Written by: Rachel Foote c2023 McMaster Medical School, Hamilton Campus Where was your placement and what specialty was it in?
I did a post-MF4 elective in Palmerston rural family medicine. How did you get there and did you get any funding? I stayed in the Harriston area for the week, at an AirBnb/horse farm. I did not receive MacCare funding as this was a post-MF4 elective (sad face). Describe a typical day at your elective. The rural health center is on the same property as Palmerston and District Hospital (and a short walk from the LTC facility). The day started with rounding on my preceptor's inpatients, then a full clinic day in the office. One day was spent in the ER (12h shift). One home visit. What level of responsibility/exposure did you have as a medical student? In the office, I took histories and perfomed limited physical exams (preceptor wanted to be involved in physical exam). There were opportunities for small procedures such as assisting with excisional skin biopsy, suture removal, etc. In the ED, I had a fair amount of independence to see patients on my own and review with my preceptor. What are some common conditions you saw? Diabetes, hypertension, URTI, newborn exam, mental health (depression/anxiety). What is your most memorable experience from this? Preterm labour in the ED that was urgently transferred to tertiary center for care. What was one thing you didn’t like about the elective? Relative lack of independence in the family med clinic, but this was not unexpected given my stage of learning and the fast-paced nature of the clinic. Do you have any recommendations for things to do/explore/eat in the local area? Explore the neighbouring towns! Talk to residents to get a sense of the rural lifestyle. Lots to learn about Mennonite communities in the area - drive carefully as there are sometimes horses and buggies on the roads. Also, there are more food options in town than what Google Maps would suggest! What’s one thing you wish you knew before doing this elective? Housing options are fairly limited, but there are decent AirBnb options if you can qualify for MacCare funding. A reliable vehicle is a must. Would you recommend this elective to current students? Definitely if interested in family medicine or rural ER Anything else you would like to add about the experience? PS. attached pictures are from google. Hospital pic shows green building in background - this is the rural health center.
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Palmerston Main Street, image credit: blackburnnews.com
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