A homegrown program is getting rural youth interested in taking up health-care practice in their own communities, a University of Alberta study suggests.
Former participants were surveyed to evaluate the effectiveness of Young Medical Minds, a six-week program designed for Grade 8 students from Camrose and surrounding Alberta communities to explore careers in health care. Established in 2015, the program is a joint effort of the U of A’s Augustana Campus, Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health and local volunteers.
The non-profit program includes 12 pupils from area schools every semester. By following a fictitious injured student through care and treatment, they learn about careers in emergency medical services, medicine, diagnostic imaging, nursing and rehabilitation.
Researchers asked 64 former participants about their life choices and reflections on the program. They found that after taking part, nearly 40 per cent of respondents had changed their minds and wanted to pursue a health-care career. Additionally, 24 per cent became more interested in working rurally.
The study also showed that 34 per cent either planned to pursue or had pursued health-care careers, much higher than the provincial average of 11 per cent. And though many had moved to larger cities to take their degrees, 48 per cent said they planned to live in a rural community and 40 per cent to work rurally, approximately double the provincial averages.
“The program’s effectiveness shows that investing in these students at an early age can have significant impacts for their futures in rural health-care jobs and living in rural communities,” says undergraduate student researcher Chad Nichol, who co-led the work with Clark Banack, director of the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities.
“Our research demonstrates that, for governments struggling to fill vacant health-care positions in rural communities, a modest investment in programs like Young Medical Minds can go a long way in addressing the issue,” Banack says.