HUDSON BAY — Fifty medical students and residents travelled to Hudson Bay for a showcase of rural and regional medical centres in Saskatchewan.
This was part of the Saskatchewan Medical Association’s Roadmap Program. The program showcases these medical centres to medical students and family medicine residents with the goal of increasing the number of locally trained physicians working in smaller communities.
Each year the association, tiogether with local health officials, have one-day tours. The students and medicine residents tour the host community and spend some time with physicians and community members learning about work and life in that town or city.
Dr. Stephanie Nyberg, a rural family physician from Melfort that’s a mentor with the program, joined them on their trip to Hudson Bay on Jan. 19.
“When we first pulled into Hudson Bay there had been a mock trauma snowmobile accident that the community set up,” Nyberg said. “On the way there we played mock 911 calls so the students kind of have a head’s up and basically the ambulance, the fire department and the RCMP were all there and the students got to see how all the professions work together in a trauma incident. They also got to experience a snow ambulance, which most of them hadn’t seen, so they were all very excited about that.”
A snow ambulance a covered sled which can fit a paramedic and a stretcher to secure a victim – the covering is made of hard plastic with windows. The sled is then connected to a snowmobile which can drive the victim to the needed destination.
“Anytime they get to see inter-professional interactions it’s always great because that’s basically what rural medicine is all about,” Nyberg said.
From there the students went to the Hudson Bay Health Care Facility where they demonstrated their skills at work stations located throughout the facility.
“We did some skill stations with Dr. [Don] Gelhorn and Dr. [Pieter] Maree, casting, suturing – Dr. Maree did some ultrasound teaching. So the students were really excited about that.”
Afterwards the students finished the day by going curling at the Hudson Bay Curling Club.
“It was a really positive experience for them, they were all really excited. The only downfall was that it was -30°C with a wind-chill, so we weren’t able to do any of the outdoor activities that would have been really nice.”
