Supporters of rural medicine honoured

Comment on this story

Posted May 13, 2010

By Kyle Glennie

Members of the Faculty of Medicine hosted some of Alberta's biggest rural medicine supporters at an appreciation event.Members of the Faculty of Medicine led by Dr. Doug Myhre, associate dean of Distributed Learning and Rural Initiatives (DLRI), hosted stakeholders from across southern Alberta last week to thank them for their ongoing support of the University of Calgary’s rural medicine initiatives.  The group, which makes up the Associate Dean DLRI Advisory Council, consists of Mayors/Reeves of rural communities, physicians and non-physician health care workers, as well as various community leaders.  

“We wanted to show our gratitude towards the advisory council for their commitment and support of the DLRI office, and by extension, rural medicine through community engagement,” says Myhre.

The current members of the council have been in place since 2005.  They provide advice on the current and future needs of the community as a whole, and help identify community concerns regarding health issues that might be addressed through distributed and rural education action.  They also assist in developing strategic alliances with the provincial and federal governments, and help identify and recruit potential new members to the Advisory Council.

“Without community engagement and support, teaching med students and residents in a rural location would not be as successful as it is, for the learners and preceptors,” explains Myhre.  Many leaders of the Faculty of Medicine attended the appreciation event, including Dr. Tom Feasby, dean; Dr. Bruce Wright, associate dean of Undergraduate Medical Education; and Dr. Joanne Todesco, associate dean of Post Graduate Medical Education.

While gathered, the group discussed some pressing issues facing rural medicine in Alberta, including inter-professional education, expanding teaching opportunities in rural settings, and the success of the Rural Integrated Community Clerkship.