Medical profession invests in rural doctors of tomorrow

A dozen rural BC students who are working toward careers in the medical profession have received scholarships funded by Doctors of BC and the BC government through the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues and the Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice.

The students are attending the three year Rural Pre-Medicine Program at Selkirk College that prepares youth for medical school and other opportunities in the health care field. 

“We are tremendously proud to be a funder and supporter of this innovative program being offered at Selkirk College in the southern interior,” said Dr Alan Ruddiman, Doctors of BC co-chair of the JSC. “Encouraging and preparing students in our rural communities to pursue careers in medicine and the health sciences will help increase the number of health providers in rural areas and provide better care for patients. This program is truly unique in the landscape of Canadian post secondary education.”  

The Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues is a partnership between Doctors of BC and the provincial government. The goals of the committee are to enhance the availability and stability of services provided by physicians in rural and remote areas of British Columbia. The Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice represents family physicians in the region with the goal of improving patient access to local primary care.

Read more about the scholarships and the student’s reactions.

Photo via The Rossland Telegraph