Roadmap Program

With all the twists and turns of medical training, all medical learners could use a Roadmap to help them get to their destination.

Join this program to explore the province, learn valuable skills, spend time with your medical school colleagues, and network with physician leaders.

Each year Roadmap participants travel by bus or plane to communities around the province, where they meet local physicians, learn about practicing medicine in that community, and tour the local sights and attractions. 

Participants can also enter our Passport and Rural & Remote Conference Paid Registration contests.

NOTE: The Roadmap Program is only open to Students and Residents who are active SMA Members. If you are not a member but would like to sign up or renew your membership, contact membership@sma.sk.ca or phone 306-244-2196 or 1-800-667-3781 (within Sask.). 

Upcoming Roadmap Events & Tours

November 30, 2024 – Swift Current Roadmap Tour
LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
Registration closes November 22, 2024.

Passport Contest

As part of the Roadmap Program, the Passport Contest is an exciting way to participate in opportunities that will help familiarize students with rural Saskatchewan. These opportunities will be noted on a virtual passport and submitted to the SMA for a chance to win some great prizes. This virtual passport will include ‘stamps’ (or participation records) that will be submitted via email prior to the program deadline. 

Eligibility:

  • This program is open to College of Medicine students and residents training at the University of Saskatchewan.

Rules for Pre-clerks:

  • Pre-clerk students will participate in any of the four ‘Roads to Participate’ offered and will keep a record of their participation.
  • Pre-clerk students will submit a virtual passport with 4 stamps or more. (proof of participating 4 times in the program).  A minimum of 1 shadowing experience is required and participation in a minimum of 1 Roadmap Tour is required. 
  • Deadline for submission: Wed. Feb. 28, 2025
  • Virtual passports (aka: an email containing the number of ‘stamps’ and related proof of participation) will be submitted via email to: Roadmap@sma.sk.ca

Rules for Clerks:

  • Clerk students will participate in two of the four ‘Roads to Participate’ offered and will keep a record of their participation.
    • Participate in Roadmap Tours 
    • Participate in Roadmap Events
  • Clerk students will submit a virtual passport with 3 stamps or more. (proof of participating 3 times in the program).  A minimum of 1 Roadmap Tour is required. 
  • Deadline for submission: Wed. Feb. 28, 2025
  • Virtual passports (aka: an email containing the number of ‘stamps’ and related proof of participation) will be submitted via email to: Roadmap@sma.sk.ca

Rules for Family Medicine Residents (FMR):

  • FMRs will participate in three of the four ‘Roads to Participate’ offered and will keep a record of their participation.
    • Participate in Roadmap Tours 
    • Participate in Roadmap Events
    • Participate in Roadmap’s Rural & Regional Clinical Skills Program (on-call shadowing experience)
  • FMRs will submit a virtual passport with 3 stamps or more. (proof of participating 3 times in the program).  A minimum of 1 shadowing experience is required. 
  • Deadline for submission: Wed. Feb. 28, 2025
  • Virtual passports (aka: an email containing the number of ‘stamps’ and related proof of participation) will be submitted via email to: roadmap@sma.sk.ca
  • Pre-clerks: Collect 4 stamps and you’ll receive a cheque for $500 and be entered to win one of two $5,000 trips to the SRPC Rural and Remote Conference in Winnipeg, Man., on April 24-26, 2025.  
  • Clerks: Collect 3 stamps and you’ll receive a cheque for $250 and be entered to win one of two $5,000 trips to the SRPC Rural and Remote Conference in Winnipeg, Man., on April 24-26, 2025.  
  • FMRs: Collect 3 stamps and you’ll receive a cheque for $250 and be entered to win one of two $5,000 trips to the SRPC Rural and Remote Conference in Winnipeg, Man., on April 24-26, 2025.  
  • Variety of prizes (TBD) including some fun SMA branded SWAG

Rules:

  • Participants will independently shadow a physician within a rural or regional community in Saskatchewan for a minimum of two hours or more. 
  • Participants will develop their own clinical opportunities. There is no ‘list’ supplied of preceptors offering shadowing opportunities. Participants must contact clinics/preceptors directly to request shadowing opportunities.  
  • Participants will fill out a College of Medicine (CoM) confirmation of shadowing form on their One45 accounts once shadowing is completed. This can be submitted as proof of shadowing along with your virtual passport.
  • Participants must comply with the CoM’s policy on Shadowing:

Shadowing – College of Medicine – University of Saskatchewan (usask.ca)

  • Participation must be done outside of CoM curriculum training.
  • Participants are urged to exercise caution when travelling to and from the selected community, and consider weather conditions, other potential hazards (such as wildlife), and level of fatigue before embarking to or from a chosen site.
  • Mileage will be reimbursed at a flat rate per trip according to the distance from the community you train in (either Saskatoon or Regina) to the community you shadow in. This stipend will be payable after a qualifying virtual passport is submitted.
  • Travel Stipend Distance from Training Site (one way)*
    • $50 up to 100 km 
    • $100 101 km to 200 km 
    • $150 201 km + 

* Based on Google Maps – ie: The distance between Rosthern and Saskatoon is 66.3 km. The qualifying stipend given would be $50.

Eligible Communities

Rural is defined as those communities in which there are approximately 10,000 people or less Regional is defined as those communities which have populations greater than 10,000 people, excluding Saskatoon and Regina. Therefore, regional communities include:

Estevan (included due to its fluctuating populations around the 10, 000 mark), Lloydminster, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Swift Current, Weyburn (included due to its fluctuating populations around the 10, 000 mark), Yorkton

The following “bedroom” communities are excluded from both definitions because of their proximity to Saskatoon and Regina:

Balgonie, Clavet, Delisle, Dalmeny, Langham, Lumsden, Martensville, Pense, Pilot Butte, Warman, White City

Stamps:

  • 1 ‘stamp’ (or proof of a shadowing experience) per community. 

Rules:

The Rural and Regional Clinical Skills Program (on-call shadowing experience) is an incentive to provide the opportunity for pre-clerk medical students and family medicine residents to work for a weekend on call, alongside a rural or regional physician (preferably a family physician) who provides both in-patient and emergency coverage. In this way medical learners enhance their clinical skills and are introduced to rural medicine in a positive way.

  • Participants will work alongside a rural or regional physician (preferably a family physician) who provides weekend call for both in-patient and emergency coverage.
  • Participants will develop their own clinical opportunities. There is no ‘list’ supplied of preceptors offering shadowing opportunities. Participants must contact clinics/preceptors directly to request shadowing opportunities. 
  • With prior approval from the hosting physician, medical learners may shadow in pairs for this program.
  • Participants will follow the detailed parameters listed here and submit supporting documents. Funding and travel stipend associated with this program will be paid upon submission.

The Rural & Regional Clinical Skills Program (on-call shadowing experience) parameters can be found here

Stamps:

  • 2 ‘stamps’ (with Clinical Skills program reporting) per community. 

Note: some events are targeted specifically to students or residents. 

Rules:

  • Students and FMRs will obtain 1 stamp for attending the following events:
    • Roadmap Events listed under the “Events” heading. 

Stamps:

  • 1 stamp with attendance.

Stamps:

  • 1 stamp with attendance.

Stamps:

  • 1 stamp with attendance.

Rural & Remote Conference Paid Registration Contest

This program is open to College of Medicine students and family medicine residents training at the University of Saskatchewan

Attend any Roadmap tour and enter your name to win one of 10 paid registrations to the SRPC Rural and Remote Conference in Winnipeg, Man., on April 24-26, 2025.

Deadline for submission: Feb. 28, 2025.