Rural family physicians generally provide a wider range of services than do
their metropolitan counterparts. Consequently, there is a need for specific
residency training programs for rural practice which prepare new medical
graduates for a career in the country.
Wherever possible, training for rural practice should occur in the rural
setting based at regional rural hospitals and rural family practices. In
addition to standard training for family practice, rural practice vocational
training requires specific emphasis on: hands-on learning of procedural skills;
the spectrum of illnesses in rural and remote communities; the sociology and
psychology of rural and remote communities; and professional and personal
aspects of living and working in small rural communities.
Training positions for advanced rural practice skills in emergency medicine,
anaesthesia, surgery, procedural obstetrics and others, need to be developed
and appropriately funded. Depending on the intensity of the training program,
such training may involve one to two years of additional training time
over and above basic family medicine training.
Consideration should be given to recognition for rural vocational training in
the form of certification in rural medicine. The opportunity to take some
training in other countries can broaden experience and help develop new
approaches to medical practice, medical education, and health care delivery.