Hands on training

New Glasgow - Eleven medical students toured the Aberdeen Hospital Friday as the Pictou County Health Authority showed them what the facility has to offer in the hopes of attracting them to continue their education locally.
Most of the Dalhousie University students are in their second year of the medical program and have already expressed interest in pursuing a career in family medicine, explained Dr. Nicole Boutilier, chief of staff.
The Aberdeen Hospital has an agreement with Dalhousie Medical School, where third- and fourth-year students can learn on-site, under the instruction of local physicians. It's hoped that some of the students who toured the facility Friday will decide to pursue their studies in Pictou County - and possibly remain here once they're done their schooling.
"Our ultimate goal is to bring more family physicians here," Boutilier said. "We know that training physicians often come back to practise where they train."
By bringing them into the community while they're still students and showing them what Pictou County has to offer, Boutilier is hopeful they'll want to continue living and working in the area.
Currently, there are four students in the Medical Undergraduate Teaching Program, which has been in place for nine months now. Since its beginning, 20 young people training to become doctors have participated.
While Boutilier wasn't sure what the ultimate capacity of the teaching program will work out to be - that will ultimately depend on the interest of both the students and teachers - she was hopeful that at least a few of the students who visited Friday may return in the next few years.
"It's a lot of work to take on, to teach and groom these students," said Boutilier, adding that professional development for the staff teaching these students is becoming a priority for the health authority. "Many of our doctors really enjoy it. But it can take its toll if you do it 12 months a year."
The students had the opportunity to participate in teaching sessions Friday, including casting and splinting, diagnostic imaging, EKG reading and practice and airway management and assessment.
Amherst native Ian Arbuckle and Laura Baxter from Sackville, N.B. are both first-year students who participated in Friday's event. The day gave them the chance to see how medical services are delivered outside of Halifax.
"We spend a lot of time at the Infirmary and the IWK - we don't often get to see how rural medicine works," said Baxter.
Visiting the site gave both students a good idea what they might like to do when it's time to do rotations down the road.
"It definitely helps us figure out what we'd like to do," said Arbuckle. "You never know, you might see our faces here in third or fourth year."
Boutilier said most of the students were enthusiastic about the hands-on trials they got to do. The visit will also feature a meet and greet with local family physicians, she added.