History

ERMEP was established in 2002 by Queens University School of Medicine and the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine to facilitate the rural and regional placement of medical students in South Eastern Ontario.  The program receives financial support from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care of the Ontario Government.  Offices for ERMEP are situated in the town of Perth in Lanark County.

ERMEP’s initiatives are based on the belief that exposing learners to rural and regional healthcare in the first years of training enhances their education.  This allows them to make an informed decision on career options including which discipline of medicine they will pursue and the area in which they choose to locate their practice.

Rural medicine offers learners a unique opportunity to maximize their learning experience by providing direct exposure to patients in a structured environment with a one on one preceptor-ship model.  In this setting many of the medical disciplines are represented including Family Practice, Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics, General Surgery, Anesthesia, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and others. 

It is recognized that training with other healthcare professionals will enhance this experience.  ERMEP is working to involve other healthcare professionals in an integrated “Distributed Healthcare” model.