WHEREAS the medical needs of the residents of small, rural, Canadian communities are identical to residents of more urban centres; AND WHEREAS the training provided by Canadian medical programs does not prepare our general practitioners for the many and varied challenges they must meet in a small, rural setting: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM work with the necessary government ministries and medical education programs to identify and develop appropriate changes in the Canadian medical education system required to ensure that general practitioners can meet the needs of rural Canadians, such as proficiency in surgery, anesthesia and obstetrics.
Ministry of Health Services The Province of British Columbia recognizes that physicians practicing in rural settings face many and varied challenges. In 2002, the Province entered into an agreement with the BC Medical Association BCMA to establish the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues JSC to oversee the development and application of programs to assist physicians providing care to rural communities. This standing committee is comprised of representatives from rural physicians, health authorities, the BCMA and the Ministry of Health Services. The JSC has developed and oversees the application of a number of programs designed to help attract physicians to practice in rural BC communities and to be successful in this environment. Comprehensive information on the JSC and on the programs it sponsors can be obtained at the web site: http:www.health.gov.bc.capcbrural.html Some specific initiatives that JSC has undertaken to support the selection and preparation of physicians for successful practice in rural BC communities include: - Rural physician representation on the Admissions Committee for the Faculty of Medicine at UBC to support the selection of applicants from rural BC communities; - Promotional programs to encourage students from rural BC communities to pursue careers in rural medicine; - Compensation for rural physicians for time spent teaching undergraduate medical students on the challenges, advantages and successful methods of practicing medicine in rural communities; - Funding for extra training for new physicians undertaking their first year of practice in rural BC communities; - Funding for urban physicians who would like to practice in rural communities andor provide locum support in rural communities to acquire the skills necessary for successful practice in rural communities; - Incentives for undergraduate medical students to spend a minimum of 4 weeks with rural physicians to learn about the challenges, advantages and how to successfully practice medicine in rural communities; - Funding to support rural physicians pursuing additional advanced skills to help them successfully practice medicine in rural communities; - Funding to support rural physicians obtain specialist skills that would be beneficial for rural communities; - Enhanced funding for rural physicians over and above the funding all BC physicians receive for Continuing Medical Education from the BCMA to enable them to continuously update and upgrade their skills; - Provincial, rural physician locum programs that provide rural GPs and rural Specialists with locum relief to take time off to further develop their skills andor take vacation; - Establishment of a Rural Co-ordination Centre RCCbc to strengthen the interaction, communication and professional support rural physicians receive and provide to one another through networking and professional conferences: www.rccbc.ca - The development and 2010 launch of the CARE course Comprehensive Approach to Rural Emergencies CARE course for rural physicians to assist them successfully deal with the unique challenges of providing emergency medical care in rural areas. In 2009, the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada identified BC as having among the very best supply of physicians to rural population in Canada with 1 GP per 874 in rural population. The Canadian average is 1 GP per 1,153 in rural population. In 2009 the Province and the BC Medical Association agreed to commit a further 20,000,000 to the JSC to further strengthen the effectiveness of programs that attract and support physicians practicing in rural BC communities. The objective is for BC rural physicians to continue to be among the very best supported rural physicians in Canada.
Ministry of Health With respect to your request for improved training for rural general practitioners, the Government of Canada recognizes the challenges that exist in meeting the health human resources HHR needs of rural communities. I am pleased to report that recent statistics demonstrate improvements in the overall HHR supply in Canada. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, between 2004 and 2008, the total number of physicians and regulated nurses increased by approximately eight percent. While health care education, management and delivery are primarily provincial and territorial responsibilities, all governments work collaboratively with the education sector, as well as regulatory and key health care organizations, to make investments that support innovation and address HHR challenges. For example, my department invests 20 million per year in the Health Human Resource Strategy HHRS and 18 million per year in the Internationally Educated Health Professionals Initiative IEHPI. A number of these investments are expected to benefit rural communities. Under the HHRS, Health Canada is funding a limited number of residencies in family medicine to serve Northern Manitoba, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. We are also working to introduce more residencies in areas of need as identified by the provincial and territorial governments across Canada. The IEHPI focuses on the integration of internationally educated health professionals into Canadas health care work force. To date, investments have been made in over 90 projects to facilitate assessment, training and licensure. My department is also supporting the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada AFMC to undertake a review of medical education to better align it with changing population health needs and improve patient care. The AFMC is responsible for the accreditation or undergraduate medical education, while the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada are responsible for the accreditation of post graduate medical education. I would, therefore suggest you share the resolution regarding Canadian medical education programs with these organizations.