SRPC agrees to reimburse physicians who are successful in applying for funding for the rural education training program (the “Program”). Physicians engaging in the Program as trainees or preceptors (the “Participants”) do so at their own risk and SRPC has no responsibility or liability for any action or omission of any Participant or the content of the Program, except as otherwise provided under applicable law. All statements or opinions expressed by any Participant or any other third party providing materials for use in the Program, other than any written content explicitly provided by us, are solely the opinions and the responsibility of the person or entity making those statements or opinions or providing those materials.

You must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Rural physicians must have an active license to practice in Canada.
• Physicians must be SRPC members.
• Physicians must have practiced in a rural community for a minimum of six months in the past year.
• Physicians may be practicing in more than one rural community.
• Physicians will have a demonstrated commitment to rural practice and will be expected to provide services in a rural area after training. Physicians must indicate their intention to return to a rural community for at least six months. 
• Residents are not eligible for funding.
• The maximum funding available to each physician is $35,000.

Program Description

The SRPC mentorship program is a pilot program that started in 2021 and aims to connect medical students to rural physicians and residents from across the country to allow career exploration, guidance and increased understanding of the scope of rural practice.  We have over 65 mentors ready to help support your rural path.

Goals:

• Connecting students to rural physicians across Canada
• Career exploration and guidance
• Increase understanding of the scope of rural practice
• Provide learning opportunities outside of the formal academic environment
• Contribute to the current and growing need of rural physicians in Canada

Your Role As a Mentor

As a mentor with SRPC, medical students will connect with you through the SRPC office manager. Once you are connected, there will be flexibility in how you set up your mentor-mentee relationships, which can be tailored on an individual basis. This may include answering a few quick questions, setting up a longitudinal mentorship plan, or organizing shadowing experiences (public health guidelines permitting).

Expectations in your role as a mentor may include:

• Sharing experiences of rural practice with mentees for the purpose of career exploration and guidance
• Being honest and open regarding the rewards/challenges to rural medicine
• Forming a plan and setting expectations with your mentee regarding frequency of meetings and meeting platform to be used
• Sharing appropriate resources
• Recognizing that advice given, while extremely valuable, does not substitute for MD program-specific mentorship and supports

* By registering as a mentor for this program, you consent to allowing the SRPC to share the information you have provided to mentees that register for the program.  As a mentor, you may contact the SRPC at any time and have your name removed.

** Mentors must be SRPC members to participate in this program.

Mentee

If you are looking for a Rural Mentor. Visit the SRPC Mentor Program page for all the details.

Please ensure your SRPC membership is up to date. Send your email request to Louise for a list of mentors and instructions. (louisea@srpc.ca)

Mentees Must be SRPC members to participate in this program.
(Join here)

Call for Abstracts - Rural & Remote 2024

Rural & Remote 2024 will take place in Edmonton, AB, April 18th - 20th and the Planning Committee is accepting abstracts.

Our theme this year will be: "Rural Health Resilience: Navigating Sustainability for Stronger Tomorrows"

The committee is considering abstracts for two types of presentations related to any aspect of health and healthcare in a rural and remote setting:

• Session Lectures (Breakout sessions)
• Hands-on Workshops (Small group learning)

These sessions should focus on clinical skills and knowledge development related to rural practice. Sessions / Workshops will be 60 minutes in duration and should be interactive and engaging. (The schedule is built in 60-minute time slots, 2-hour sessions are welcome.)

All abstract submissions will undergo peer review by the Rural & Remote Planning Committee.

Deadline: September 30th, 2023

REGISTER YOUR ABSTRACT ONLINE HERE

Call for Research Abstracts - Rural & Remote 2024

Date: April 18th - 20th, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta

Theme: Rural Health Resilience: Navigating Sustainability for Stronger Tomorrows

The 31st Annual Rural & Remote Medicine Course Planning Committee is currently accepting two types of research abstracts related to any aspect of health and healthcare in a rural and remote setting.

• Research Oral Presentation
• Research Poster Presentation

All research abstract submissions will undergo peer review by the Planning Committee and SRPC Research Committee.

Deadlines:   

Research Oral Presentation – November 30th, 2023
Research Poster Presentation – December 31st, 2023

Submissions must include a clear research purpose, objective, methodology, summary of the research results, and conclusion.

REGISTER YOUR ABSTRACT ONLINE HERE

Additional Information

Research Oral Presentation: Share information or results from a proposed, ongoing, or completed research project. Oral presentations will include 10 minutes to present and 5 minutes for Q&A.

Research Poster Presentation: Share information or results from a proposed, ongoing, or completed research project. Posters will be on display for all three days and there will be a dedicated time for attendees to view the posters.

Prefer to Email Your Submission?

Research abstracts may be submitted via email to rrsubmissions@srpc.ca using the following guidelines.

• Abstracts are limited to one page (maximum 300 words) not including title, author names and affiliations, or key words and the required information is listed below.

• Must include introduction, methods, results and discussion.
  

• The name of the presenting author should be asterisked (*).

• All co-authors and primary affiliations should be listed.

• The SRPC encourages speakers to consider a student or resident to co-present.

• Abstracts must be submitted in a Word document.

• Abstracts must disclose any conflicts of interest.

The Legacy of the Residential School System & Impacts on Health

Join us for our next Indigenous Health Educational Series with guest speakers Sandra Bender. "The Legacy of the Residential School System & Impacts on Health"

All Are Welcome To Attend

In this presentation, we will discuss a brief history of the health-specific issues in the residential schools and the ongoing impacts of that experience, including intergenerational trauma, the importance of a trauma-informed approach across the board for service providers, and some of the other social impacts of the schools. We will also look at the TRC's Calls to Action around health, ongoing barriers to reconciliation, and conclude with some concrete ideas about how to implement reconciliation from within the medical field.

(A 60 minute, live zoom meeting with extra time at the end for Q&A.)

A recording of the session will be made available afterwards to share widely.

Speaker Bio: Community Engagement and Education Program Coordinator Sandra Bender (she/her) is a lifelong human rights advocate and brings her passion for public education to her work. As a second generation Canadian of grandparents who came to this land as adult immigrants and refugees, she is a staunch Indigenous ally and strives to use her position of privilege to further understanding and reconciliation through outreach and education. Sandra is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, feminist, and neurodivergent, and believes in bringing an intersectional lens to every aspect of her life. Past work has included Indigenous land claims advocacy, work with the unhoused communities in Winnipeg and Atlanta, work with newly-arrived refugees, and advocacy with the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Sandra holds several undergrad degrees and a masters, is an ex-opera singer, fitness & hiking enthusiast, and runs the music program at a church in downtown Winnipeg.

Sandra Bender
Community Engagement and Education Coordinator | Coordonatrice de l'engagement communautaire et de l'éducation
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation | Centre national pour la vérité et la réconciliation
sandra.bender@umanitoba.ca

______________________

The SRPC's Indigenous Health Committee is committed to developing a series of virtual, educational events to bring awareness and provide learning opportunities for all SRPC members about Indigenous health education.  We encourage all SRPC members to participate. 

Visit the SRPC Indigenous Health page to watch past series. 

Not an SRPC member yet?  Join today!

Is This A Good Idea? ER Capacity Building in Ethiopia

60 minute presentation including Q&A

Objectives:

1. Provision of an example of ER capacity building work in Ethiopia.
2. An illustration of how this work may sit in an ethical framework.
3. A discussion of how individuals may interact or integrate into projects of this nature.

Steve is an emergency physician based in Haliburton, Ontario. He is a staff physician at Haliburton Highlands Health Services,is a member of the ER staff at Peterborough Regional Health Centre and is a locus ER physician At Annapolis Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, Nova Scotia.

He has also worked regularly as a locum at Inuvik Regional Hospital and at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

He has an active interest in international health, particularly in knowledge sharing for local capacity building.

He is the Chair of the Global Health Committee of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada and a member of the Global Health Committee of CAEP.

Steve has previously been involved with Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief in various roles since 1997 including Chair of the Board at CPAR, co-Chair of the Programs Advisory Committee and is a clinical lead for the Fitche Hospital capacity building project and the Gondar University Hospital trauma project.

He is currently working with the staff at Gondar University Hospital on a trauma care improvement project.

Full details regarding exhibit booths and sponsorship are available in the conference prospectus. 

Visit the RR2024 website for all the event details.

If you have any questions, please contact Kristen - kristenk@srpc.ca or 819-647-7054

• Full payment is due 30 days after receipt of your registration form. All payments must be made in full by March 1, 2023

• Bookings will be released for resale if full payment is not received within 30 days of submitting the application.

• We will review your Registration/Invoice, (apply your deposit/discount if applicable) and send you the final invoice.

• Deposits are non refundable.

April 18 - 20, 2024, at the Edmonton Convention Centre

Our Theme This Year is: "Rural Health Resilience: Navigating Sustainability for Stronger Tomorrows"