Post-Secondary Experiences

RhPAP connects with post-secondary institutions in Alberta to provide future health providers with the opportunity to visit rural Alberta communities and experience what being a rural health-care provider is all about. Previously known as “Skills Weekends”, RhPAP’s “Let’s Go Rural! – Post-Secondary Experiences” have a familiar look with a brand new twist.

These weekend experiences are supported by RhPAP’s Rural Community Consultants, hosted by rural communities, and scheduled throughout the year. Participation occurs through a range of post-secondary health career programs at Alberta’s universities, colleges and technical institutions. Priority is given to students who have not participated in a previous weekend event.

Students learn what it is like to be a health-care provider in a rural community, and discover practice sites they may wish to consider in the future.
Participants experience health care in a rural environment and learn basic health-care provider skills taught by local health-care providers.
Communities use this opportunity to showcase what they have to offer to future health-care providers over the course of a weekend.

“If RhPAP contacts you in the future to run a Skills Day in your community…DO IT! It was a lot of fun, and not very time consuming to organize, as our RhPAP consultant, Kim, and our local foundation, Hearts for Healthcare, did most of the work. We entertained about 50 students—medical, nursing, OT, PT, EMS, SL and others—and almost 100% of them said the visit to Cold Lake changed their mind about working in a rural community after graduation. A video was also filmed and edited by the RhPAP videographer who attended the session.” Catherine Garon, Site Manager, Cold Lake Health Centre

What do RhPAP Post-Secondary Experiences look like?

Since 2004, RhPAP-sponsored Let’s Go Rural! – Post-Secondary Experiences (known prior to 2020 as Skills Weekends) have provided Alberta’s post-secondary health career students with the opportunity to experience health-care delivery in a rural setting. Participants may be introduced to brand new skills, meet new people, and explore what living and working in a rural community really means.

Rural Alberta Communities

What do RhPAP Post-Secondary Experiences look like?

For more information on Let's Go Rural! Post-Secondary Experiences, contact the Rural Community Consultant for your area.