Emergency Education Programs

The Emergency Education Programs provide advanced training opportunities for rural physicians to develop emergency medicine expertise and leadership within their communities. Through hands-on learning, mentorship, and skills development, these programs enhance emergency care capacity in rural BC. The initiative includes the NEEP (Nanaimo Emergency Education Program), NoEEP (Northern Emergency Education Program), KEEP (Kamloops Emergency Education Program), and CoEEP (Coastal Emergency Education Program), all designed to increase emergency medicine competency outside urban centres.

“One of the best learning experiences of my career — the instructors’ expertise, the admin team’s efficiency, and the course leads’ enthusiasm were outstanding. POCUS is life-saving in rural ERs, and this course gave me confidence to use it safely and effectively.”

NEEP Graduate

Achievements

Increased Emergency Medicine Expertise in Rural BC

The infrastructure established through the Emergency Education Programs has allowed UBC to extend its CCFP(EM) training beyond the Lower Mainland, creating regional training sites closer to rural communities across British Columbia. This expansion has led to a notable increase in residency-trained CCFP(EM) physicians choosing to practise in rural and remote settings.

An additional and unexpected outcome has been the success of several graduates who have used these programs to challenge the CCFP(EM) certification while remaining in their home communities—further strengthening local emergency medicine capacity.

Together, these outcomes continue to support the recruitment and retention of emergency-trained physicians in rural BC, building sustainable emergency care expertise where it is needed most.

Accessible Skills Advancement for Rural Physicians

Delivered across four regional sites with 24 training positions each year, the Emergency Education Program offers rural family physicians a structured three‑month opportunity to strengthen and expand their emergency medicine skills. This accessible, community‑based model enables physicians to continue rural practice while advancing clinical competence and confidence in acute care.

Participants gain hands‑on experience in core emergency medicine competencies and develop the knowledge and leadership skills needed to manage higher‑acuity presentations locally. The program also builds strong professional connections among rural clinicians and regional faculty, fostering mentorship, peer learning, and ongoing collaboration.

Through consistent delivery and regional accessibility, the Emergency Education Programs contributes to workforce sustainability, supports continuing professional development for rural providers, and enhances the quality, safety, and resilience of emergency care across British Columbia’s rural and remote communities.

Developing Local Teaching Capacity in POCUS

Recent Emergency Education Program graduates are now contributing as instructors at the front-loaded, week-long Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) workshop in Nanaimo, which brings together current cohorts and emergency medicine residents from across the province. This model offers graduates meaningful opportunities to strengthen their teaching skills and confidence within a supportive academic environment.

Several graduates have also begun delivering POCUS training in their home communities, supported through ongoing mentorship and faculty guidance. Their involvement has expanded local ultrasound education capacity while fostering leadership development among early-career rural physicians.

By creating clear pathways from learner to instructor, the program continues to build sustainable training networks and enhance access to high-quality POCUS education across rural and regional British Columbia.

Explore the numbers

112 Total graduates

As of the start of 2026 there have been a combined 112 successful graduates across all sites – NEEP (55), NoEEP (30), KEEP (18), CoEEP (9).

26 CCFP (EM) certified graduates

Twenty six graduates have now become certified CCFP (EM) with another 22 in the process of preparing for certification.

24 Physicians certified in POCUS

Twenty four physicians certified in Acute Care Core POCUS used in rural ERs for high acuity cases

Emergency Education Programs participants mapped across BC in 2025

Making a Difference

“The training helped me manage a complex aortic dissection in a remote community using POCUS, maintain hemodynamic goals, and coordinate safe transfer — skills I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

NEEP Graduate

“After NEEP, I felt more confident running sedations, managing high-acuity patients, and teaching procedures to learners. My first shift back involved a two-person motorcycle crash, and I felt fully prepared.”

NEEP Graduate

Project Partnership

Throughout 2025, the Emergency Education Programs worked closely with partners across the province to deliver high-quality rural emergency training. Key collaborators included RCCbc, the Rural Education Action Plan (REAP), regional hospital sites, and local clinical faculty who provided supervision, mentorship, and teaching support.

The program also partnered with community physicians in each training region to ensure the curriculum reflected local practice realities and available resources. This collaborative approach supported the shared planning of clinical rotations, simulation sessions, and Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) workshops, maximizing both the relevance and the impact of training for participants.

Coordination with regional health authorities further strengthened site logistics, learner recruitment, and the integration of graduates into local emergency care teams. These efforts reinforced professional networks that connect urban academic centres with rural communities, creating a more cohesive provincial training ecosystem.

By fostering strong partnerships at organizational, clinical, and administrative levels, the program continued to ensure that rural physicians have access to consistent, practical, and contextually relevant emergency medicine education—supporting the ongoing retention and growth of emergency care expertise across British Columbia.

Plans for the Future

The EEP program will continue training 24 rural physicians per year across British Columbia, further consolidating and enhancing their emergency medicine skills. Plans for 2026 include implementing POCUS certification, expanding academic programming to encompass procedures, emergency medicine topics, simulation, and advanced ultrasound training, and continuing faculty development efforts to support rural physicians as local Emergency Medicine leaders while strengthening emergency care in their communities.

The Alberta Ministry of Health has reached out to express interest in adapting our model within their province, and discussions are currently underway. We are also consulting with other educational partners, including Med Response BC, to advance collaborative initiatives in developing and delivering clinical education programming for rural healthcare providers.