Medical education in a rural health centre.

A health centre located in an isolated community on the northeast coast of Newfoundland has taken medical students since 1965. Currently students in their first year, in their clinical clerkship, and in the second year of the family practice residency, visit the centre. Responses from students at all levels have been very positive. To assess if this rotation had an effect on their subsequent choice of practice, questionnaires were sent to the former students three to nine years after their clerkship rotation. Almost all of the students subsequently went into family practice and there was a tendency for them to select small towns. A rotation of this type has real benefits for the supervising physicians and the rural community. It is helping to correct the maldistribution of physicians by specialty and location of practice. It is still viewed by the former students as a very valuable learning experience.