Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital
The Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) in Trail will become home to the next UBC Rural Family Medicine Residency Program site in July.
Kootenay Boundary becomes the 18th UBC Family Medicine residency training site and is one of eight rural sites that sees approximately three-hundred physicians-in-training serving patients across the province.
The site will expose newly-minted MDs over two years to family physicians, specialists, clinics, hospitals and patients across several communities. The residents will gain valuable, “in practice” experience and develop all the core competencies required to successfully complete their certification exams.
“Kootenay Boundary is already a recognized medical academic teaching centre with a well-established Clinical Clerkship Program that currently trains four medical students completely for their third year,” says Dr. Willa Henry, director for the Family Medicine Postgraduate Program.
She adds: “For many years, the area’s physicians have shown a dedication and enthusiasm for training future physicians with strong support from Interior Health. So, it was an easy decision to choose the Kootenay Boundary as a site for our Rural Residency Program.”
Site director, Dr. Cheryl Hume
“This program will ultimately enhance access to physician services and will thereby improve patient care in our region. This program will have a major impact on helping to support future physician recruitment, and retention to our area,” says Cheryl Hume, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Practice and the site director. “It will be effective as it will provide medical residents the opportunity to experience how gratifying it is to practice medicine in a rural area and will encourage them to consider a future career in rural family practice.”
Roger Wong, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Education, adds: “We are delighted that the expansion and distribution of postgraduate medical education to Kootenay Boundary is warmly embraced by the local region as we strive to meet the health needs of communities within Interior Health.”