Bruce Grey MedLINCS (formerly MedQUEST) program discontinued

Students hoping to spend a week this summer at the Bruce-Grey (Walkerton) MedLINCS camp (formerly MedQUEST), will be disappointed to hear that the program has been discontinued.

As a community partner with the Distributed Education Network of Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, the Bruce-Grey MedLINCS (Medical Learning in Community Settings) committee recently met to discuss the results of the 10-year review of the MedLINCS summer camp and the subsequent proposal for revisions to the program.

Local co-ordinator Myrna Inglis said the camp was put on a hiatus in the fall of 2015 while the review was undertaken and a proposal made for 2017.

A press release from the committee states that the proposal indicated the intention to discontinue the clinical experience for the Western medical students and revise the high school summer program week. The committee felt the new proposal lacked substance and failed to ensure a smooth and timely transition to the new format while meeting the July, 2017, target.

"Due to these unfortunate circumstances, the Walkerton MedLINCS committee regrets to announce that the program will not be re-launching in 2017 in Bruce and Grey," states the release. "We would like to extend our deepest thanks to the Municipality of Brockton and all our community partners for their support in the past 10 successful years."

Inglis said the proposal for the relaunch lacked the detail and timelines needed in November to be assured that a program could operate smoothly in July, 2017.

"It is unfortunate," she said. "I know that the MedQUEST/MedLINCS experience was the deciding factor for many of our students in choosing a health-related career."

MedQUEST/MedLINCS was open to local high school students in Grades 10 and 11. The week-long program involved participants working alongside medical students and other health-care professionals to explore health career options.