Over the weekend of September, 30, 70 student nurses got a taste of rural medicine and the Drumheller valley at a Skills Weekend.
The weekend was hosted by the Rural Health Professionals Action Plan and the Drumheller Standing Committee on Health, along with the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commence and Alberta Health Services.
The weekend offers participants an interactive, skills-based introduction to working in rural Alberta as a health-care professional. Students can speak with the instructors about health-related careers in the community, health-care provider job experiences, and the educational requirements for specific careers in health care.
The participants came from Medicine Hat College (MHC), MHC Brooks Campus, and Red Deer College. Not only did they get a chance to hone their skills, but also to take a look at rural medicine, and what kind of opportunities it offers health professionals.
They also had time to check out some of the local flavour with tours of local sites and social events.
Organizers of the event have received positive feedback from participants with many expressing they may take a second look at practicing in a rural community.