Where medicine meets community: inside Rural Week

Dalhousie’s Rural Week gives first-year medical students a unique opportunity to step beyond urban training environments and experience health care in communities across the region—from regional centres to small rural hospitals and clinics.  

In this story series, we explore Rural Week, taking place at the end of May, through different perspectives: a physician and program leader, a medical education leader, and students whose experiences helped shape their understanding of medicine. Together, their stories highlight the complexity, challenges, and rewards of rural practice and why it matters.  


When Kyrollos Hanna arrived in Antigonish for Rural Week at the end of his first year at Dalhousie Medical School, it was his first time in the town, and his first impression wasn’t just about the clinical experience ahead. 

“Everyone was so friendly, and the food was great too,” he says. “It really is as lovely as people say.”  

But it didn’t take long for something deeper to stand out, something that would come to define his entire week. 

“My first impression of the clinic itself was just how strong the relationships were between the doctor and his patients,” he says. “He knew them well, and they were always happy to see him.”  

It was a small observation but one that would shape everything that followed. 

A wider view of medicine

Placed at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital on Nova Scotia’s north shore, Kyrollos worked alongside a rural surgeon, splitting his time between clinic and operating room days. On paper, it looked similar to what he might have experienced in Halifax, but the reality felt different. 

“My preceptor services a really large patient population, we’d see anywhere from 50 to 60 patients in a single clinic day,” he says.  

Despite the pace, the experience was anything but passive. Kryollos had the opportunity to take patient histories, practice physical exams, and learn about common presentations. That balance, high volume alongside hands-on learning, gave him a clearer picture of what rural practice demands, and what it makes possible. 

What surprised him most wasn’t the workload; it was the scope. 

“In Antigonish, family doctors run hospitalist practices and have a significantly wider scope,” he explains. “Seeing it as a med student gave me a much deeper appreciation for how versatile rural physicians have to be.” 

Care in context 

For Kyrollos, Rural Week also highlighted something less visible, but just as important: the realities patients face outside the clinic. 

“Many patients were driving at least 30 minutes to see the doctor,” he says. “Beyond geography, there are factors like higher rates of unemployment or underemployment which can affect access to medications, nutrition, housing, and transportation, and lower health literacy, which can shape how patients understand illness and preventative care.”  

These considerations aren’t abstract; they shape care in real and immediate ways. This perspective shift adds layers of complexity to medicine beyond diagnoses and treatment. 

The power of relationships 

And yet, for all its challenges, what stood out most was the strength of the relationships at the heart of rural care. 

“My preceptor knew his patients well, and they trusted him,” Kyrollos says. “That kind of long-term relationship makes a real difference in the quality of care patients receive.”  

It’s something he saw not just inside the clinic, but throughout the community. 

“It was really cool to see a physician occupy the role as such a trusted and recognized member of the community he serves,” he says.  

That sense of connection between physician, patient, and place isn’t always as visible in larger centres. But in Antigonish, it was everywhere. 

“Rural medicine isn’t just what happens in the clinic,” Kyrollos reflects. “It’s also the community you’re part of while you’re there.”  

Rethinking the future 

Before Rural Week, Kyrollos hadn’t fully settled on where or how he might one day practice. Afterward, the possibilities began to shift. 

“Rural Week definitely made me think about it more seriously,” he says.  

One idea that’s stayed with him is the possibility of working across both worlds. 

“I could see myself splitting my practice between the city and a rural setting,” he says. “Seeing how much of a difference even one specialist coming into a community can make really stuck with me.”  

A week that stays with you 

Looking back, Kyrollos describes Rural Week as both rewarding and demanding. A fast-paced introduction to a type of medicine that requires adaptability, efficiency, and connection. 

“The most rewarding part was seeing the trust patients had in my preceptor,” he says. “The biggest challenge was keeping up with the volume. Learning to move efficiently while still being thorough.”  

Kyrollos’ advice to future students is simple:  

“Go in with an open mind,” he says. “There’s so much to learn, from the relationships physicians build with their communities, to the way rural clinics actually operate day to day.”  

Beyond the clinical learning, Kyrollos encourages students to fully embrace the experience. 

“Don’t underestimate the experience outside the hospital. Think of it as a learning vacation—the community is a huge part of what makes Rural Week what it is.”