Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences

Our office assists learners with removing some of the financial barriers that deter learners from rural placements. The “Rural and Remote Manitoba Learner Travel Policy” was created in early 2021 and was effective as of September 7, 2022 as a faculty level policy for all learners in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

We serve as a central hub for collaboration between colleges, regions and communities to support the expansion of rural learner placements. In addition to securing safe accommodations, the office manages all travel arrangements, processes claim reconciliations and most importantly, builds and maintains strong relationships with stakeholders. Members of our team also coordinate accommodations for the PGME Family Medicine Satellite programs.

Staff updates

February 26, 2024: We welcomed Melissa Hillius as a program administrator. Melissa H. supports the learners in the Max Rady College of Medicine.

September 3, 2024: We welcomed Hannah Besario as the financial assistant for the ORRLE as well as the Interdisciplinary Health Program (IHP) and the Office of Continuing Competency and Assessment (CCA) as a centralized position.

September 23, 2024: Ceilidh Miller was promoted from program coordinator of the ORRLE to lead administrator for the ORRLE, the Interdisciplinary Health Program (IHP) and the Office of Continuing Competency and Assessment (CCA) as a centralized position.

October 7, 2024: Our team welcomed Ana Mullen as the program coordinator. Ana supports the program coordination and oversight.

November 18, 2024: Shelby Davis joined our team as a program administrator. Shelby supports the learners in the College of Pharmacy, the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

Initiatives

Webpage launch
The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences’ webpage was launched on January 16, 2025.

Articles
The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences has had several articles written since the office was established in 2021:

Small towns and big opportunities (February 18, 2022)

Showcase highlights opportunities for senior nursing students (February 8, 2024)

Rural and remote experiences offer learners unique challenges and opportunities (June 17, 2024)
 

Video
The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences produced a video with several learners that completed rural placements:

Rural and Remote Learner Placements (February 12, 2024)

Promotions
The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences attends several events per year. During this year, our team attended the Nursing Senior Practicum Showcase. The event is held between 3-4 times per year, for fourth year nursing students. During the event, the students can get information from different programs, regional health authorities etc. The information provided to the students assists them during their senior practicum rotations and for their future careers once they graduate.

Nursingsenior practicum showcase:

• May 24, 2024
• September 13, 2024
• January 17, 2025

Presentations
The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences provides presentations for learners and to the departments, programs, staff who support learner rotations. During these presentations, we provide information on the “Rural and Remote Learner Travel Policy”, eligible expenses and answer any questions.

Learner presentations:

• PGME Family Medicine - Parkland Stream: October 15, 2024
• PGME Family Medicine - Northern Remote Stream: October 16, 2024
• UGME: December 17, 2024
• PGME OBGYN Residency Program: March 11 and 25, 2025

Other presentations:

• Health Professions Education Steering Committee: September 10, 2024
• Rady Faculty Executive Leadership Team Meeting: February 28, 2024

The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences created a learner feedback survey and sent it out to 257 learners from December 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. 

During that time, our office received 36 completed surveys.

Quotes from learners

“I felt that the staff in my clinical placement enjoyed having a student. The patients also were appreciative of having students with an interest in rural care. I enjoyed the ability to care for a variety of patients across the life span. A great deal of learning occurred.” 

— Nurse practitioner student

“Overall, I felt the accommodations were great. Clean Airbnb with good amenities and a good host to ask for things.” 

— Occupational Therapy Student

“I just wanted to thank the Office of Rural & Remote Learner Experiences for all the help and support during the last two years. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into finding places for me to stay in the city during classes and exams.” 

— Nurse practitioner student

The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences has secured long-term rentals in two rural communities and one urban community.

With the increase of rural rotations/placements and urban rotations/placements for the satellite programs, it was determined that we required long-term leased properties to house our learners during the mandatory rotations/placements. 

These properties went through our process of onboarding to ensure they are safe for our learners. We have established an onboarding process consisting of a checklist to be completed by a property owner/manager, a site visit to be completed by the program coordinator and/or managing director.

Once the onboarding process has been completed and approved, we have continuous site visits planned to ensure safety of properties are maintained.

Our current leased properties are located in:

Winnipeg
One duplex house with an upper and lower unit. The upper unit is a 3-bedroom and 2-bathroom unit and the lower unit is a 2-bedroom and 1-bathroom unit.

Brandon
Two apartments, each apartment has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Hamiota
One apartment, 2-bedroom and 1-bathroom unit.

The Office of Rural and Remote Learner Experiences has built relationships with 105 vendors within the Regional Health Authorities in Manitoba and 5 vendors outside of Manitoba, for housing our learners while on their rural placements/rotations.

The following table identifies the “top communities” that host our learners. These are the communities that accept and host our learners for their rural placement/rotations. 

Out of all communities, Winnipeg is the top community to host learners, a majority are from the PGME Family Medicine residency satellite programs.

The following table lists all of the communities that have had learners complete their rural placements/rotations within Manitoba.

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority

• Churchill

Southern Health-Santé Sud

• Altona
• Boundary Trails
• Carman
• Crystal City
• Ginew
• LaSalle
• Lorette
• Manitou
• Morris
• Neverville
• Notre Dame de Lourdes
• Pilot Mound
• Portage la Prairie
• Somerset
• St. Claude
• St. Pierre-Jolys
• Ste Anne
• Steinbach
• Swan Lake
• Vita

Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority

• Arborg
• Beausejour
• Brokenhead
• Eriksdale
• Gimli
• Hodgson
• Little Grand Rapids
• Lundar
• Oakbank
• Peguis
• Pinawa
• Pine Falls
• Poplar River
• Riverton
• Selkirk
• St. Laurent
• Stonewall
• Teulon

Prairie Mountain Health

• Birtle
• Boissevain
• Brandon
• Carberry
• Dauphin
• Deloraine
• Ebb and Flow
• Erickson
• Glenboro
• Grandview
• Hamiota
• Killarney
• Melita
• Minnedosa
• Neepawa
• Pine River
• Rivers
• Roblin
• Rossburn
• Russell
• Shoal Lake
• Souris
• Ste Rose du Lac
• Swan River
• Treherne
• Virden
• Wawanesa
• Winnipegosis

Northern Regional Health Authority

• Brochet
• Cross Lake
• Easterville
• Flin Flon
• Garden Hill
• Grand Rapids
• Island Lakes
• Lac Brochet
• Moose Lake
• Nelson House
• Norway House
• Opaskwayak
• Oxford House
• Red Sucker Lake
• Split Lake
• St Theresa Point
• The Pas
• Thompson
• Wasagamack

In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, we had 2,351 learners complete rural placements/rotations. The following table illustrates the percentage of learners in each regional health authority.