The Rural Mentorship Program connects first- and second-year medical students with Alberta rural physicians, providing these students with the opportunity to observe and learn skills and to practise simple medical procedures in a rural context. The opportunities are intended to expose students to rural medicine before they have to make decisions about clerkship and residency. For physicians, this program is an excellent way to promote your practice and community to students who may become future colleagues.
Mentorship experiences involve the participation of the University of Alberta and University of Calgary Faculties of Medicine and RhPAP. The Universities and RhPAP work in conjunction to organize the experiences (community, date/time, and physician) and provide liability coverage and funding.
First- and second-year medical students (i.e., those in their pre-clinical years) are permitted to participate. Hands-on contact is only permitted when the student is under the direct guidance of the preceptor. Students in their clinical years generally have more freedom to meet with patients on their own and are able to be more “hands on.” Nevertheless, these students are also under the supervision of their physician preceptor. Students should confirm the specific functional limitations of this experience with their UGME Office in advance.
Click here to apply for the Rural Mentorship Program
Eligibility criteria for rural shifts for which RhPAP would consider covering a portion of a student’s travel expenses and provide an honorarium for the preceptor:
- The student is in their first or second year of medical school and is registered for the Rural Mentorship Program (application can be found through the link above.
- The student must submit their mentorship experience (date, location, preceptor, preceptor’s email, duration) to the program and have it approved in advance.
- The preceptor must be a family physician.
- The experience must meet the following criteria:
- Take place in a community with fewer than 15,000 people outside the census metropolitan areas of Edmonton and/or Calgary
- Be a minimum of six hours in duration
- Not be part of any academic requirements or organized/ supported through another program
- Students can only claim for one experience per month.
- RhPAP must also have space in the budget to support these opportunities throughout the year, so depending on demand, support is not guaranteed.