Vernon

Welcome Message

Welcome to the Vernon MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP) Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) site.

Are you interested in solidifying foundational medical knowledge while refining clinical skills in a close-knit medical community that wants you to succeed? Then consider the Vernon Integrated Clinical Clerkship (ICC) site!

Established in 2011, the Vernon ICC offers three Year 3 students an exceptional opportunity to complete this critical phase of medical training in the North Okanagan. Vernon ICC students are provided the same curriculum objectives as all UBC Year 3 students. Like all other UBC ICC sites, students are exposed to these objectives through ongoing relationships with faculty and patients that reinforce learning and develop core critical thinking skills. These core competencies will help you to develop into a successful Year 4 student, resident and eventually, independent physician.

We are very proud of our students who were part of the Vernon ICC! Former Vernon ICC students have gone on to successfully match to residencies in family medicine, pediatrics, orthopedic surgery, general surgery, otolaryngology, radiology, urology, public health, and internal medicine.  Since June 2014, I have been the Site Director in Vernon and am fortunate to work with dedicated faculty and staff who welcome the new students each year. It is a delight and extremely satisfying to witness the evolution of a Student-Reporter to a Medical Interpreter to a fledgling Medical Manager in just 11 months! Please consider joining us: You are welcome here!

Dr. Carmen Larsen
ICC Site Director, Vernon

Dr. Carmen Larsen is a family doctor with a varied practice of locums, OR assist, corrections medicine, virtual medicine and end-of-life care. As the Site Director in Vernon, she not only strives to foster the medical skills and education of the Year 3 medical students but also aims to set an example of creating one’s own path in medicine that is sustainable and impactful for individuals and families.

General Program Overview

The Vernon MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP) Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) site has been in place since 2011 and utilizes an educational model that optimizes continuity of teaching and patient care. Student support is personalized to fit the needs of students to maximize learning opportunities and build connections within the local medical community. Previous students have given exceptional feedback on the quality of their educational experiences and preceptors at the Vernon site. Some have returned to the Okanagan for residency and to practice.

In 2023, a new ICC site – Vernon/Revelstoke was formed. The distinction between the Vernon ICC and the Vernon/Revelstoke ICC (VR-ICC) lies in the clerkship program structure. While students in the Vernon ICC complete their clerkship in Vernon without the need for relocation, the student in the Vernon/Revelstoke ICC learn and work in Vernon from June to December. After the winter break, they relocate to Revelstoke to complete the remainder of the year. For more details, please refer to the VR-ICC page.

Specific Experiences

The student schedule consists of “mini-rotations” (1 to 3 weeks in duration) in all of the core specialties: anesthesiology, emergency medicine, general surgery, hospitalist/internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pediatrics and psychiatry.

These mini-rotations are repeated throughout the year. This spiraled learning allows students to build on past experiences and enhances learning and performance. Students are given graduated responsibility over the course of the year.

  • Inter-professional

  • Students participate in an inter-professional experience one half-day per week.
  • Students can choose from a diversity of experiences in the community including Indigenous health, chronic disease management, drug/addictions programs, home care nursing, emergency department triage, industrial/occupational health, and residential care.
  • Family Medicine

  • Each student is teamed with two family medicine (FM) preceptors for two half days per week for the entire year.
  • The FM preceptors act as primary preceptors, providing timely and consistent supervision and feedback.
  • Students track patients through multiple clinical settings to maximize understanding and learning of the natural history of disease and patient care. This can include following patients from the FM clinic to specialty consultations, community referrals, the emergency department, a hospital admission, the operating room, and subsequent FM office follow-up.
  • An ample patient volume and case mix ensures students see all required clinical encounters and perform all required procedures to meet Year 3 learning objectives.
  • Flex Weeks

  • Throughout the year, flex weeks provide students time to pursue additional study, remediation time, and research opportunities.
  • Students also can gain additional experience in areas outside core disciplines during flex weeks (e.g. pathology/lab medicine, radiology).
  • Academic Half Days (AHD)

  • Students participate in one AHD per week. AHD sessions are led by local faculty or provided via videoconference and address curriculum-defined learning topics.
  • Students take turns doing weekly case presentations to improve this critical skill of a Medical Expert/Communicator.

Participating Hospital Sites

Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH)

Vernon Jubilee Hospital

  • Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) is a 182-bed, facility and the largest diagnostic and acute care center in the region. Serving as a major referral center, VJH caters to a catchment area of 86,000 residents in the North Okanagan. The hospital offers core physician specialties, 24-hour emergency and trauma services, as well as acute and obstetrical care.
  • VJH also features dedicated UBC space with centralized education areas, a clinical skills room, two video conferencing rooms, an on-call sleep area, and a lounge.

Community Profile

The vibrant community of Vernon is the largest city in the North Okanagan with a population of 55,000. It has all the amenities of a major city and enjoys four beautiful seasons. The spring brings blooms to the orchards. The summer is filled with sunshine making our three lakes the perfect place to cool off. The fall is harvesting season for food and wine lovers. Mild winters bring powder snow to the surrounding mountains for every outdoor enthusiast.

Kelowna International Airport, located 25 minutes away, is one of the top 11 busiest airports in Canada with 60 daily non-stop flights with nine different airlines.

Students are strongly recommended to have access to their own vehicle to participate in the full extent of learning opportunities and recreational pursuits available during their Year 3 in Vernon.

Check out the Tourism website for interesting activities and things to do in Vernon.

“The list of recreational activity in Vernon is boundless including skiing at Silver Star Mountain and Sovereign Lake, hiking and biking in our provincial parks, golfing at one of our courses, rock climbing in Cougar Canyon, and boating or paddling at our three lakes. Vernon also has a recreational centre that boasts indoor swimming, dancing, lifting weights, fencing, aqua fit classes and much more. Vernon has a lively arts community with many galleries, a jazz club, a performing arts center, two movie theatres and a very active film society.  For the sommelier, the Okanagan Valley wineries need no introduction.
In a place where sunlight spends its day dancing across endless mountain peaks, illuminating the depths of pristine waters, ripening grapes on their way to your glass, and warming the faces of smiling adventurers, there is no end to what can be done in a place like this.”
[From the Tourism Vernon website, 2024]

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Carmen Larsen
ICC Site Director, Vernon
carmen.larsen@interiorhealth.ca

Kim Bailey
ICC Site Coordinator, Vernon
kim.bailey@interiorhealth.ca

We would like to acknowledge that the Vernon Integrated Community Clerkship site operates in the traditional territory of the Syilx People of the Okanagan Nation.


Our Recent ICC Students’ Experience

“Being an ICC Vernon student has been a journey! You don’t realize how good you have it with hospital parking until it’s gone—it’s definitely a game changer!  The Amplified cafe in the hospital is friendly with delicious coffee, which adds to the experience. What I appreciate most about the Vernon ICC is the unparalleled opportunities for learning. The dedicated preceptors and interdisciplinary healthcare professionals are genuinely invested in our success. You are surrounded by people who want you to succeed and who challenge and support you every step of the way. It is the ideal environment to become a well-rounded student ready for the next challenges. There’s truly no better place to learn, stumble, and grow than at VJH!”

“The Vernon ICC was a highlight of my medical school experience. The welcoming and supportive environment made transitioning to a new city and clerkship smooth. Preceptors offered increased independence, which was crucial for my learning. The mini-block format allowed early exposure to various specialties, aiding in career planning, and returning to rotations reinforced my skills. I also enjoyed the longitudinal family practice half-days, which provided continuity in patient care. The site director and coordinator went above and beyond to ensure our success and made our time in Vernon exceptional. Outside the hospital, the city’s outdoor activities and proximity to SilverStar for hiking and skiing added to the experience.
Overall, the Vernon ICC site provided excellent clinical training and a refreshing perspective on life in a smaller city. I look forward to potentially returning to a similar community after residency.”