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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-06-09, Page 12Crossroads 12 Wednesday, June 9, 2004 Exeter Times Advocate UWO students learn about rural medicine By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — In conjunc- tion with the Southwestern Ontario Rural Regional Medicine (SWORRM) group, first- year medical students at the University of Western Ontario got a taste last week of what it's like to practice rural medicine. Students Jessica Howard and Miriam Ang, both 23, spent the week in Exeter doing emer- gency room work at South Huron Hospital, working at the medical clinic and working along- side family doctors. Another UWO student, Jacqueline Joza, was also in the area last week, working at the Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre. The placements are a requirement of first-year UWO medical students. Called "Discovery Week," the project sees 133 stu- dents from Howard's and Ang's class placed in small- and medium-sized communities across southwestern Ontario, shadowing doctors, nurs- es and nurse practition- ers. For both Howard and Ang, their stay in Exeter was their first exposure to small-town medicine. Both came away impressed with what they learned and say they are open to the idea of prac- ticing rural medicine when they graduate. Howard said medicine in a small town is "very different" from in the cities. She said small town doctors perform a larger variety of services and get to know their patients better than those in cities. "Doctors here work very hard and are well respected in the commu- nity," she said. She added both she and Ang felt a great sense of community in Exeter and were made to feel wel- come. Ang said she did a lot more clinical work in Exeter the past week than students did all year at school. She said it was "very exciting" to talk to the patients and get a real feel for what doctors do in the community. She and Howard agreed local doc- tors were always willing to help them and explain things to them. Both medical students said rural medicine was different than what they expected. Ang said she had the impression rural doctors would be "work- ing 24 hours a day," while Howard thought doctors here would be completely on their own, but she learned doctors here do have a lot of support from the rest of the health care team in the community. In addition to their work in the hospital, Ang and Howard spent time in Grand Bend and Benmiller and spoke to students at South Huron District High School. Both Howard and Ang have at least five to six more years of training before they become full- time practicing doctors. After their first year of First-year University of Western Ontario medical students Jessica Howard, left, and Miriam Ang spent last week at South Huron Hospital learning about rural medicine. The program is part of UWO's first-year cur- riculum, which sees medical students placed in small- or medium-sized community settings across southwest- ern Ontario. (photo/Scott Nixon) medical school, they both say they love what they're doing. Ang said she almost chose a career in engineering, but is glad she decided to go with medicine. First-year studies ended for Ang and Howard last Friday, when they had to give a short presentation at UWO about their expe- riences in Exeter. If they had one disappointment from the week, it's that as of last Thursday after- noon, they still hadn't seen one of Exeter's white squirrels. SWORRM SWORRM covers a pop- ulation of 1 4 million in southwestern Ontario stretching from Tobermory to Pelee Island. The group's phi- losophy, according to its Web site, is that "univer- sity medical schools have a responsibility to gradu- ate and train physicians appropriate for the region's needs." Rural medicine was integrated into the first- year medical school cur- riculum in 1997. Students now learn about rural medicine throughout their education. The purpose is to ensure students have "the knowledge, skills and interest to choose rural practice as a career." SWORRM's Web site can be found at www. sworm. on. ca Provincial budget helps school boards' bottom line By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE SEAFORTH — School boards across Ontario will have some extra leeway as they work through the month of June preparing their 2004-05 budgets, thanks to an announce- ment of $854 million in additional funding from the provincial govern- ment. "It's certainly a lot bet- ter than what most min- istries managed to do," commented Avon Maitland District School Board director of education Geoff Williams when asked for reaction. Premier Dalton McGuinty released details of the new commitment at a school in Kitchener May 26, just over a week after his Liberal Party tabled its first budget — criticized for its tax increases but praised for what some commentators saw as crucial reinvest- ment in education — in the Ontario legislature. The $854 million in 2004-05 is part of what's referred to in a government media release as "a $2.6 billion addi- tional investment in public education over the government's mandate." By the 2005-06 school year, the media release promises, educational funding levels will rise to the level recommended after a 2001 study by the Education Equality Task Force, headed by former University of Guelph president Mordechai Rozanski. In Huron and Perth counties, the new fund- ing translates approxi- mately into an extra $2.8 million in the budget of the Avon Maitland District School Board, bringing total operating grants to almost $142 million. The Huron - Perth Catholic District School Board, meanwhile, should receive an addi- tional $1.3 million, bringing total operating grants to almost $42 mil- lion. "The government has listened to the people of rural Ontario," states a media release from Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell. "The increased grants ... will help to resolve many of the "It's certainly a lot better than what most ministries managed to do" - GEOFF WILLIAMS, AVON MAITLAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, ON THE RECENT PROVINCIAL BUDGET difficulties which boards (in the riding) have faced over the last 10 years." The government media release high- lighted three main areas which will be targeted by the new funding: decreas- ing average class size among Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 students to 20; additional help for students at risk of failure; and a "change from a one -size -fits -all approach to one that bet- ter reflects rural, urban, suburban, northern and Francophone factors." To date, according to Williams, con- firmation for a significant proportion of the funding has come in the form of "enveloped" allocations, particularly for special education and for hiring enough teachers to meet the 20 stu- dents per classroom requirement for primary grades. Another 30 per cent of next year's new funding has yet to be allocated, and the Avon Maitland director of edu- cation expects most of that will also be enveloped, including for the training of teachers in younger -level literacy and numeracy. "That doesn't leave us a lot left over to address other areas where we've been underspending, particularly when you realize we're already look- ing at a salary increase for teachers effective the end of August," Williams com- mented. He added, however, that the recent announcement has allowed the board to predict an increased ability to finance its transportation needs. "In general, there are some pretty good things in the (provincial) bud- get," he agreed. In keeping with provincial legisla- tion, both boards will host public meetings in advance of approving their 2004-05 budgets. Wed., June 9 at 7 p.m., the Avon Maitland board hosts a "consultation" at its Seaforth offices, while the Catholic board wel- comes the public a week later, June 16, at Stratford's St. Michael sec- ondary school. In past years, these public school board budget consultations have been poorly -attended. "In general, there are some pretty good things in the (provincial) budget." - GEOFF WILLIAMS