There are increased opportunities to welcome and host UBC medical students or Practice Ready Assessment –British Columbia (PRA-BC) candidates in your clinic and communities, as both programs are being expanded.
These programs can provide a unique opportunity to raise the profile of your clinic and community among prospective physicians. It can also be a valuable two-way learning experience that enriches your practice by fostering an exchange of medical, cultural, and generational knowledge, while helping to strengthen and increase access to quality primary health care in your region, and across your province. Financial compensation is also provided through both programs.
The PRA-BC program provides qualified internationally educated family physicians who have completed residencies in family medicine outside of Canada with an alternative pathway to licensure in B.C.
Dr. Abiola Imasogie recently completed her three-month PRA-BC candidacy at Fisher Peak Family Practice in Cranbrook prior to relocating toKimberley Medical Clinic to join their team.
“I greatly appreciate the sheer beauty of the East Kootenay,” said Imasogie. “Everyone I encountered during my candidacy—my colleagues, other members of staff, as well as the patients—made the entire duration of the assessment seamless and enjoyable. With my family in Calgary, the team at Fisher Peak became my family, and I loved going to work daily because of the unity, positive vibes, and energy they exuded.
“PRA-BC provided the platform I needed to transition into the Canadian family practice scene. I gota grasp of how the Canadian healthcare system functions, how to navigate its complexities in British Columbia, and learnt about the cultural norms.”
Learn more about becoming a PRA Assessor.
The UBC Southern Medical Program (SMP) relies on physicians, allied health professionals, and staff to support program delivery across its distributed education sites, and is recruiting new preceptors to join its network of rural physicians to grow medical education opportunities across the Interior of B.C.
Kimberley Medical Clinic has supported this program multiple times, carrying on a 35-year tradition of teaching medical students and residents.
“Throughout my career I’ve had a passion for teaching,” saidDr. Shaun van Zyl, Rural Family Practice Clerkship Course Director, and FamilyPhysician at Kimberley Medical Clinic. “Students enrich our community and bring their knowledge and life experience to us. Their thirst for learning and enthusiasm for medicine helps us reflect on our knowledge, keeps us up-to-date, and reminds us on a daily basis of why we are physicians.”
If you would like to learn more about welcoming a medical student through the UBC SMP, connect with Jacqui van Zyl, Project Manager, EK Division of Family Practice: jvanzyl@ekdivision.ca.
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Photo cutline: East Kootenay familyphysician Dr. Shaun van Zyl with UBC medical student Alanna Just.
