Listed below are programs and resources available to rural physicians who practise in eligible Rural Practice Subsidiary Agreement (RSA) communities that meet the minimum point requirements under the Medical Isolation Point Assessment system.

Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc)
An excellent resource for rural physicians in BC is the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc). It seeks to improve rural patient care by:

  • coordinating rural health education in conjunction with UBC’s Faculty of Medicine
  • supporting the recruitment and retention of rural practitioners, and
  • developing and sustaining community health services and professional partnerships.
 

Real-Time Virtual Supports (RTVS): Pathways
Read more about virtual healthcare supports and the several pathways available for rural healthcare providers, as well as all First Nations citizens, and rural / remote communities across the province.

Rural Physician Programs Guide 
For a synopsis of all programs and support available for rural physicians through the RSA, download a copy of the booklet Rural Programs: A Guide to the Rural Physician Programs in British Columbia

UBC Rural Continuing Professional Development (RCPD) Program
The UBC Rural Continuing Professional Development (RCPD) Program is committed to supporting the learning needs of physicians and other health care providers who practice in rural and remote areas of British Columbia (BC).

  • The Coaching and Mentoring Program (CAMP) offers rural physicians and health care practitioners an opportunity to build meaningful supportive collegial relationships to foster their mutual learning and growth, enhanced knowledge and skill development.
  • Personal Learning Plans (PLP) is a free, confidential, and personalized concierge service designed to support International Medical Graduate physicians and those new to rural practice in British Columbia. PLP helps participants identify and achieve their practice goals, navigate the continuing professional development landscape, and succeed in their community and practice. The program is fully confidential and non-reporting, ensuring that participants receive the guidance they need without external disclosure.
 

Isolation Allowance Fund (IAF)
Additional funding to assist RSA communities with recruiting expenses where the difficulty in filling a vacancy is, or is expected to be, especially severe.

Northern and Isolation Travel Assistance Outreach Program (NITAOP)
Makes available travel assistance to approved physicians visiting eligible rural and isolated communities to provide medical services.

Recruitment Contingency Fund (RCF)
Additional funding to assist communities, health authorities, or physician groups where the difficulty in filling a vacancy is, or is expected to be, especially severe.

Recruitment Incentive Fund (RIF)
Funding for physicians recruited to fill vacancies.

Rural Continuing Medical Education (RCME)
Provides rural physicians with enhanced CME funding.

Rural Education Action Plan (REAP)
Supports the training needs of physicians in rural practice, provides undergraduate medical students and postgraduate residents with rural practice experience, and increases rural physician participation in the medical school selection process. There are several REAP programs which support the continuing medical education needs and teaching activities of rural physicians in British Columbia:

Rural Emergency Enhancement Fund (REEF)
Funding for eligible rural emergency departments to support fee-for-service physicians who collaboratively plan for and provide public access to ED services on a regular, scheduled basis.

Rural Retention Program (RRP)
Retention payment paid to physicians working in eligible RSA communities.

Supervisors of Provincially Licensed Physicians (SPLP)
Funding for eligible supervising physicians who spend a significant amount of time assessing the knowledge, competencies, and clinical skills of rural physicians who have provisional licenses. (see page 24 in Rural Programs: A Guide to the Rural Physician Programs in British Columbia)

RnR Rounds
RnR Rounds (Rural & Remote Emergency Medicine Rounds) is a rural-physician, simulation-based CPD resuscitation program, currently offered in Victoria BC with options for virtual participation.

BC Emergency Medicine Network
The BC Emergency Medicine Network connects emergency practitioners across the province with each other- and with current, practical resources via four core programs: Clinical Resources, Innovation, Continuing Professional Development, and Real-Time Support.

Physician Mental Health Program of BC (PHP)
PHP offers confidential advocacy, support, and referral assistance for individual physicians and physicians-in-training. PHP also provides wellness initiatives to promote the ongoing health of our physician community.

BIPOC Physician Peer Support Group

The BIPOC Physician Peer Support Group is a confidential forum for BC Physicians who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) to build safety in community, share lived experiences and discuss approaches to challenges they face in their work and personal lives. During the first six months of the group, participants and facilitators will discuss a wide range of topics listed below. There will be plenty of open discussion time so physicians can share what matters to them:

  • Understanding (and harnessing) our stress physiology as BIPOC physicians
  • Recognizing the many faces of racism: from the subtle to the obvious
  • Celebrating our heritage and reclaiming our cultures
  • Exploring our legacy burden and intergenerational resilience
  • Family matters: BIPOC physician as spouse, parent, child
  • Addressing workplace conflicts with patients, peers and administration

The BIPOC Peer Support Group will be facilitated virtually via Zoom. To register in advance to join the group, visit their website.