Discover Health Careers Program Offers Medical Student Valuable Hands-On Experience
University of Manitoba Medical student Chloe Van Rensburg gained valuable real-world experience through the Discover Health Careers program, formerly known as Home for the Summer, while exploring a variety of medical specialties in Brandon.
Van Rensburg recently completed four weeks at Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) facilities, spending time in urology with Dr. Gqoli, radiology with Dr. Boniel and Dr. Avila, and radiation oncology with Dr. Sivananthan at the Western Manitoba CancerCare site in Brandon.
She described the experience as an excellent opportunity to gain clinical exposure before beginning clerkship rotations in medical school.
“It has been so cool,” said Van Rensburg. “We don’t get too much clinical experience in our first and second years, so it’s really getting to see what our job is going to be all about.”
During the placement, she had the chance to scrub in and assist with her first surgery and also participated in her first paracentesis (abdominal tap) procedure. She said the hands-on learning opportunities and mentorship from local physicians have been invaluable.
Van Rensburg, who has just completed her second year of medical school, will begin clerkship rotations this fall. She has chosen to complete her third year in Brandon, one of only six students from her class of 140 to do so.
“This has been a really good taste of what my third year is going to look like,” she said. “That’s really exciting.”
The Discover Health Careers program helps medical learners from rural communities return home for summer placements, giving them exposure to local healthcare services and career opportunities while strengthening connections with rural Manitoba communities.
“This program is a great way for PMH to continue connecting with medical students and providing experiences that may influence their future practice choices,” says Karen Martin, Physician and Recruitment Coordinator for Prairie Mountain Health.
This summer, PMH hosted 13 students in Brandon, Neepawa, Swan River, Virden, Dauphin, and Minnedosa. It was the greatest number of medical students PMH has ever hosted through the initiative, with 10 in 2025 and 12 in 2024.
“Most of the students this year had previously participated in other PMH activities, including Rural Week and Rural Interest Group weekends. It was encouraging to see them return to PMH by applying for this summer program,” Martin added.
More information about the Discover Health Careers program can be found here Discover Health Careers – Health Careers Manitoba