PREP 2025 APPLICATION |
PREP 2025 Program Information
Program Overview
The Physician Rural Externship Program (PREP) offers University of Saskatchewan undergraduate medical students between their 2nd and 3rd years of study the opportunity to participate in a PREP placement. An ideal placement is four weeks with a start date as early as May 26th and an end date as late as the start of the 2025-26 school year (July 21st). Consideration will be made to accommodate a shorter timeline (minimum 2 weeks) upon request.
Students will be exposed to medical practice areas in rural or regional Saskatchewan. This excludes the urban areas of Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert or their bedroom communities (Balgonie, Clavet, Delisle, Emerald Park, Langham, Lumsden, Martensville, Pense, Pilot Butte, Warman or White City). Students will learn about the delivery of health care services while shadowing a family physician within the community. In addition, students will have the opportunity to expand their personal and professional network, explore the area and apply their clinical knowledge.
Please note that students are responsible for finding their own housing/accommodations.
Extern’s Function
The externship is intended to be a learning experience. The preceptor permits you, under direct supervision, to do only those procedures that he/she believes you to be capable of doing safely. More complicated or advanced procedures are to be demonstrated.
Covid-19 Patient Interactions
•Pre-clerkship students, during clinical learning experiences, will not see any patients or standardized patients confirmed positive for COVID-19.
• Pre-clerkship students will not shadow on a clinical unit with a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, nor will clinical learning experiences typically proceed on a unit with a confirmed outbreak.
• Pre-clerkship students will not participate in aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMPs) or any clinical activities that require an N95 mask.
• Fully vaccinated pre-clerkship students may observe or participate in care of patients who screen positive for symptoms of COVID-19 but are not confirmed to have COVID-19, assuming appropriate clinical supervision and PPE at available and clinical supervisor and students are comfortable with this involvement.
Evaluation
Following completion of the externship, each student will receive a survey to evaluate their experience, which must be completed as part of the program requirements. Each student is required to complete this survey. The supervising physician will also be required to complete a brief evaluation of student performance. With consent from both parties, evaluations may be shared for future learning experiences.
Cancellation
If circumstances require that PREP be cancelled prior to the start of the externships, no weekly payments will be made.
The Physician Rural Externship Program (PREP) offers University of Saskatchewan undergraduate medical students between their 2nd and 3rd years of study the opportunity to participate in a PREP placement. An ideal placement is four weeks with a start date as early as May 26th and an end date as late as the start of the 2025-26 school year (July 21st). Consideration will be made to accommodate a shorter timeline (minimum 2 weeks) upon request.
Students will be exposed to medical practice areas in rural or regional Saskatchewan. This excludes the urban areas of Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert or their bedroom communities (Balgonie, Clavet, Delisle, Emerald Park, Langham, Lumsden, Martensville, Pense, Pilot Butte, Warman or White City). Students will learn about the delivery of health care services while shadowing a family physician within the community. In addition, students will have the opportunity to expand their personal and professional network, explore the area and apply their clinical knowledge.
Please note that students are responsible for finding their own housing/accommodations.
Extern’s Function
The externship is intended to be a learning experience. The preceptor permits you, under direct supervision, to do only those procedures that he/she believes you to be capable of doing safely. More complicated or advanced procedures are to be demonstrated.
Covid-19 Patient Interactions
•Pre-clerkship students, during clinical learning experiences, will not see any patients or standardized patients confirmed positive for COVID-19.
• Pre-clerkship students will not shadow on a clinical unit with a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, nor will clinical learning experiences typically proceed on a unit with a confirmed outbreak.
• Pre-clerkship students will not participate in aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMPs) or any clinical activities that require an N95 mask.
• Fully vaccinated pre-clerkship students may observe or participate in care of patients who screen positive for symptoms of COVID-19 but are not confirmed to have COVID-19, assuming appropriate clinical supervision and PPE at available and clinical supervisor and students are comfortable with this involvement.
Evaluation
Following completion of the externship, each student will receive a survey to evaluate their experience, which must be completed as part of the program requirements. Each student is required to complete this survey. The supervising physician will also be required to complete a brief evaluation of student performance. With consent from both parties, evaluations may be shared for future learning experiences.
Cancellation
If circumstances require that PREP be cancelled prior to the start of the externships, no weekly payments will be made.
If circumstances require PREP to be cancelled at any time after the externship has commenced, or the student or supervising physician have begun but cannot complete the program for reasons that are outside of their control, the student and supervising physician will continue to receive their weekly payments.