New support for med students with rural interest
A total of $100 000 is available for up to 20 medical students who demonstrate an interest in practising medicine in rural and remote communities in BC. Annually, up to 20 medical students will be given individual awards of $5000 to support their pursuit of practising rural medicine. The award is offered by the BC Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC with the goal of strengthening efforts to attract more doctors to rural and remote communities.
The first British Columbia Rural Interest Awards have been granted to UBC medical students who come from a variety of rural communities or have demonstrated an interest in entering rural medicine once training is complete. The British Columbia Rural Interest Award will be given to:
• Up to seven third-year students who have completed the Rural Family Practice Clerkship or the Integrated Community Clerkship.
• Up to seven fourth-year students who have completed a four-week rural elective.
• The remaining awards are granted to first-year students upon admittance to UBC Medical School.
For students applying upon completion of the third-year Rural Family Practice Clerkship, Integrated Community Clerkship, or fourth-year rural electives, the deadline is 30 June 2015. For first-year students applying upon admittance to UBC medical school, the deadline is 30 September 2015.
The awards were established through ongoing funding from the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, a collaborative committee of the Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC. For information on eligibility and application deadlines, visit rccbc.ca/education-and-cmecpd/medical-students/reap/british-columbia-rural-interest-award. For information about the collaborative committee of Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health, visit www.doctorsofbc.ca/resource-centre/physicians/handbooks-guides.
Read about a few of the current winners on the BCMJ blog (bcmj.org/blog/listings).