A second-year University of Calgary medical student liked doing a practicum in Olds so much last year that she returned this year to pitch Olds to other doctors who might move here in the future.
Meghan Olson, 22, did a family medicine practicum at the Wild Rose Medical Centre last year.
Her experience included shadowing physicians at the clinic and it went so well that she returned.
“I had an absolutely amazing time. It's one of my favourite clinics I've been in. It's a super-great learning environment,” Olson said during a tour by doctors.
“For me, the team environment is huge. That's one of the things I like about here. All the physicians really work together and they work with the nurses and the rest of the health care team,” she says.
The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development's Physician Attraction and Retention Committee toured a group of 11 medical students from the University of Calgary On Sept. 12.
Olson is one of three members of the school's Rural Medicine Interest Group and helped co-ordinate the town tour.
Mitch Thomson, the OI executive director, said the committee holds the tours annually.
He said they're trying to convince students to consider two things: family medicine and rural practice.
“We don't have a need for a high number of specialists, but people who are well-rounded and are willing to care for patients, regardless where they are in the spectrum of age and life,” Thomson said.
The tour started with a visit to the Olds Hospital and Care Centre, where students had the chance to view the emergency and surgical areas and speak to doctors and nurses.
They proceeded to Olds College, visiting the Community Learning Campus, the wetlands training centre, brewery and TransCanada Theatre.
From there, the mostly first-year students toured the Wild Rose Medical Centre.
After viewing recreation and leisure facilities such as the Olds Aquatic Centre and Sportsplex, the students closed their day with dinner.
Those are the kinds of amenities that first-year student Meri Kiekski is looking for, in addition to a supportive working environment with colleagues who are experts in their field.
“Olds is pretty good. What I really like is that it's close to the mountains and you've still got a swimming pool and an arts facility,” said the 26-year-old from Victoria. “So Olds is super competitive for the small towns I've seen and driven through.”
Kiekski said she hasn't decided if she wants to specialize but likes how family medicine allows doctors to know their patients, spend time with them and set up their own practices.
She adds that she could get used to small-town living.
“Living in a rural community definitely has advantages, mainly free parking. Free parking everywhere,” she says.
Pull Quote
"Olds is pretty good. What I really like is that it's close to the mountains and you've still got a swimming pool and an arts facility. So Olds is super competitive for the small towns I've seen and driven through."
