Family Residency Training Program, Op-ed

NOTE: The following is a op-ed by Health and Wellness Minister David Wilson.

Five medical residents are gaining perspective in rural medicine as part of a new program in the Annapolis Valley, Dalhousie University medical school's newest residency training site.

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting this group of doctors, who will spend the next two years living and working in the communities of Annapolis Royal, Middleton, Berwick, New Minas and Kentville. Having residents learn and practice in rural Nova Scotia will help patients receive better access to the care they need.

The Family Residency Training Program represents a unique partnership between the province, Dalhousie University's Medical School, Annapolis Valley Health and the District's medical community. It is an expansion of Dalhousie's longstanding family medicine residency training program, which now has seven main teaching sites across the Maritime provinces, including three in Nova Scotia.

Encouraging more family doctors to open offices in smaller communities is just one of many ways government is investing in rural Nova Scotia. Research shows that training doctors in rural communities can influence where they choose to practice in the future.

This program goes even further. With a new curriculum and a new approach to training, it is also breaking new ground in medical education nationally and internationally.

Traditionally, residents rotate through a series of specialties, spending weeks or months at a time focusing on one area, such as obstetrics, pediatrics or surgery. Under this program, the residents will spend two years in a family practice where they will follow a group of patients. They will gain skills and experience in specialty areas such as palliative care, psychiatry and geriatrics to help them provide the best care possible for their group of patients.

I spoke with each of these residents, and they are excited to participate in this program, not only for the flexibility it provides, but because of the opportunity to practice in rural Nova Scotia. In fact, for four of the five residents, the program has provided the opportunity to do their residency training in the province they call home. Next summer, another five, first-year residents will enter the program.

Annapolis Valley's Program Director Dr. Roop Conyers told me that his colleagues are very enthusiastic about this program and are committed to making this a positive experience for the residents. They understand that being part of a teaching community can be professionally rewarding while also improving the overall quality of care for patients.

As I chatted with the residents, their teachers and some of the leaders from the medical school and district last week, I was impressed by the spirit of co-operation and collaboration that exists to make this program a success. I applaud the Dalhousie medical school, the Annapolis Valley Health District as well as the family doctors, specialists and community leaders for their leadership, passion and commitment.

The family residency program expansion, together with other initiatives like the Clinician Assessment in Practice Program, help ensure Nova Scotians have access to the doctors they need where they need them. For example, we now have a total of 30 physicians working in Nova Scotia as a result of the Clinician Assessment in Practice Program, which assesses international medical graduates for entry to family practice. We expect as many as eight more family doctors to enter practice through this program over the next few months.

In addition, there are 11 family doctors who are, or who will soon be practising in rural areas through our return of service program. The program provides funding for medical education in exchange for a commitment to work in a community where there is an identified need.

We are also working to support and strengthen team-based care through initiatives like Collaborative Emergency Care Centres, which helps to improve worklife balance for doctors and is part of our plan to attract and keep doctors in rural Nova Scotia.

Family Residency Training Program is funded by the departments of Health and Wellness and Labour and Advanced Education, with support from the local communities. It is part of government's recently released Physician Resource Plan aimed at improving access to doctors by ensuring we have the right number and distribution of doctors across the province.

Nova Scotians want and deserve timely access to care. The Family Residency Training Program is just one of many ways government is working with its partners to provide better care sooner.