Alberta medical students gathered recently to mix and mingle, and learn a little bit about practising rural medicine.
University of Alberta and University of Calgary medical students learned a variety of skills, and participated in numerous social activities at the 11th annual Alberta Medical Students’ Conference and Retreat (AMSCAR), which took place from 23-25 January 2015 in Banff, Alberta.
RPAP | Health Workforce for Alberta was present at AMSCAR, both as a conference sponsor and exhibitor. Executive director, David Kay, says the annual AMSCAR event provides an opportunity to connect with 200-300 medical students about RPAP programming. RPAP provides a clinical skills event during the event, and information about shadowing experiences and rural medical skills weekend events offered to medical students.
According to Kay, a highlight of the weekend was the presentation of the John N. Hnatuik Rural Medical Student Bursary to the recipients for 2014-15, named in honour of the late Dr. John Hnatuik, former physician and Skills Broker at RPAP.
“[AMSCAR is] an opportunity for family members of the late Dr. Hnatuik to meet the medical students who are, in some ways, following in the legacy of the great Dr. John Hnatuik,” says Kay.
Six first and second year medical students were presented with the bursary, which provides full tuition including differential fees for each year of medical studies to reduce the financial burden faced by rural medical students and their families.
Related: RPAP congratulates the 2014-15 John N. Hnatuik Bursary recipients
Dr. Hnatuik’s granddaughter, Ms. Cydney Yaremko, was on hand to meet the recipients, along with Hnatuik’s daughter, Ms. Joan Noonan.
According to Ms. Yaremko, the bursary supporting medical students in her grandfather’s name reflects the human spirit that “Dr. John” brought to medicine and the community around him.
“I just hope those that receive the award carry on his spirit of community advocacy and passion for medicine.”
One of the bursary’s six recipients, University of Alberta medical student, Paras Satija, says receiving the Hnatuik bursary is “an honour and a privilege”:
‘”It gives me some really financial independence, and it really reinforces the fact that practising in a rural area, for me, is valuable; somebody out there is valuing that intention that I have.”
For more information about the John N. Hnatuik Rural Medical Student Bursary, click here.
Photo: University of Alberta medical student, Paras Satija, 2014-15 John N. Hnatuik Rural Medical Student Bursary recipient (RPAP / Lucas Warren)