Addressing physician shortage with dedicated day aimed at inspiring next generation
A Medical Career Day was held on Friday at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, welcoming high school students from around the region to learn from the experiences of various medical professionals.
"We wanted to re-engage students within Simcoe County and talk about what a career in medicine looks like," said Melanie Delion from Orillia and Lake Country Physician Recruitment.
Forty high school students from Barrie, Innisfil and Orillia were on hand to learn about the many different opportunities, and to gain insight about pursuing careers in the field.
With the ongoing shortage of medical practitioners in the region and province, getting younger doctors in all areas of practice is key.
Delion estimates around 25 per cent of family physicians in Simcoe-Muskoka are 55 or older.
"It's exciting to be able to talk to students to say a doctor's not just a doctor," added Delion. "There can be different pathways, many different specialties."
The presenters who shared their experiences with the high school students included physicians, psychiatrists and admissions representatives.
One of those presenters was Dr. Jessica Green, an OBGYN at the Orillia hospital.
"Medicine is a fabulous career," said Green. "It's a great way to give back to the community."
The students also learned about different options for their post-secondary education, including whether to pursue medical school within the province or internationally, where to for residency, and how to return closer to home to begin practicing.
Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, took the opportunity to meet with those who could one day be a solution to the ongoing shortage of health care professionals.
"In this province, we've had the largest increase in medical needs in over 10 years," said Dunlop. "It's great to see a rural hospital like this putting this presentation on for students and to see all these local students come together."
The Orillia and Lake Country Physician Recruitment Committee says family physicians are the most-needed medical position in the region.
The committee is currently recruiting six to eight new family physicians within the next 18 months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.