Education for rural health in Saskatchewan

The Canadian Province of Saskatchewan, like its American counterparts, is experiencing a steady urbanization of its population particularly by young adults, which has been accompanied by progressive decrease in the availability of health services to an aging rural population.

Abstract

The Canadian Province of Saskatchewan, like its American counterparts, is experiencing a steady urbanization of its population particularly by young adults. This has been accompanied by progressive decrease in the availability of health services to an aging rural population. Physicians, and, in particular, Saskatchewan graduates, find rural practice unattractive. Unlike the American experience, level of income is not the issue. Not only is rural practice unattractive to Saskatchewan graduates, but medicine as a career is not attracting students from rural areas. The need for a comprehensive overall strategy ranging from recruitment to reorganization of rural health care is proposed.