In partnership with the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) and funded by the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, UBC Rural CPD works to provide responsive, flexible and practical community-based learning opportunities to rural health professionals in British Columbia (BC).
We deliver innovative virtual and in-person learning to meet the unique needs of health professionals who practice in rural, remote and Indigenous communities in BC.
This past year, we delivered
- 18 Hands-on Ultrasound Education (HOUSE) course days, reaching 155 learners in rural communities
- 47 standard Real-Time Virtual Support (RTVS) Simulation program simulations and 14 coordinated simulations delivered at 11 residency sites
- seven synchronous Rural Rounds virtual webinars, reaching 437 learners
- four synchronous Virtual Health Grand Rounds (VHGR) webinars, reaching 225 learners
- eight Rural Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Rounds sessions, reaching 343 learners
- 1069+ mentoring hours in the Coaching and Mentoring Program (CAMP) from 389 active participants
- 36 plans completed through Personal Learning Plans (PLP)
- nine workshops with 492 attendees from the Nawh whu’nus’en — We see in two worlds Indigenous Patient Led (IPL) course
“These numbers speak to the importance of our local connections, engaged collaborators and sustainable relationships with our partners to the success of the Rural CPD Program system. It's important that health professionals don’t feel isolated, which is why our programs prioritize community and personal connection”, says Stephanie Ameyaw, interim senior manager at UBC Rural CPD.
Our programs foster connections through coaching and mentoring, personal learning plans and in-person community offerings, while frequent online educational activities keep rural providers informed without leaving home.
Rural learning
The UBC Rural CPD team acknowledges the unique needs of rural health professionals and works toward serving rural communities through multi-modal and diverse education offerings
- low-barrier training and resources that advance point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) skills in the Hands-on Ultrasound Education (HOUSE) program allows learners to customize the course to their community needs by selecting from a menu of ultrasound topics
- our Rural Rounds Education Hub webinar program provides up-to-date, virtual flexibility and features monthly case-based, interactive presentations and a biannual focused education series
- we recognize challenges faced by new-to-rural practice physicians and International Medical Graduates (IMG) and have created Personal Learning Plans to encourage connections with physician advisors
- our Nawh whu’nus’en: We see in two worlds course offers practical knowledge around trauma-sensitive practice in a three-step curriculum — the development of level two was achieved this year
Through a collection of data from our learning opportunities and in-depth studies to explore relevant topics and issues, we aim to continuously improve our education delivery for rural health professionals.
“We have a thriving team of CPD experts leading innovative work that is responsive and driven by community needs”, says Stephanie Ameyaw.
Discover more rural learning opportunities.
A shared commitment
To strengthen our educational opportunities that are tailored to the needs of rural health professionals, we have been in partnership with the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) since 2008. Funding for our work is provided by the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, a joint committee of the Doctors of BC and BC Ministry of Health.
Looking ahead
UBC Rural CPD will continue to value relationship-building with our rural collaborators and keep investing in broader goals such as patient care, rural recruitment and retention and more.
Read more key outcomes and impacts from our programming in the 2023-2024 Rural CPD Annual Report.