With rural Ontario continuing to face a shortage of health-care professionals, a unique program aimed at inspiring the next generation of medical practitioners has returned to Stratford and Hanover.
Discovery Healthcare Camp, a one-week medical science summer camp for high school students, runs from July 14 to 18 at Stratford General Hospital and Hanover and District Hospital. The camp is organized by Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University in partnership with the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance.
According to Rural Canada Statistics, nearly six million Canadians (about 16 per cent of the population) live in rural areas, but just seven per cent of the country’s physicians serve those communities. The camp is one of several initiatives working to help close that gap.
“Addressing the limited access to health care in rural communities requires long-term solutions, including initiatives that encourage aspiring health-care professionals,” said Dr. Victor Ng, assistant dean of Distributed Education at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. “Discovery Healthcare provides high school students an early insight into the various aspects of health care through interactive workshops, opportunities to job shadow and informative sessions with health-care professionals. The camp strives to ignite passion among campers for health and medical sciences.”
Led by first and second year medical students, the camp offers hands-on sessions in clinical skills such as suturing, casting, and stethoscope use. Campers will also engage in job shadowing, recreation activities, and discussions about career pathways in medicine, nursing, EMS, pharmacy, and dentistry.
"At Hanover and District Hospital, we believe in nurturing tomorrow's healthcare leaders today," said Dana Howes, President and CEO. "There's nothing more energizing than watching young people discover their passion for healing and helping others. We're thrilled to open our doors and share the incredible world of medicine with these bright minds."
Discovery Healthcare is offered in eight communities across Southwestern Ontario this summer, including in Stratford, Goderich, Sarnia, Chatham, St. Thomas, Windsor, Hanover, and Woodstock.
The camp in Goderich was held the week of July 7-11.