Four medical students who spent the summer at the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health in Goderich are heading back to medical school.
They were involved in various research projects over the summer, but all of them stated that one of the huge benefits of Gateway is that it didn't force them to choose between staying in the urban centre near their university to get a job related to their chosen careers, or spending the summer back home with family and friends. Gateway provided both.
Former Bayfield resident, Jessie Payne is in her second year at Queen's University in Kingston and is studying Biotechnology and Neuroscience. Her research over the summer involved looking at the issue of loneliness for seniors either living on their own or in institutions. She says the opportunity provided by Gateway to tap into research opportunities has helped her apply her studies in a practical way, but also encouraged her to be a more competitive student that will allow her to give back to her community after graduation.
Grace Bonnett has grown up in Huron County and says working at Gateway broadened her scope and helped her see some of the unique health care needs and challenges in rural Ontario.
Sam Murray says being a part of Gateway has allowed him to learn about conducting research in ways that would not have been possible in a classroom.
Alex Conlon's particular interest is in rural research and he says as a foreign student, he needs as much research on his resume as he can get so he can secure a resident position in Canada after he graduates.
