UCalgary continues to offer rural clerkship program to medical students

Posted June 17, 2009
By Marta Cyperling

The inaugural class of RICC students graduated this past spring, and seven of the nine graduates have chosen family medicine as their career: photo credit: Jon TamThe University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine is interested in attracting and keeping physicians in rural practice. In an effort to expose medical students to life as rural doctors and increase their exposure to generalist training, UCalgary is continuing the Rural Integrated Community Clerkship (RICC) program.

Now in its second year of operation, medical students participating in the program are placed in rural Alberta communities for nine consecutive months.  This differs from the urban clerkship completed by most medical students in their final year who complete rotations in different specialties and electives at various hospitals and sites.

“The RICC is not aimed specifically to direct students towards rural practice, but once students have this experience, other programs in the world have shown that they will be more likely to go to a rural site than if they had completed the traditional clerkships,” says Dr. Wes Jackson, RICC program coordinator and rural physician.

Studies of similar programs in other countries show that up to 75 per cent of students return to rural communities.  The inaugural class of RICC students graduated this past spring, and seven of the nine graduates have chosen family medicine as their career.

James Warkentin, a third year medical student at UCalgary, grew up in a small town and is now completing his RICC clerkship in Taber, Alta.   “It is an ideal teaching and learning environment.  I like the diversity of medical presentation, the variety of work environments and the longitudinal patient care,” he says.  “I chose the program because I thought it was the best way to prepare me for a career in general medicine”.

There are 12 students participating in this year’s program in Sundre, Drumheller, Pincher Creek, Taber, High River and in a new site, Canmore.   The University of Calgary is collaborating with universities across the country on setting up similar programs.

The RICC program is a joint program in both the Faculty of Medicine at UCalgary, and the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta. It is funded by Alberta Health and Wellness and is looking forward to a further expansion next year.