The Interprofessional Rural Program of BC, with the support of the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc), offers a unique opportunity for students from various health professional programs to experience work and life in a rural BC community.
Students are placed into rural communities in teams of four or more students representing a broad range of health professions including medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, social work and others. The students share the knowledge and skills of their professions and undertake team activities in addition to their discipline-specific workload.
IRPbc communities are selected based on long-standing commitments to educating health professional students. In particular, the communities play an active role through providing:
- Housing for an interprofessional student team.
- A welcoming environment in the health facilities as well as in the broader community.
- Preceptors representing rural health practitioners in medicine, nursing, and allied health, and who demonstrate interprofessional collaboration.
- Orientation and ongoing learning opportunities relating to rural healthcare, Aboriginal culture, etc.
- A program lead and coordinator who champion the program locally and interact with the students and preceptors to facilitate a positive experience and contribution to the community.
The program is an exciting way to provide education for students in health and human services programs. IRPbc is funded by the B.C. Ministry of Health Services and represents a partnership across rural communities, health authorities, and post-secondary education institutions.
For further information please contact Kathy Copeman-Stewart, Program Manager at kathy@irpbc.com or 604 230-2524.
