Grande Prairie is a rural family medicine training stream within the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. We strongly believe that future rural physicians should train in the setting in which they will practice. Residents graduating from the Grande Prairie site universally report that they have gained the knowledge and skills required to confidently practice in any community in Canada. The Grande Prairie site is distinctly non-service-based. Residents select clinical duties based specifically for their learning value, and are given the flexibility to tailor clinical duties to their individual learning needs. With only one family medicine resident on a given service at any one time, there is little or no competition for procedures or other important learning opportunities. Residents also enjoy tremendous flexibility when selecting call days and holiday time.

Rotations:

PGY1 

4 weeks – Family Regional Medicine
16 weeks – Rural Family Medicine
4 weeks – General Surgery
4 weeks – Pediatrics Emergency Medicine (Stollery Children’s Hospital)
4 weeks – Pediatrics
4 weeks – Orthopedics
4 weeks- Anesthesia
8 weeks – Obstetrics & Gynecology
4 weeks – Electives
0.5 days/wk – Continuity Clinics

PGY2:

16 weeks – Rural Family Medicine
8 weeks – Rural Family Medicine
8 weeks – Electives
8 weeks – Emergency Medicine
8 weeks – Internal Medicine
1 week – Integrated Palliative Care
4 weeks – Psychiatry

PGY1 Overview:

Early in their residency training, each R1 will spend a 4-week block in their “home” family medicine clinic, working with a full-service family physician from the Grande Prairie area. Throughout their R1 year, the resident will return to their home clinic on a regular basis to maintain continuity in family medicine.

PGY1 also includes a 16-week block of rural family medicine, in a community of the resident’s choice. This block will contain an integrated program in Care of the Elderly.

The remainder of the R1 year consists of time spent with Royal College specialists within the city of Grande Prairie.

PGY2 Overview:

There are further specialty rotations in second year but the main thrust of PGY2 is to develop the resident as a rural family physician, building on the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the first year. The key rotations are two additional rural family medicine blocks of 8 weeks and 16 weeks duration. These rotations provide further opportunities to experience comprehensive medicine and continuity of care in a rural setting.

Faits saillants

Learner Focused

The Grande Prairie site is distinctly non-service-based. Residents select clinical duties based specifically for their learning value, and are given the flexibility to tailor clinical duties to their individual learning needs. With only one family medicine resident on a given service at any one time, there is little or no competition for procedures or other important learning opportunities. Grande Prairie is fortunate to have a cohort of Royal College specialists who have a particular interest in the teaching of family medicine residents, tailoring their teaching to what rural family physicians need to know.

Flexibility

Residents enjoy tremendous flexibility when selecting call days and holiday time as well as choosing specific rural communities for their training, tailoring their choices to individual learning needs and future practice goals.

Resident Well-being

The Grande Prairie site prides itself on the emphasis we place on resident wellbeing and the support we provide to our residents. As a small program, Grande Prairie residents develop close, supportive relationships with their fellow residents, as well as with preceptors and administrative staff. This is actively promoted by the program, through weekly site meetings, and regular social gatherings in which resident’s families are encouraged to participate. In addition, Grande Prairie offers its residents a program called “Finding Meaning in Medicine”. This program involves regular, structured gatherings in which residents are invited to share with one another their personal responses to challenging life experiences, allowing residents to provide each other with mutual support.

Enhanced Training

Grande Prairie residents benefit from high-quality academic programming, with regular academics supplemented by focused workshops and courses. Residents will receive enhanced training in areas which are crucial for practice in a rural setting. These include; CPoCUS IP certification, CASTED course, regular practice of critical care simulations and procedures.

Mentoring

Grande Prairie residents have the opportunity to be actively involved in the teaching of medical students and to form mentoring relationships with them, with a small group of medical students from the University of Alberta choosing to be placed in Grande Prairie for 8 months during their final year.

Funding

It is our belief that training in a rural stream should not be more expensive than training in a large urban centre. For this reason, additional funding is available for off site travel expenses and accommodations, as well as attending conferences.

For residents who are truly interested in a career in rural family medicine, we strongly believe that the training offered by the Grande Prairie site is second-to-none.