SI-PL-1933

Sunday 18:10, Fira Palace Hotel, Verdi

INTERDISCIPLINARY TRAINING: A RURAL RECUITMENT INITIATIVE.  Lafoley B; Northeastern Ontario Medical Education Corporation, Sudbury, Canada. King J; University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. PURPOSE: Health human resource shortages are a critical issue in northern, rural and remote areas of Canada.  Effective recruitment and retention initiatives are needed that prepare health professionals to live and work in such challenging environments.  The Interdisciplinary Training Program is unique in Canada, both as a recruitment and retention strategy and as a forum for collaborative learning. RELEVANCE:   A shortage of physiotherapy services in northern and rural areas is a common scenario in Canada.  Only 5% of the licensed physiotherapists in Ontario practice in Northeastern Ontario .  Strategies are needed to address the unique practice challenges that exist in northern and rural areas and that foster the development of skills and knowledge beyond clinical training.  DESCRIPTION:  The Interdisciplinary Training Program uses a decentralized model to bring together teams of students from different disciplines who work together both at their academic site and while on clinical placement in Northeastern Ontario.  The northern component of the program addresses recruitment and retention issues relevant to the community needs. Student centered tutorials are used to explore local northern health issues and service delivery challenges within the context of geography, cultural, language and the environment. Student learning is augmented through local site visits and interactive discussions with invited guest speakers.  OBSERVATIONS:  As a community based program funded by local government, The Interdisciplinary Training Program has been able to facilitate and fund the establishment of collaborative learning experiences in the academic curriculum that can focus on community needs rather than academic requirements.  This initiative has been well supported by the health science programs.  The northern component has proven successful in the recruitment of health professionals and has increased northern preceptor participation in clinical education.  CONCLUSIONS: The Interdisciplinary Training Program extols the benefits of collaborative learning and practice. Participation in such an experience better prepares the physiotherapist to work more effectively with other health care professionals.  The program has facilitated a greater awareness of physiotherapy practice in the north in relation to northern health issues ensuring successful recruitment and retention.   Changes in format are presently being discussed which would allow for a greater diversity in participating disciplines, a longer time frame for participation and an expansion of the program to more rural areas.  A qualitative evaluation study to determine practice changes and the use of expanding technology to enhance interactive distance learning are presently being considered in the ongoing evolution of this program.