The rural family medicine core rotation is designed to enhance the learner’s knowledge and skills and contribute to the development of appropriate attitudes within a primary care context. Because a family physician’s commitment is to the person, and not a particular organ system, age group or technique, they must be skilled in accepting responsibility for the full scope of care of patients in health and illness, at all stages of the life cycle.
 
At the end of the family medicine clerkship rotation, the student will have demonstrated a measurable level of knowledge and skills and should have developed appropriate attitudes related to the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s four Principles of Family Medicine:

• the features of appropriate patient–physician relationship;
• the competencies of a skilled primary care clinician;
• the community-based dimension of Family Medicine; and
• the professional aspects of being a resource to a patient population.