Southern Health-Santé Sud hosted a Family Medicine Resident Retreat in Morden-Winkler September 18th – 20th, and 142 residents discovered a variety of Pembina Valley highlights, and they also were introduced to what life practicing medicine here might afford them.
Along with their families, over 300 attendees explored the community. The residents themselves attended programs including presentations from Doctors Manitoba, a job fair, panel discussions and presentations from local physicians.
Choose rural
The goal was to provide residents an opportunity to hear first-hand about practicing and building a career in rural Manitoba. Residents also participated in traditional medicine learning with Elder David Daniels, an Anishinaabe knowledge keeper, providing an important opportunity for cultural learning and connection.
More doctors needed everywhere
Every community across Canda is desperate to recruit new doctors, but rural communities likely face a greater challenge in that regard. Having a chance to showcase what a safer, less frenetic lifestyle for a physician and their family was the intent of this retreat.
To help make their case, two local doctors worked to make the weekend event a success.
Dr. Aly Dhala
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Aly Dhala talked about his role in the event.
“I’m a family physician by training.” Dr. Dhala shared. “I’ve been practicing rural family medicine in the Winkler, Morden, Boundary Trails area for the last 12 years.
“I am the Chief Medical Officer and Vice-President of Medical Services for Southern Health-Santé Sud. This is an event that’s jointly organized between the University of Manitoba and the Department of Family Medicine, as well as different sponsoring health regions.
“This year, the Family Medicine Retreat happens to be in Southern Health-Santé Sud, so we’re the host this weekend.”
Residents are doctors
For anyone that might not understand what residents are, Dr. Dhala put context to that level of experience.
“Residents are graduates from medical school, so they are doctors, they hold their MD degrees, and they have chosen the specialty of family medicine.” Dr. Dhala outlined. “This is the specialty that is really the backbone of rural medicine in our province.
“It’s rural family physicians that deliver primary care services, that deliver babies, that provide anesthesia, that provide emergency medicine services. They even assist in surgeries in our OR. There’s a lot of opportunity to explore.”
Need here is great
Dr. Dhala spoke to how important this opportunity to recruit new doctors is for the community.
“This weekend is really important to me in particular because it’s a really good opportunity for future family physicians to experience what’s available outside of Winnipeg, specifically in Southern Health-Santé Sud and in our Winkler, Morden area.” Dr. Dhala explained.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity for residents and their families to see what it’s like to live rurally, and to establish themselves out here in our area.”
Concerted effort at work
The planning that was organized into the retreat was clearly quite exceptional. There was networking, a job fair, and the showcase of the community to the residents and their families.
“Yes, and that was by design.” Dr. Dhala confirmed. “The itinerary was built around a weekend of rest and relaxation for the residents, but we also wanted to make it for the entire family, and for the whole family to experience what it’s like to be here.
“So yes, we have a job fair with representatives from the Winkler Morden area, Southern Health and some other clinics in other parts of the province. Some of our sponsors are here that have helped support this event.
“We have some wellness sessions, not focused on clinical or textbook medicine, but more about life with medicine, some practice management sessions, some self-care sessions, as well as activities for the family and the kids to really explore and get to know the area. It’s very difficult to recruit a physician on their own without considering the needs of the family. We’ve tried to be really intentional with the planning of this weekend to try to make it inclusive for family.”
Shining a light on the area
It’s really all about educating and informing residents of an option they may not have necessarily considered.
“So many of our residents don’t get the opportunity to travel beyond the perimeter (highway) in Winnipeg, and it’s really hard to recruit without ever seeing a place.” Dr. Dhala shared. “Events like the Family Medicine Retreat give residents the opportunity to see what else is out there.
“Yes, it’s a short weekend, but it really gives them a taste for what we have to offer, and the hope is that I guess they’re here for one weekend, but maybe they come back for an elective. Maybe they decide to come here and do some more rural work and maybe decide to come here for a locum or short stints, and then decide to turn that into longer careers with us here.”
No hard sales tactics
Planting the seeds for the residents is a gentle process.
“You know, I don’t want it to be a high-pressure sales technique.” Dr. Dhala shared. “I really want the communities to stand on their own, and speak for themselves. We’re a little bit more subtle in our messaging.
“I would love to sign them all and have them work here. I really want the residents to come and feel like they were welcomed here, and for them to come back and visit us on their own accord.”
Dr. Erik Buchsmann
Another perspective
Assisting in that effort is the organizing committee for the retreat, featuring another local doctor.
Dr. Erik Buchsmann is a resident doctor at Boundary Trails and Menzies Medical Centre.
“I am part of the organizing committee for this year’s resident retreat here at Boundary Trails.” Dr. Buchsmann shared. “We got to work on organizing a retreat for residents across all of Manitoba. It’s an event we look forward to all year.
“We have residents and their families across all of Manitoba coming to our area and it’s a chance for us to connect, have some fun together, network, but also just to showcase our communities in terms of Morden, Winkler, what we have to offer for both the residents, their families, if they would want to come here.”
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Teamwork
It’s a substantial team at work for these events.
So there’s some involvement with the University of Manitoba, Southern Health.
“Yes, there’s very large involvement, from the University of Manitoba, Southern Health, our local clinics. C.W. Wiebe, Menzies Medical Centre have all put in lots of work to make it happen.” Dr. Buchsmann explained.
“There’s lots of community support and sponsors that have also contributed, which we’re super grateful for, that have really made this weekend come together well. We’re very excited for the event.
Rural opportunity awaits
The retreat gives residents and their families a chance to experience what rural Manitoba has to offer. Throughout the three days, participants could choose from activities such as golfing, Pilates, pottery, spin classes, an escape room, bowling and pumpkin picking, just to name a few.
These experiences presented a fun and informal way to connect with fellow residents, local physicians and community members while experiencing some of the recreational opportunities and quality of life available throughout the region.
The retreat presented residents a well-rounded picture of Southern Manitoba—not only as a place where they might consider practicing medicine and build a rewarding career, but as a place where they and their families can put down roots, build relationships and become part of a community.
with files from Southern Health-Santé Sud