Trajectories of physicians in Manitoba, Canada: the influence of contact points of rural-focused professional learning

Authors

  • John Murray Max Rady College of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0351-1135
  • Charles Penner Max Rady College of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba
  • Wayne Heide Administrative Director - Manitoba’s ORNH Project Coordinator – Manitoba Health Care Providers Network
  • Dawn Piasta Manitoba Health Care Providers Network
  • Don Klassen Associate Professor Dept. of Family Medicine Assoc. Head (Distributed Medical Education), Dept. of Family Medicine Max Rady College of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba Medical Director, Manitoba's Office of Rural and Northern Health

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.43301

Keywords:

distributed medical education, rural medicine, DME Canada

Abstract

Background: The Manitoba Office of Rural and Northern Health (ORNH) provided a multi-year series of elective opportunities for undergraduate medical students to support rural/remote medical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the career trajectories of Manitoba physicians in eight matched cohorts over the period 2004-2007 between: 1) those who experienced a required rural clinical block rotation only during their undergraduate medicine training in Manitoba (Med 1 and Med 3), and; 2) those who engaged in and completed additional elective programs referred to here as “contact points”.                

Methods: The study utilized a retrospective/longitudinal matched cohort design which included the common factor of a mandated rural clinical one-week rotation and the differentiating factors of experiences in elective programming offered by the ORNH (contact points).

Results: Of the 344 Manitoba-trained physicians whose location of current practice could be determined, 74 are presently in rural/remote communities and 270 in urban settings. Those physicians who are now in rural/remote practice were significantly more likely (p ≤ 0.05) to have continued contact with ORNH in addition to the mandatory rural rotation alone. For practitioners now located in rural/remote settings, a mean of 0.903 contact points per learner with ORNH programs is observed. For those now in urban practice the mean number of contact points per learner was 0.233.

Conclusion: We conclude that there is an association between rural-focused contact points and rural and remote practice in Manitoba. Targeted professional learning where physician recruitment and retention remains a continuing challenge is discussed.

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Author Biographies

John Murray, Max Rady College of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba

Assistant Professor,

Distributed Medical Education,

College of Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba and

Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy

Faculty of Education

Brandon University

Charles Penner, Max Rady College of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba

Associate Dean, Brandon Satellite Campus

Max Rady College of Medicine, 

Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Manitoba

Wayne Heide, Administrative Director - Manitoba’s ORNH Project Coordinator – Manitoba Health Care Providers Network

Administrative Director - Manitoba’s ORNH
Project Coordinator – Manitoba Health Care Providers Network

Unit D – 101 1St Ave NW

Dauphin, Manitoba R7N 3B2



Dawn Piasta, Manitoba Health Care Providers Network

MLTP/Database Coordinator

Don Klassen, Associate Professor Dept. of Family Medicine Assoc. Head (Distributed Medical Education), Dept. of Family Medicine Max Rady College of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Manitoba Medical Director, Manitoba's Office of Rural and Northern Health

Associate Professor Dept. of Family Medicine
Assoc. Head (Distributed Medical Education),  
Dept. of Family Medicine
Max Rady College of Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba and

Medical Director, Manitoba's Office of Rural and Northern Health

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Published

2018-11-13

How to Cite

1.
Murray J, Penner C, Heide W, Piasta D, Klassen D. Trajectories of physicians in Manitoba, Canada: the influence of contact points of rural-focused professional learning. Can. Med. Ed. J [Internet]. 2018 Nov. 13 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];9(4):e93-101. Available from: https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/43301

Issue

Section

Original Research