Community and cultural exposure will be a big part of a medical skills weekend event taking place 22-24 July 2016 in St. Paul and on the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. Medical, nursing, and physiotherapy students from the University of Alberta will participate in an RPAP Medical Skills event, sponsored by the Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan (RPAP), Saddle Lake Cree Nation, the St. Paul Physician Attraction and Retention Committee, and Lakeland Primary Care Network. Participants will experience a busy weekend of skills training in a rural setting taught by local healthcare professionals.
In addition to teaching students basic skills such as suturing, casting, and airway management, RPAP Medical Skills events provide a valuable opportunity for rural Alberta communities to showcase local amenities and attractions to students in healthcare disciplines. Participants will receive tours of medical facilities in Saddle Lake and St. Paul, and will be honoured guests at a barbeque and Round Dance hosted by the Saddle Lake Cree Nation on Friday night. Students will also be treated to a community dinner in St. Paul on Saturday evening, as well as a pancake breakfast in St. Paul on Sunday morning.
RPAP Medical Skills Weekend events 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 Weekends, visit 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.