Jessica Chiles

Hazelton, B.C.

Jessica Chiles, fourth year medical student at UNBC, spent her one month rural elective in Hazelton, B.C.  IRPbc provided Jessica with an opportunity to become part of the Hazelton community while also learning about and understanding the health struggles faced by rural and remote areas.  “Hazelton is a unique place because of the demographics and the exposure to aboriginal health issues. I spent time travelling to village clinics and really appreciated the way of life. Often a place like this gets ignored because most people really aren’t aware of the challenges they face.” 

While living and learning in a rural area meant being exposed to the culture and rich traditions of the aboriginal people, it also brought with it a strong sense of community, an overall sense of peacefulness and an inspiring group of health care professionals already in the community. “On a personal level I really enjoyed the outdoor recreation but I also learned that in smaller settings you have a chance to learn extra skills (like anesthesia an oncology) because the health care professionals tend to have a large scope of practice.” 

Jessica also enjoyed the opportunity to practice with students in other disciplines. “Prior to my IRPbc experience I hadn’t had the opportunity to practice with students in other disciplines. Not only did I learn a lot, it was fun to be able to interact with them.”

Jessica is currently applying to a rural and family practice residency programs across Canada and specifically rural family practice programs in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and the Maritimes. “I learned a lot with IRPbc. My goal is provide full-service family medicine in a rural community and I’d say that my experiences in Hazelton have contributed to my decision to choose this career path. I hope to be able to take what I’ve learned and apply it to my practice in future.”

“Are you a former IRPbc student?  If so, email Kathy at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  and let us know what you’re doing now. We look forward to hearing from you!”