“Try it. You just might like it.” I’m sure you’ve heard that before, perhaps when your parents were trying to convince you to eat broccoli for the first time. For some physicians experiencing rural medicine for the first time, that broccoli was covered with a delicious cheddar cheese sauce that had them wanting more.
The rural family physician experience can be rich and rewarding: practising the full scope of their training, delivering continuity of care, and making a difference to not only patients, but to the community. Plus, there’s the opportunity to enjoy an active, community-minded lifestyle that’s perfect for raising a family and satisfying an inner craving for the great outdoors.
In partnership with the Office of Distributed Learning and Rural Initiatives at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) asked four rural family physicians and a first–year rural resident earlier this year to share what they loved about rural practice.
In recognition of National Physicians’ Day across Canada, explore what makes rural medicine unique.
Be warned, after watching this video, you may just be saying “please, pass the broccoli.”