Students at Revelstoke Secondary School learn about the field of midwifery during the 2018 roadshow.
Students in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dental hygiene talk about career options
With a focus on inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals, the Healthcare Travelling Roadshow is visiting rural communities across BC and the Yukon.
Each spring, the roadshow brings together a multidisciplinary group of healthcare students from post-secondary institutions from across BC to showcase their careers to rural high school students. Led by UBC medical students with the Island, Southern and Northern Medical Programs, the roadshow visits the following communities later this month:
- Kootenay Roadshow (Cranbrook, Invermere, Golden) – May 5 to 11
- Island Roadshow (Port Hardy, Port McNeill) – May 5 to 11
- Northern Roadshow (Chetwynd, Mackenzie, Vanderhoof, Fort St. James) – May 12 to 18
- Yukon Roadshow (Whitehorse, Dawson City, Atlin) – May 26 to June 1
At each high school visit, post-secondary students representing medicine, nursing, physical therapy, midwifery, pharmacy, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy and cardiology technology will present hands-on demonstrations and answer questions about their chosen careers.
The roadshow is a provincial initiative with trips taking place annually across the province. This year marks the introduction of a Vancouver Island-based trip.
“The Healthcare Travelling Roadshow was born at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) a decade ago. It has grown from a small pilot project into a significant provincial initiative to address the rural healthcare workforce,” says Dr. Sean Maurice, senior lab instructor with UNBC’s Northern Medical Program.
“The Roadshow team collaborates broadly with many different provincial partners to run this innovative project. This year, we are for the first time running four different week-long trips, involving 50 healthcare students visiting over 2,000 youth in numerous rural communities. We strive to put healthcare careers into the minds of rural youth, and put rural practice into the minds of healthcare students.”
To learn more, visit: www.unbc.ca/healthcare-travelling-roadshow.
Background
- The Healthcare Travelling Roadshow was conceived at UNBC as a grassroots initiative to address rural healthcare workforce shortages. The provincial initiative has grown to include four regional trips. Since its inception in 2010, the roadshow has connected with more than 8,500 high school students in 43 communities throughout BC.
- The Healthcare Travelling Roadshow is delivered in partnership with the UNBC, UBC Faculty of Medicine, Northern Medical Programs Trust, Rural Education Action Plan, Interior Health Authority, and Vancouver Island Health Authority.
