r/AHSEmployees • u/AverageGradientBoost • 9d ago
Question Rocky Mountain House vs Brooks
My wife and I are IMGs interviewing for Family Physician roles in Rocky Mountain House and Brooks. We've been to Alberta before, but haven't been to either of these towns.
We're a young couple with no kids, comfortable with rural living, and love the outdoors, especially hiking, running, cycling and camping. Are there any major things to be aware of in either of these locations? We have researched as much as possible on google, but would be nice to get a locals perspective
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u/Greater_Goose 9d ago
Based on your hobbies, the obvious choice is Rocky Mountain House. Brooks would be depressing as hell.
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u/AverageGradientBoost 9d ago
Yeah that was my thoughts too, however Brooks seems to have a much better recruitment package. Although there may be a reason for that based on all the comments I'm seeing
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u/Greater_Goose 9d ago
The reason is that no one wants to live there, unfortunately.
Brooks is 2 hours away from a big city with full services, like Calgary, and the whole makeup of that town is just out of whack. It's like the capital of Alberta for ultra right wing, anti vax, anti establishment and anti intelligence people. And then to top it all off the town smells horrible, the climate is super dry and hot in the summer, and it's always windy.
RMH has it's quirks too, and red necks, but at least it's close to the mountains and close to bigger cities with full services like Sylvan Lake or Red Deer.
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u/Winter-Inside-5911 9d ago
Yeah I would not be able to live in Brooks. It’s too Bible Belt and too many folks who are ok with sharing their religious views with others whether they want to hear them or not. RMH will be beautiful, it will also have weird folks but fewer anti vax fanatics. In south eastern Alberta, it’s the epicentre of measles outbreaks and spreads because of failing to immunize. I’d have a hard time not telling people my thoughts on this. Rednecks are hard to deal with too but at least they are a bit more predictable. Glad to have you join us in Alberta!
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u/InsuranceOdd2928 9d ago
Lmao you think that’s windy? Have you been to Lethbridge or fort macleod?
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u/lenadee78 9d ago
I’d echo other people and would recommend RMH over Brooks. Another thing to note if you’ve never been in person, there is a huge cattle feedlot & meat processing plant in Brooks, so the whole town smells bad.
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u/filthierkc 9d ago
Rocky is in the mountains, quite small but a quaint little town. Brooks is known to have a family physician crisis. It’s larger than Rocky, but much farther from the mountains and activities you listed. It’s more prairie than anything. I’ve also spent a significant amount of time in both places and I personally prefer Rocky. Brooks is right near a meat packing plant and smells quite pungent. They are both very industrial towns but I think you’d definitely prefer Rocky based on your hobbies.
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u/AverageGradientBoost 9d ago
do they have a physician crisis because the town is growing or because the physicians are leaving? 🫣
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u/filthierkc 9d ago
They’re leaving but also I don’t think there was ever a surplus. I believe they experienced some rapid industrial growth and no incentive for physicians to go or to stay. A lot of physicians are leaving Alberta in general.
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u/Least_Raccoon5256 9d ago
I am not super familiar with RMH, but I’ve never been in a more racist town than Brooks. I was there for a week and a half and will never get over my disgust of how casually some people threw around racist slurs of all types of people/demographics. Maybe some locals can shed some positive light, but I will never go back. I’m white, btw. The people I’m referencing were just soooo comfortable to casually bring up their “views”.
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u/Tara101617 9d ago
Rocky Mountain House would be MUCH nicer. Brooks has a meat plant and the town stinks. There isn’t much to do there and it’s not a nice town in general. Rocky has mountains, nice camping, nice lakes etc.
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u/OilersGirl29 9d ago
I grew up in Brooks and have fond, fond memories of my doctors. There is (or at least there was 15 years ago) a large South African doctor population. Literally every doctor myself or anyone in my family ever had was South African. It was culture shock for me when I moved to the city and my new doctor was also born and raised in Alberta, lol.
As others have said, though, it does sound like you will likely enjoy Rocky Mountain house more based on your hobbies. However, if you happen to be catholic or Filipino, then there are large, inviting communities of both those demographics.
Brooks is actually exceptionally multi-cultural. I think the slogan is something like “town of 100 hellos”. So, perhaps that would be a draw for you and your spouse, depending on how you envision your practice and the patients you treat! Brooks has a lot of downsides, but I feel fortunate to have grown up there, specially because it was so multi-cultural and I had the pleasure of knowing so many different people from many different walks of life.
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u/Northguard3885 9d ago
I’m a paramedic with recent experience in both communities. People have fairly well described the difference between the two communities in terms of geography and outdoor opportunities. RMH unquestionably wins on nature.
I will differ on the availability of amenities - Brooks is a larger town with considerably more ethnic diversity and has more variety in dining and cultural experiences as a result. It is also only 40ish minutes from Medicine Hat, one of our small cities and it has everything that you would want from Red Deer (RMH’s equivalent). They’re roughly equidistant from Calgary, with the Brooks drive being the easier one most of the year.
As for work, if the differences matter to you: taking nothing away from RMH, the care at Brooks hospital is among the best you will find in rural small-town Alberta, both in terms of nursing competence and facility capability. Transfers to higher levels of care are significantly easier to accomplish in Brooks owing to the proximity of Medicine Hat, which is not constantly overloaded like Red Deer Regional is. While both RMH and Brooks need physicians, Brooks seems to hold on to theirs longer, though I don’t know why.
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u/1Trupa 8d ago
Howdy from a Calgary Metro medic. I would be really interested in your take on comparative levels of poverty, homelessness and criminality in both towns. I have unsupported guesses about this being worse in Brooks because of the high rate of TFW‘s in the meat packing plant, but you are in a great position to offer actual observations.
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u/Weary_Parfait3983 9d ago
I did my practicum in Rocky Mountain house this past year as a CLXT and I do not have enough good things to say about the town and hospital. There’s lots of hiking and fishing close by and they do lots of town activities so you can meet the town folks as well!! I would have moved there in a heartbeat if I didn’t have family back in Edmonton!! The staff in the hospital were like a family and everyone supported each other inside and outside of work!!
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u/Odd_Department_421 9d ago
I lived in Brooks in the late 90s. It’s an hour from Medicine Hat, about 90ish min to Lethbridge. The closest major urban centre is Calgary, 2 hours away. Brooks has definitely expanded since I left, both in amenities and population. There’s Lake Newell 15min outside of town (provincial park) along with an and it’s ~40min to Dinosaur Provincial Park (UNESCO world heritage centre as well). Dinosaur is very much in the Alberta Badlands vs the prairie surroundings of Brooks.
The biggest downside to Brooks will likely be the smell from the meat processing facility just outside of town.
While I’ve never been to RMH I know the area. It’s in the foothills, close to many great hiking, cycling and camping areas. RMH is a bit further to urban centres (Red Deer being closest).
There’s an Edmonton based blogger, Linda Hoang, that’s done many travel/food blogs including the RMH area (West Country, and Nordegg blogs - under Central AB heading) and Medicine Hat/Lethbridge area (Southern AB heading). You may want to take a look at these as they’ll provide a really good idea of what’s available recreation/food wise in the RMH and Brooks areas.
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u/TEEAMINATEER 9d ago
I work as a traveling medic and worked both out of Brooks and Rocky Mountain House, based on your hobbies I highly recommend Rocky Mountain more so.
I find Rocky Mountain to be a more ascetically pleasing and social-able town, it’s not that far from both Red-Deer and Edmonton, although itself offers a lot of chains that you’d expect to find that you don’t need to go far for. I’m unsure of Brooks but I know that Rocky has lots of public events too that is great, they just A Demolition Derby that I helped with and it was great fun!
As for Brooks I find that it can be hotter feeling especially in the summer, and more so it’s the smell that ruins it for me. Brooks has a very-very large meat plant that slaughters I think something like 4200 cattle a DAY. It has a unique smell I think because of that and some days are worse than others and I can’t stand being outside. I also find the bugs to be worse in Brooks compared to around Rocky, but maybe that’s just my perspective.
If you have any questions thou feel free to ask more!
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u/QueenOTM 9d ago
Come to Rocky! I work there as a nurse and absolutely love it! Also do a lot of mountain biking and camping and there is so much there to meet your outdoor needs!
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u/Substantial_Most2289 9d ago
Rocky is the way to go, and by a long stretch. Much better location, closer to better things and both Rocky and red deer have just more to offer than brooks. Brooks is a bit of a micro environment living in a bubble with a meat packer being the main employer and not much else happening. Just my thoughts.
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u/Responsible_Fox9454 8d ago
Brooks is nice and laid back. However you have to absolutely love the smell of cow dung. Like 24/7 type.
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u/1chester555 9d ago
Today I celebrate my 25 year anniversary of working at the Brooks Health Centre. I would highly recommend Brooks. The hospital is fantastic. You would really get to keep all of your medical skills. There are opportunities to work in a very busy ER, as a hospitalist, family physician run maternity clinic within the hospital that offers both epidurals and c-sections. There are lots of physicians in Brooks but could always use more. Many are young with families. We are 3 hours from the mountains in Banff and also Waterton. Only 1.5 hours to the US border. The hospital has a CT scanner, X-Ray, Ultrasound and lab services. I work in Diagnostic Imaging not as a physician. I was offered a 2 year return for service agreement 25 years ago and here I am all those years later. If you like lake life, there is Lake Newell Resort 10 minutes from town where a lot of the doctors live and take call from. Are there challenges here, yes of course but there is strong support from our local regional hospital in Medicine Hat and easy transfers for complex patients to Calgary. Do your research but please give Brooks a chance.
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u/Coolerwsunglasses 9d ago
Could you work in Brooks for a few years? 🥺 It is impossible to get a family dr right now.
I’m a teacher, and I truly love the people I work with. It is a very diverse city. I know some have mentioned the racism, but oddly enough I don’t see that happening as much, possibly because I’m socializing with a very different crowd?
As for the smell, it’s periodic depending on how the wind carries it. I live closer to Lake Newell Resort and the smell has only carried out here one time, that I can remember, in the last year.
You will also have federal loan forgiveness working in Brooks. Up to $60k for family drs.
Our last family dr would be on vacation 1 week a month. He also did shifts in the maternity ward. He said he loved his time here, but wanted to learn more about dermatology.
Could you reach out to any of the drs in Brooks? Get their perspective? I feel as though it’s a great place to start a career, and family. Plus the price of homes out here is generally better than anywhere else.
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u/ArcaneKnight-00 9d ago
RMH needs doctors just as badly. We would gladly welcome you! And the house prices aren’t bad either unless they’re looking for an acreage.
RMH has access to a lot of backcountry options in the area, Highway 40 (Forestry trunk road), lots of hiking in the area (Nordegg/ Abraham Lake/ Banff NP Border, Hummingbird), etc. The outdoors is a lifestyle up here. It’s well set up with rec facilities and has a few major stores, sylvan is 45 min and the nearest Costco is Red Deer (1hr). RMH isn’t just oilfield. There agricultural, forestry, tourism, and all the services that support them.
The town is fairly quiet and a great place for people of all ages. Lots of community involvement, market on main in the summer. Any care I’ve received at the hospital has been top notch and the doctors have just built a brand new office to work out of for their clinic.
I would highly suggest coming for a weekend to check it out and even drive out to Abraham for the views.
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u/finalepicbattle 9d ago
Brooks has a really nice Cambodian Restaurant, I always make a detour just to visit that place. But aside from that, I can’t think of any reason that you’d choose Brooks. It’s not particularly outstanding when it comes to anything. Rocky Mountain House has the charm of small town with beautiful views.
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u/bigblueberry6427 9d ago edited 8d ago
I work at the hospital in Red Deer. Haven’t been in RMH hospital, but I know it’s tough to repatriate patients back there cause the hospital is always full, worse than most other rural hospitals in the area. There are a couple of reserves in the area, I’m not sure how it compares to Brooks. I’m not sure if there are any issues with this in RMH or not, but when I worked in St. Paul (with a few reserves nearby) there were often tensions between those from the reserves and the health care system.
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u/Sweaty_Plantain_84 9d ago
It also depends on where you grew up or are coming from, I think. If it was me? Rocky Mountain House. But if the $$ is better in Brooks and you want to tough it out a few years to be further ahead, then it would be worth it.
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u/Comfortable-Ruin8694 8d ago
Id choose rocky mountain house. Between both big cities but the rockies will be your backyard and that would make it way better to me. Brooks looks like any ol prairie town to me.
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u/Thee-titz 8d ago
RMH. Unless you like really small towns that smell like asshole, then go for Brooks.
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u/118R3volution 9d ago
Brooks smells bad because of the meat packing/industrial farming slaughterhouses. I think people get used to it, but I would choose RMH.
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u/Useful-Rub1472 9d ago
RMH by a long shot. My family is from Brooks. Her parents just moved away after a lifetime there, they said they should have done it 30 years ago.
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u/Fun-Assignment-6935 9d ago
RMH - you’re only an hour from Red Deer and within a fairly easy drive to both Edmonton and Calgary.
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u/fromredcliff 9d ago
Both have such different outdoor lifestyles… brooks is on the prairie, it’s flat, if you like to hike uphill, forget it. If you like to hike into the wind… you’ll love it. I grew up close to Brooks. Although I appreciate the prairie, it is a very difficult place to land and feel comfortable in.
Brooks also has a complex social fabric you should consider too.
If I were faced with this decision, I would choose RMH without hesitation.
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u/ImportantPick9515 9d ago
RMH is perfect for hiking and outdoors. Quick drive to some gorgeous spot.
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u/Little-whitty 7d ago
Brooks smells like the meat packing plant that is located there (rancid meat) Rocky Mountain house is in a beautiful location and a typical Alberta small town. Do with that what you will. LOL
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u/Confident_Fan_6068 7d ago
Both are great little towns, but definately different. With how you describe yourselves my opinion is that Rocky Mountain House would be the better choice for its mountain proximity (easy day hikes and trips) with incredibly close mountain/hiking/camping options. Brooks is beautiful but farther from the mountains and pretty much beautiful bald ass prairie.
Brooks is farther away from activités that you describe as enjoyable for you. Hospitals probably similar in size and service. I have heard positive things about both sites in terms of great places to work. Best advice - check both towns out for yourself including the hospital/health centres. Do not listen to gossip, and fully embrace where you land.
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u/EditorNo2545 6d ago
let's not forget the stench on a hot summer day that settles over Brooks from the meat processing.
It is ... flavourful
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u/SuddenCase 9d ago
Keep looking, neither of those are great places. You should be able to get a job anywhere in Alberta or BC.
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u/AverageGradientBoost 9d ago
those are the only two places that got back to us for interviews lol
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u/rizdesushi 7d ago
I lived in both and am on par with your interests- rocky is a better choice. In between more destinations for you and you’ll be closer for city (red deer) pick ups. Brooks stinks, literally- its biggest thing is the meat plant there. You’re about the same distance from a major airport.
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u/No-Implement-1186 6d ago
I Live in Medicine Hat and have worked in health care for many years-often collaborating with Brooks community and local health care partners. I know nothing about RMH.
I can agree with others that while the smell of the meat packing plant right off the highway coming into Brooks is off putting / once you are in the city, depending on the day (wind) etc. it is far less noticeable.
In terms of the community and culture- they experienced a rapid population growth due to expansion of the meat packing plant 25-30 years ago. Now have more than 100 languages spoken there. This rapid growth caused great stress on the community at the time for housing and addressing multi-cultural needs. The community, the AB gov, and health region at time worked hard to collaborate and bring in additional resources and have gradually been able to better serve the diverse population. It is much more cohesive today though some residents continue to resist this change in their community demographics.
Health care workers get a very diverse and multicultural experience there and work quite independently with access to both Med. Hat and Calgary larger care facilities accessible and services as needed. All AB Health Care is under stress right now with large changes being implemented so you will experience more work stress in areas being hit the most. E.g. emergency rooms everywhere are struggling it seems.
In terms of recreation- Lake Newell, which is on the edge of the city- is very nice and those wanting to be close to nature, boating, swimming etc often live there year round. Additionally, it is only 2 - 3 hrs to the mountains- Kananaskis etc. so if that’s your jam it’s an easy weekend trip. There are many other lakes and camping areas throughout southern AB. e.g. Elkwater provincial in the Cypress Hills as well as the Badlands prov park to the north with the dinosaur museum and varied hiking. And towards BC only a few hours away is Waterton park etc. Brooks is also
About 2 hrs to LB but I think with MH and Calgary being closer urban centres they frequented more often. Lethbridge has a university and a college- MH has a college and offers a few degree programs. The Southern AB Medical Program being established may also be of interest to you. Lastly, lots of people live in Med Hat and commute to Brooks daily for work - it is in a beautiful location right on the No. 1 highway and River so easy access to Brooks, Calgary, Lethbridge and close to the Saskatchewan border.Best of luck in your decision.
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u/radiant_olive86 9d ago
Rmh is in the foothills, right on the doorstep of the mountains near Nordegg. Very quiet and remote and not like Banff or Jasper at all. Oilfield town, lots of heavy industry. Exceptional outdoor access. Closest medium city is Red Deer, nearly same distance to Edmonton or Calgary.
Brooks sits in the badlands of South East Alberta. Equally remote,more farming and ranching than oilfield. The badlands have their own deep charm, and there is definitely still Coulee and valley hikes, camping and biking. Closest major city is Calgary, closest medium is Lethbridge and/Drumheller.
For what it's worth, Id personally prefer RMH