University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine expands family medicine residency training to North Battleford

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 11, 2013 SASKATOON - Four medical residents can now call North Battleford home as they complete their residency training. In July, the new doctors began two years of postgraduate medical education training in the newest provincial site of North Battleford for the College of Medicine's Family Medicine Residency Training Program.

"We know that doctors who work in rural communities during their training are much more likely to set up practice in smaller communities," The Battlefords MLA Herb Cox said on behalf of Rural and Remote Health Minister Randy Weekes. "Training doctors in North Battleford will help stabilize the physician workforce in Saskatchewan, especially in rural communities."
Medical residents are graduates who hold an MD degree and are completing postgraduate training in a specific medical specialty area, for example, family medicine. This training typically requires two to five years, depending on the area of study.
"The College of Medicine is and has always been a provincial resource. We are mandated to serve the people of Saskatchewan by educating and training the students who will become our future physicians," said Acting Dean of Medicine, Lou Qualtiere.
"Our borders, and our interests, extend to the entire province of Saskatchewan. This is why the expansion of our family medicine training program to North Battleford and the arrival of these four new residents are so significant. It speaks to the college's commitment to the people of this province," said Qualtiere.
Expansion of the Family Medicine Residency training program to North Battleford is a positive step towards the College of Medicine's goal of further developing its model of distributed medical education. Qualtiere said medical residents are more likely to establish their permanent practice in the location where they received training. By providing medical residents with expanded opportunities to learn in sites across Saskatchewan, the college hopes to make a positive contribution towards physician recruitment and retention in Saskatchewan.
In addition to North Battleford, medical residents can currently complete training in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Swift Current and La Ronge. There are currently more than 430 U of S medical residents in Saskatchewan.
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For more information, contact:
Laura Herman
Communications
College of Medicine
306-262-6059
mailto:laura.herman@usask.ca
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