First-year medical students from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry are spending June 1st–4th in Ingersoll and Tillsonburg as part of the school's annual Discovery Week program. The placements provide hands-on exposure to rural health care while allowing students to work alongside local medical teams and learn about the communities they serve.
First-year medical students from Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry are gaining firsthand experience in rural health care this week through the school's annual Discovery Week program.
Running from June 1 to June 4, the 28th annual initiative places students in communities across Southwestern Ontario, including Ingersoll and Tillsonburg, where they work alongside local health-care professionals at Alexandra Hospital Ingersoll, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and Rural Roads Health Services.
The immersive program introduces future physicians to the realities of regional and rural medicine while emphasizing collaboration, teamwork and patient-centred care. During their placements, students become temporary members of local health-care teams, providing an opportunity to observe a variety of medical settings and services.
In addition to gaining clinical exposure, participants are encouraged to explore the communities they serve, helping them better understand the unique health-care needs and lifestyles of residents in smaller centres.
Discovery Week is designed to broaden students' perspectives on medical practice and highlight the important role rural and regional communities play in Ontario's health-care system.
