We're helping young doctors put down rural roots!
Major scholarships awarded to encourage practice in rural areas
September 30, 2015
On Wednesday, September 30 at 1:30 p.m., the Alberta Medical Association's (AMA's) Section of Rural Medicine will present the Tarrant Scholarship to two Alberta medical students. One of Alberta's largest unrestricted medical school undergraduate awards, the Tarrant Scholarship is awarded to third-year medical students from the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary who have demonstrated a strong interest in focusing their medical career and undergraduate studies on rural medicine and related issues. The scholarship provides a full year's tuition for both recipients.
The 2015 Tarrant Scholarship recipients are University of Calgary medical student Renee Deagle from Consort, Alberta and University of Alberta medical student Allyson Cornelis of Legal, Alberta.
"We always have strong candidates for this scholarship and this year is no exception," said Dr. Allan S. Garbutt, a past president of both the AMA Section of Rural Medicine and the AMA. "Rural medicine is incredibly fulfilling, but there are also challenges that urban physicians don't see that must be faced every day. It's inspiring to see the rural commitment of these bright, young and talented medical students. Like the Tarrant Scholarship winners who preceded them, Allyson and Renee will be true assets to the rural communities in which they may choose to practice medicine."
The scholarship is named in honor of the late Dr. Michael Tarrant, a Calgary family physician who championed rural medical undergraduate education.
Since its inception in 2004, the Tarrant Scholarship has been awarded to 31 medical students and provided over $325,000 to its recipients. information about the scholarship is available at www.albertadoctors.org. Biographies of our two winners follow, below.
The ceremony will take place at the Willow Park Golf and Country Club,639 Willow Park Drive SE in Calgary at 1:30 p.m.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Shan Rupnarain (shannon.rupnarain@albertadoctors.org)
Assistant Executive Director, Public Affairs
Alberta Medical Association
C 780.907.9003
Recipient biographies
University of Calgary (U of C)
Renee Deagle was born and raised in the small village of Consort, Alberta. Like many rural communities in Alberta, this small center is the anchor of local rural life because it provides essential medical services to a much larger catchment area.
Renee was an active community member from a very young age, involved with the 4-H Beef Club, church, sports, hockey, music and more.
She came to medical school at the University of Calgary as a practicing nurse who has worked in numerous rural communities including High River, Daysland, Killam, Grande Prairie, Coronation and Dawson Creek BC. Renee says her passion for rural medicine was solidified by working in these centers and seeing the relationships that are built between the health professionals there and the patients they care for.
Renee has taken every opportunity to be involved in promoting rural medicine as a career and gaining more experience. She completed 30 hours of rural shadowing in her first year of medical school and was voted a representative for the rural medicine interest group for her class year.
She is always an active advocate for rural practice; in fact she organized a trip to her hometown with 30 classmates. She has sought out rural placements in her mandatory rotations and has completed three rural medicine electives with one more in the offing. She plans to apply to the rural family medicine residency program this fall.
University of Alberta (U of A)
Allyson Cornelis was born and raised on a farm near Legal. She has always been active in her community through music, sports and Air Cadets.
For her undergraduate degree, Allyson attended the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose. There she eagerly volunteered to support her adopted communities of both the university and Camrose as a whole.
Her experience has strongly encouraged her to pursue opportunities in rural practice during her medical training. She joined the Rural Medicine Interest Group, which she later came to lead with two of her Year Two colleagues. Allyson also attended rural clinical skills weekends and participated in a one-month placement in Hinton. In the school year ahead, she will be taking part in the Integrated Community Clerkship program, where she will be completing part of her medical training in Bonnyville.
Allyson places a very high value on personal social networks – which she demonstrates through being involved and encountering the diverse experiences and individuals that make rural communities so rich and rewarding.
Even at this stage of her medical career, she has observed the importance of continuity of care and strong patient-physician relationships. She has committed to promoting these things in her future practice.
Allyson says that her experiences have helped her to define what she desires in the years ahead – and she believes that rural medicine offers a wonderful way to combine her values and interests into a satisfying and enjoyable career.
