Maybe someday one of these medical [learners] will decide Bow Island is where they would like to start their practice…. The Bow Island Health Centre has great nurses and doctors that provide a good learning experience.”
– Darla Hurt, who stepped up to offer accommodation to medical learners after realizing it would benefit her community
“The best thing about offering accommodations to medical [learners] is you get to meet different people,” said Darla, who works at the Bow Island Health Centre.
“Having [them] come to Bow Island benefits the community by having additional help available to [area residents] at the health centre and the clinic,” she added.
“Maybe someday one of these medical [learners] will decide Bow Island is where they would like to start their practice…. The Bow Island Health Centre has great nurses and doctors that provide a good learning experience.”
“Most of the [learners] over the years are young enough to be my children. I like to give them their privacy and, at the same time, let them know that if they need anything I am usually only a call or a text away.”
Raymond
Michelle Lyons’ accommodation in Raymond is as close as you can get to the Raymond Health Centre without actually living on the hospital grounds.
Four years ago, her family built a four-plex across from the hospital after renting out half a duplex to medical students in another spot in the Southern Alberta town for several years. Michelle was originally approached by a clinic representative to see if she was interested in renting out her duplex to learners training in Raymond.
“We’re helping the students, giving them a place while they are doing their training.” – Michelle Lyons, who hosts several health professions learners a year for RhPAP
The Lyons were initially planning to sell the duplex, but they decided to keep the property so they could work with RhPAP.
Michelle estimates they have hosted about six health professional learners per year since they started. One unit in the four-plex is designated for medical learners, while the Lyons family lives in another, and the remaining two are for general renting.
“We’re helping the students, giving them a place while they are doing their training,” said Michelle.
“That’s a wonderful opportunity for us to do that for them.”