RIG weekend showcases rural medicine

Medical students from the University of Manitoba received an early, hands-on introduction to rural medicine this past weekend during the annual Rural Interest Group (RIG) workshop hosted in Brandon and Minnedosa.

A total of 75 first- and second-year medical students took part in the Jan. 23-24 event, split between the two rural sites, in partnership with Prairie Mountain Health (PMH), Health Careers Manitoba and the Max Rady College of Medicine.

The student-led initiative is designed to showcase the training opportunities, professional scope and lifestyle benefits of practising medicine in rural communities.

The weekend helps expose students — many of whom have limited experience outside Winnipeg — to what rural Manitoba has to offer, the group’s co-chair Zeta Ward said.

“Lots of students don’t have much experience going outside the perimeter,” Ward said. “This gives them a chance to see what it looks like to practise in rural settings, how the practice can differ from urban medicine, and how many opportunities there really are.”

Throughout the weekend, students rotate through clinical skills stations prepared at each site, gaining hands-on experience with procedures they typically do not encounter early in medical school.

Stations include suturing, emergency airway management, casting, ultrasound use and other generalist skills commonly required in rural practice. Participants also tour hospitals and meet physicians and health-care staff working in the region, Ward, a second-year medical student, said.

Ward, who grew up in St. Francis Xavier, said one of the biggest lessons from the event is showing students how flexible and rewarding rural family medicine can be.

“As a rural doctor, you can practise in so many different areas,” she said. “There’s a lot of flexibility. If you like something, you can pursue it, and if your interests change, you can adapt. The lifestyle is also very different from urban living, and that’s something students really connect with.”

The weekend reinforced interest in returning to rural Manitoba after training, second-year medical student, Harald Grove, who grew up in Gilbert Plains, told the Sun on Saturday.

“The teaching here has been excellent,” Grove said. “They really explain the basics and walk you through anatomy, normal findings and what pathology looks like. I think getting people out to rural locations early is important — not just for familiarity, but hopefully to practise there one day.”

The RIG weekend plays a key role in early recruitment by allowing students to experience the breadth of rural medicine firsthand, Prairie Mountain Health chief medical officer Adrian Fung told the Sun.

“In rural practice, you get to do a bit of everything,” Fung said. “You’re involved in clinic care, emergency medicine, inpatient care, and sometimes even obstetrics or surgery. You’re not limited to one narrow role.”

Fung said there are lifestyle advantages of rural practice, including shorter commutes, a strong work-life balance and access to outdoor recreation.

“Our region is really a playground,” he said. “There are lakes, camping, fishing, hiking — and if you want city amenities, Winnipeg is still close enough for a weekend trip.”

This year’s event received strong interest, with 150 students applying and only 75 spots available. According to PMH, the growing demand reflects increasing student curiosity about rural medicine.

A similar RIG workshop is also held annually in Swan River, with additional rural exposure offered through programs such as the Brandon-based residency stream and the longitudinal integrated clerkship for third-year students.

Early exposure to rural medicine is key to building a stable workforce, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara stated in a press release issued by PMH last week.

“Introducing medical students to rural practice early in their training is an influential and important first step in recruitment and long-term retention,” Asagwara said.

PMH credited regional physicians, staff, volunteers and sponsors — including the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation and the Minnedosa CDC/Tourism Board — for supporting the event and helping make the RIG weekend a success.

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