1. Where and how long was your placement? What specialty was it in?
I did my 4 week pediatric core rotation in Port Dover with Dr. Norton. 2. How did you get to the core? Did you need a car at this location? Port Dover is about an hour away from Hamilton. It was a small town without much in the way of transport, but I stayed in a pretty convenient location and managed fine without a car. 3. What were your accommodations like? Did you get any funding from the school (MacCare etc?) I opted to stay in Port Dover (not a fan of long commutes) and was eligible for MacCare funding. Since it was 4 weeks, I received a total of $800. I stayed in the same place for all 4 weeks, and it was a 3-minute walk to my placement, which was really convenient. There aren't too many options in the way of hotels/motels, so if you end up coming here, you'll most likely have to find an AirBnb. Depending on the time of the year, it can be expensive, so the MacCare funding may not cover it all. 4. Describe a typical day at your core. My rotation was at an outpatient clinic, with the local pediatrician. It was usually between 9AM-5PM. Appointments ran fairly long (30 minutes-1.5 hours), since many of his patients had complex medical histories that would have been difficult to fit into your typical 10-20 minute visits. As the only pediatrician in a huge catchment area, cases ranged from well-baby exams, mental health assessments, to rare developmental disorders. I usually took 10 minutes for follow ups, and 45 minutes for a new consult before reviewing with my preceptor. Afterwards, I usually saw 2-3 patients per day. There was no remote EMR access, so all notes had to be finished at the clinic. 5. What level of responsibility/exposure did you have as a medical student? My preceptor had medical students and residents with him year round. He was very invested in teaching, regardless of whether you wanted to become a pediatrician or not. As such, there was a lot to do and learn! He was happy to have us take our pick of cases, and really encouraged us to come up with a meaningful plan and assessment, and take the lead in conversations with families. He really pushed us to perfect our physical exams, not do things out of rote, and have a rationale for every ordered test. 6. What was one thing you didn’t like? Rentals in Port Dover can be surprisingly expensive. Otherwise I had no concerns. 7. Do you have any recommendations for things to do/explore/eat in the local area? The lighthouse and pier was my favourite place to visit! 8. What’s one thing you wish you knew before doing this core/future advice you have for students doing an elective here in the future? Be present and have an open mind. Even if you are 100% set on your specialty, there's always something you can learn from any rotation. 9. Anything else you want people to know/would like to add about the experience? As someone with no interest in pediatrics, this was one of my favourite rotations in medical school. Rural placements are an incredibly valuable way to gain more experience in fundamentals like taking an excellent history and physical, learning to communicate effectively with patients, and overall gain comfort in a clinical environment. These skills will serve you well, no matter where you go.
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Background credit: norfolktourism.ca
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