PMH hosts bus tours for students with interest in health care

As far as retro radio goes, Paul Simon had a hit song which, among other things, indicated you could “Hop on the bus, Gus!”. It continued, ‘There’s no need to be coy, Roy,’ and added, ‘There’s no need to discuss much!’

On May 27,  Prairie Mountain Health’s recruitment team felt there was indeed much to discuss and essentially highlighted a version of 50 ways to ‘rediscover’ by hosting students on two separate bus tours, which promoted the many benefits of working and living in rural Manitoba.

The first bus tour from Winnipeg to Brandon on May 26 involved 11 Year 1 Pharmacy Tech students and an MITT instructor. They arrived at Brandon Regional Health Centre, where they were provided information about working in PMH Pharmacy areas.  Students participated in rotating tours throughout the facility to see the various aspects of ‘pharmacy in action.’

“The students were very pleased with the opportunity to see much of what they were learning in the theory portion of their program.  The group reconvened and were provided insight by staff and management as to why they enjoy living and working in Brandon and rural areas,” stated Larissa Kominko, PMH Recruitment Manager.

For fun, the group was treated to a pizza-making and cookie-decorating activity at Brandon’s Chez Angela Bakery & Café. 

From a pharmacy course instructor who was part of the tour: “PMH offered an excellent, hands-on experience to understand how the pharmacy team works to provide safe, effective medications to the hospital. The roles are varied and diverse, never a dull moment!”

Following the tour, one of the students expressed interest in a vacant Pharmacy Tech Summer Student position, and she was a successful candidate. 

Dietitians participate in two-day tour

The second bus tour from Winnipeg on May 29 involved 17 students from the University of Manitoba in their final year of the Masters of Applied Human Nutrition (MAHN).  Their first stop was Dauphin, where students enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant, Corrina’s on Main.  Later, PMH dietitians answered healthcare job questions and led a tour of Dauphin Regional Health Centre and Community Health Services.

PMH promotes its ‘good nature,’ so students went to Northgate Trails just outside Dauphin and near the north side base of the Riding Mountain National Park escarpment, where they enjoyed a scenic hike. In the evening, students enjoyed Clear Lake, which included overnighting at Elkhorn Ranch.

Fresh cinnamon buns from the Whitehouse Bakery & Restaurant in Wasagaming greeted the group in the morning before the second-day trip to Brandon was underway. During the journey, staff noted the communities along the way, including  Erickson, Minnedosa and Rivers.

Brandon’s first stop was the Town Centre to tour the various programs and services offered to the community.  Staff provided tours and insights into their roles to help the students better understand what opportunities are available to them. The group went to the Brandon Regional Health Centre, where they enjoyed lunch prepared by the Nutrition Services staff and later toured the health centre.  The Renal Unit and Cancer Care were a couple of the highlights. 

One final activity before it’s time to load the bus home.  The students, along with PMH staff, participated in a cookie decorating activity led by Hillbilly Hills Cookie Decorating. 

From one of the participating students:

“The PMH tour was informative and fun! It opened my eyes to rural services, which I had no clue about as most of my work has been in the WRHA. It’s great to see how the different health regions operate, and all the Registered Dietitians and support staff were so nice and inviting! Also, the cinnamon buns were so good.”

PMH thanks all staff members who were involved in the tours. Also, thanks sincerely to all local businesses participating in the meals and fun activities during the initiative.

Parkland Family Medicine Residency Unit welcomes new group

Canada Day marks notable achievements across the country and province. And this year, six new residents were proud to begin their two-year training period July 1 with the Parkland Family Medicine Residency Unit based in Dauphin. This new crop of residents includes

Jennifer Setlack, Sumaya Tasneem, Nikita Gonnade, Adesola Alade, Sheryl Diana Moralde, and Abieyuwa Agada. They will graduate in June 2027.

The residents will work with a variety of preceptors over the two years in a variety of clinical settings and in the community of Dauphin, Ste. Rose, Grandview, Brandon and Winnipeg (for four specialty rotations).

Graduates from the last two-year program have started working in Manitoba and Ontario, with the exception of one who is taking a third-year of residency focusing on care of the elderly.

The Parkland Unit began in July 1991 and therefore has a long-standing history of training rural family medicine residents. The success rate of graduating residents who practice in a rural setting is 83%.  Strong dedication from the local physician group to teach along with interprofessional staff and a community that is open to trainees are the main reasons of the continued success of this program.    

First-year medical students tour PMH communities

Fifteen communities participate in U of M “Rural Week”

An enthusiastic bunch of first-year medical students from the University of Manitoba’s (U of M) Max Rady College of Medicine (Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) got a first-hand look at the sights and sounds of the vibrant rural communities within Prairie Mountain Health ({PMH) region. Students noted the lifestyle opportunities, attractions and experiences in rural areas and, through feedback, provided many positive reviews, including some from participants who were learning of life outside the Manitoba perimeter for the very first time.

Some 46 medical students participated in ‘Rural Week’ within the region from May 26 – May 30 and June 2 – 6. The medical students were assigned to visit 15  participating communities this year, including Brandon, Carberry, Dauphin, Deloraine, Glenboro, Grandview, Hamiota, Killarney, Neepawa, Roblin, Russell, Souris, Ste. Rose, Swan River and Virden.

Rural Week— coordinated annually by the Department of Family Medicine, Shared Health, Health Care Recruitment and Retention Office, and rural, regional health authorities enlist community stakeholders to assist with planning the lifestyle tours and events. Students also participate in various rural physician practices and tours of healthcare sites.

PMH Regional Lead of Medical Services and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adrian Fung added:

“This exposure is as much about rural lifestyle as it is about rural medicine.  Rural Week is an exciting time, as it allows us as a region to highlight our communities, staff, and facilities to the medical students while also giving the students a chance to see how rewarding and fulfilling rural practice can be.”

For example, four students in Ste. Rose provided this overview, which noted the variety of care some family physicians offer in rural areas.

“There are four physicians in Ste. Rose who serve a broad community of patients from multiple other communities such as Rorketon, Ebb and Flow, Kinosota, etc.; many patients have to drive quite far from other places in the catchment area.  Dr. Blais, a Metis physician who lives in Dauphin, also drives to Ste. Rose’s hospital to work there. She also does one or two days a week at the Health Center in Ebb and Flow. She is the only physician who works at the Ebb and Flow Health Center, an action that directly serves to bridge the health inequity of access to medical care.”

PMH thanks all physician preceptors, healthcare professionals, and community volunteers whose dedication makes Rural Week successful. This important Week would not have been possible without the commitment and enthusiasm of the communities, who generously share their time and spirit to showcase all they have to offer.