Over the past weekend, Friday, Feb. 21, to Sunday, Feb. 23, Flagstaff County hosted a ‘Let’s Go Rural’ event for Red Deer Polytechnic allied health students.
Students rolled into town on Friday, in time to have dinner and check into their hotel in Killam.
Saturday started early with a trip to Daysland Hospital, where local professionals led the students through a number of workshops, including time in the ambulance, emergency room, and operating room where scopes and colonoscopies are done.
Students then travelled to Heisler to have lunch at Big Willy’s Bar, and to have a group photo at the Heisler Ball Glove, before heading for a tour of a dairy barn and local Battle River Implements tour.
A special dinner event was held Saturday evening at the Killam Community Hall, planned by host group, the Flagstaff Healthcare Attraction and Retention Committee (FIHAR). The evening featured keynote speaker Dr. Lisa Bélanger, a behavioural change expert and researcher.
The evening also included a showcase of local health-care focussed videos.
Sunday was another busy day, this time students were hosted at the Killam Health Care Centre for another series of workshops with local healthcare professionals, before heading off to bowling at the Galahad Community Centre for some bowling and lunch.
The Let’s Go Rural events, which are organized and designed through the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) aim to introduce students to the dynamic world of rural healthcare while showcasing the myriad of local opportunities available.
Students participating in the event have expressed interest in working in rural healthcare.
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor