Dozens of medical students got a look at rural healthcare this past weekend, as Southern Health–Santé Sud hosted a hands-on learning event at Boundary Trails Health Centre.
Held April 11th in partnership with Menzies Medical Centre and C.W. Wiebe Medical Centre, the initiative welcomed approximately 30 to 40 first- and second-year students from the University of Manitoba’s Rural Interest Group.
Hands-on learning in a rural setting
The event introduced students to the realities and opportunities of rural medicine through a series of interactive, skills-based stations. Participants rotated through sessions focused on airway management, pediatric assessments, spirometry, suturing, and women’s health, while also connecting directly with physicians and healthcare providers in the region.
Amy Lloyd, a second-year medical student originally from Winkler, says the event is designed to give students a well-rounded introduction to rural practice.
“Fellow medical students have basically invited first and second year medical students here to meet physicians in the area, healthcare providers in the area, get a tour of the facility and get a feel for what the community has to offer. Potentially, fingers crossed, recruit some people down the road.”
Exploring training pathways
The Rural Interest Group visit is one of the first opportunities for many students to engage directly with rural physicians, while also exploring potential training pathways such as Rural Week, the Home for the Summer program, electives, and future residency placements.
Kyla Goulet-Kilgour, a second-year student from Winnipeg, says the program already provides exposure to both urban and rural settings, but events like this help deepen that understanding.
“For example, last year, everyone at the end of their first year of med school goes to a rural community in Manitoba and spends a week there.”
She adds that the immersive experience allows students the chance to stay with local families and collaborate with a wide range of healthcare professionals.
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For Lloyd, who has already spent time working locally through the Home for the Summer program, rural medicine is an appealing path.
“I think rural medicine is so interesting. There’s so much to offer, such a diverse practice. I’m definitely leaning rural right now, but I mean, we’ll see. I’m still pretty early on in my training.”
Both students noted that rural practice offers a broader scope of work and a strong sense of community connection, while urban centres provide access to specialized training and resources.
“I think there’s a lot to rural medicine. There’s so much that it has to offer, the sense that you’re so tightly knit within the community, especially in this kind of smaller rural areas. They have a real sense of belonging there, within your co-workers and within your community. You have a sense of like the sense that you’re really contributing within the community.”
Organizers say events like this help students explore future career paths and, potentially, encourage more physicians to consider practicing in rural communities like those in the Morden/Winkler area.