Mission Statement

The Rural Ontario Medical Program (ROMP) is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) and has two facets of operation: working as the Community Development Office (CDO) for south central Ontario and working as a learner placement program for Ontario’s six medical universities. The CDO program within ROMP works closely with communities and helps with their recruitment and retention efforts. ROMP keeps track of which communities have been officially designated as Underserviced by the MOHLTC and what physician needs these communities have. It is ROMP’s hope that together with our communities we can help ease the burden caused by the nation wide doctor shortage.

As a learner placement program, ROMP coordinates rural rotations for medical students and residents from the six Ontario medical universities. The staff at ROMP work with a voluntary association of physicians who share a commitment to providing quality educational experiences in rural medical practice by:

1. Ensuring that clinical and educational experiences are of high quality and founded upon standards of clinical practice that continue to be acceptable to trainees and their parent medical schools.

2. Sustaining the commitment and support of participating physicians who perceive their medical practice and patients to be their primary responsibility and time commitment.

3. Maintaining harmonious relationships with the Ontario medical schools, the MOHLTC, the Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Ontario (PAIRO) as well as other organizations whose support and encouragement are essential.

4. Building inter-hospital networks and establishing healthy working relationships with those facilities and the physicians associated with them to increase educational resources and opportunities.

5. Co-operating with community groups and organizations to foster the recruitment and retention of rural physicians.