Stettler International Rural Medical Equivalency Centre
We place International Doctors
in rural communities.
About SIRMEC
The Stettler International Rural Medical Equivalency Centre (SIRMEC), is a privately run corporation, developed through collaborations between the local municipal government, elected officials, and medical doctors. The premise is to attract educated International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to Stettler for training and integration into underserved rural communities in Alberta.
Building Rural Solutions for Rural Communities with Rural Physicians.
Value Proposition
Stettler International Rural Medical Equivalency Centre (SIRMEC) has a network of international doctors (IMG) waiting for a placement in your Rural Community. For a one-time payment, we will place a doctor in your community for at least 5 years. The info below explains the process.
The Community
Welcome to the “Heart of Alberta”. Stettler, a town and county, is a quiet, resilient community of 12,000 people. SIRMEC identified an opportunity to establish a Centre to help alleviate Alberta’s rural doctor shortage. Our successes in the last year, eight new IMG physicians, have allowed us to see opportunities to expand and create rural physicians to mitigate the rural physician shortage.
Background
The Stettler International Rural Medical Equivalency Centre (SIRMEC), a privately run corporation, was developed through collaborations between the local municipal government, elected officials, and medical doctors. The premise is to attract educated International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to Stettler for training and integration into underserved rural communities in Alberta.
The Need
Alberta is facing an aging population and significant interprovincial population growth. Following consultations with the Alberta Government, Rural Health, AHS, AMA, CPSA, and numerous surrounding Health Facilities and municipalities, we have fine-tuned a program that now makes acquiring Rural Physicians as easy as picking up the phone or sending an email. We will train and place Physicians from our program into rural communities, alleviating a massive backlog of Albertans seeking a family doctor.
The Expectation
The Centre accepts students referred by doctors already practicing in Alberta, who attest to the validity of each student. The student needs to understand that a minimum five-year commitment to the sponsoring community is required to attend the course at the Centre. The expectation is that the student physician and their family enjoy their time in the rural community, and the goal is for the student to stay longer than the contract minimum.
The Investment
The program's costs will cover all aspects of the course, including enrollment, instructors, food, lodging, and other expenses that may arise during the stay in Stettler. We provide a living wage to students while they are in the course, ensuring they can focus on their studies without worrying about working to afford their attendance.
Moving Forward
The program will operate indefinitely in Stettler, and we are pleased to do so. The goal, once the program begins in Stettler, is to build additional Centers throughout Alberta and Canada.
Not Just Students but Communities Too
We have achieved significant success in Stettler, and our approach is straightforward. Treating new physicians as family and fostering an inclusive, caring community. Attraction is 50% of the equation; retention is the more challenging half. We will train the sponsoring community on how to make the new physician and their families feel at home, as well as how to retain the doctor in the long term. We provide support throughout the whole process for all participating communities.
This Course is Very Much Canadian
Student physicians will be educated on the following topics: living in a small rural community, winter conditions and what to expect, finances and accounting, setting up a professional corporation, goal setting, realistic expectations, communicating with leaders/ambassadors/municipalities, and much more. Many of these subjects are likely to be expected of the new physician, whereas this will be part of the instruction to facilitate integration.
So Now That the Student Physician Has Graduated,
What Comes Next?
SIRMEC will engage with the host community and hold honest discussions with community leaders about what to expect and what is expected of the physician and the family’s integration into the community. The physician will then go through the AHS process, Preliminary Clinical Assessment (PCA), Supervised Practice Assessment (SPA), and any other disciplines they have (Obstetrics, Anesthesia, etc.)
How Does a Community Apply for a Doctor?
One
Contact SIRMEC to book your doctor(s) for your community. We are sitting on 20+ physicians awaiting the course commencement.
Two
We will assign a physician(s) to your community and send information to the AHS Recruiter, who will have the student physician sign a postdated contract with your community.
Three
We will train the community and the physician on the ins and outs of rural living for IMGs.
Four
Once the Doctor has completed their courses, we will be in touch to book a community tour.
Five
We will bring your physician to their community and help with the integration process.
Six
But we don’t stop there. As a community, you will have many questions throughout the process, and the doctor’s family members will need to find jobs, school, and housing, among other things. We help every step of the way, ensuring your community has the best chance of retaining long-term residents.
Contact us for further information on this program.
A member of our team will book a consultation with you and your team at your convenience.