Name:  Harinder Pal Singh Gill

Hometown: Surrey, BC

What attracted you to the field of medicine?

I had always been interested in science since my dad used to be a science lecturer and always talked about “sciency stuff”. My mom on the other hand is a very selfless person. From all the environmental influences (parents, teachers, doctors) and my “doctor playset” I became interested in medicine, a field that combines science and technology to help people. As I grew up, I kept ruling things out that I didn’t see myself doing and was left with Medicine as my last choice. (Just like we answer MCAT questions by knowing what’s wrong and not by knowing what’s right.)

What are you most excited about studying at the VFMP?

After attending the post interview dinner at MSAC, I was amazed at how close everyone was in the upper year class, they were like a one big family. That’s what I am excited about, making lifelong friends with whom I can undertake this journey in medicine. And all the free food at MSAC of course.

What do you like to do in your spare time to relax and have fun?

In my spare time I like to play sports (volleyball, tennis, soccer etc), listen to music (and do some Bhangra moves), watch movies and TV shows (off my friend’s Netflix), and hangout with family and friends!

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?

I love cricket, and I even made a first ever cricket team with friends in my high school that won the interschool tournament!!!

Is it just me, or does it feel as though spring has come a bit ahead of schedule this year? I’m quite certain I have seen the daffodils and crocuses popping up much earlier than usual. This is not necessarily a bad thing as, after the darker, colder winter days, one is happy to see the signs of change, colour and – of course – warmth!

Nevertheless, our VFMP program has been moving along at a steady pace despite the long days of winter. Our renewed curriculum is well underway and the Class of 2019 will complete the first year in the new format this May. In August, we will begin the first iteration of the renewed Year 2 with the Class of 2019 while the incoming class of 2020 will be the second cohort of the renewed Year 1. These events are key milestones in our curriculum renewal journey. We have also been preparing for the renewed Year 3 for 2017-18, and plans are underway for the renewed Year 4 the following year. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Curriculum Renewal team and to all who have been involved in this project.

Our students definitely haven’t been deterred by the rainy, cold winter months. Not only are they excelling academically, but they are also sharing their talents and gifts in so many other areas and are always finding ways to participate in and give back to their communities. I am continually blown away by these admirable displays of diversity, creativity and generosity. You will be able to read about some of these student-led initiatives in this newsletter.

Finally, it is an exciting time for our VFMP Class of 2016! 96 per cent of this year’s graduates matched to postgraduate training programs in the first round of CaRMS. As the CaRMS match is becoming more competitive, this is an impressive accomplishment. With their upcoming graduation later this spring, our students are ready to begin the next phase in their journey to becoming healthcare providers in British Columbia and beyond. I would like to offer my sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to our graduates. At the end the day, you are why we are all here – and you make us proud of the work we do in support of your education as medical professionals.

I do hope you enjoy this update from our program and will join me in celebrating our successes.

Warmly,

Amil Shah, MDCM, FRCPC, FACP
Regional Associate Dean, Vancouver Fraser
Clinical Professor, Medicine

Their idea was simple: bring brilliant people with different perspectives together to tackle challenges in healthcare.

When medical students Daniel Raff, Ameen Amanian (MD 2018) participated in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) GrandHacks , they knew they needed to bring something similar to UBC. At the event, more than 400 of the brightest minds in healthcare came together to create viable, interdisciplinary healthcare solutions. Both young students were inspired by the real world solutions, which were developed in just one weekend.

Earlier this month, 40 engineering, 30 healthcare, and 10 design students gathered at for Hatching Health, Raff and Amanian’s version of what they experienced at MIT. The duo worked with their co-organizer, Cameron Stuart, a Biomedical Engineering Masters student, to bring this interdisciplinary, innovative event to UBC.

On the first evening people gathered for an opportunity to network and connect with the other participants. Many expressed their excitement around being in a room with so many like-minded and passionate individuals. The following morning, 36 healthcare problem pitches took place. By mid-morning, teams had formed around various problem pitches – with 10 teams formed in total.

The rest of the participants’ time was spent ‘hatching’. Teams were resourceful and maintained excitement throughout. The organizers and faculty supporters were impressed with how resourceful these teams were, many working well into the early morning hours on their various projects.

The final pitches were very strong and some judges complained about how difficult it was going to be to choose 4 winning teams out of the 10.

The winning teams were:

The Geyer Family First Place Award

Smart Curve: This problem was pitched by a practicing Pediatric Occupational Therapist who found a specific pain in fitting wheelchairs for children with spinal problems. The problem is that the process takes 3-4 days with 3-4 separate fittings by the OT in order to complete. Usually this is done over an entire work week. Anyone outside Vancouver has to get to the major urban centre to get this done. The team developed a method to make a 3D contour map and leverage telemedicine to uncouple the analysis from the production.. i.e. turn a 4-day arduous procedure into a 1-day procedure with the final product being mailed to the participant. They also spoke about the additional data for understanding disease and deciding interventions that this kind of tech could leverage — and this data may be another viable revenue option.

VCHRI Second Place Award

UpRight: This is a smart walker developed specifically for patients with Parkinson’s. A little background about the disease is that patients can get (a) Freezegait – they will stop mid-step. This can lead to falls as their walker escapes them. Falls are a major expense to the system, and increase morbidity to patients. (b) A visual, auditory, or tactile ‘cue’ can be used to get someone out of this ‘frozen’ state. The textbook example is to put a piece of paper on the floor a few steps in front of the patient, they will then be able to unfreeze and walk to this point. This team developed a system to improve walkers – their system senses if the patient’s gait is frozen and then automatically brakes so that the walker doesn’t slip away. Then a laser is projected as a ‘cue’ to prompt the patient, and once they step, the brakes are released. It was definitely the most impressive prototype of the weekend.

UBC Biomedical Engineering Hardware Award 

Companion: A GPS wearable with instructions for those with early dementia. People with early dementia can get lost – often near their homes. These patients often struggle with losing their independence. The product takes GPS and provides the user with directions on how to return home – if they’d like to go home. They were differentiated from other products on the market in that they didn’t compromise independence.

HumanAPI Software Award

Happi: An app for those suffering with depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Their goal is to integrate wearables data and provide clinically-validated surveys to users. They also integrated a ‘gamification’ with a watering plant and certain interventions, such as exercising, which grow the plant.

Doctors of BC Collaboration Award

StrollSight – Stroller modifications for blind people. The Engineer that pitched this idea had discussed this problem with an acquaintance of hers who is a blind mother. This mother’s problem was shared by other blind parents – difficulty with pushing a stroller while using their other hand for navigation with a walking stick. This either compromises the safety of their child or their balance. Strollsight’s solution is a stroller modification to allow tactile sensation (vibration on the handles) as opposed to a separate walking stick. This way the user has that extra hand free.

For more information on Hatching Health, visit www.hatchinghealth.ca

With graduation drawing near, we thought it would be interesting to meet some of this year’s Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (VFMP) graduates. We asked them about themselves, their medical school experiences and what the future holds for them.

Stefanie Elliott-Gordo

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?

I enjoyed meeting new people and making friends, whom I hope to keep in touch with. Clerkship was busy, but it was great to experience medicine and working with other disciplines and patients.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?

How much I liked everything and trying to figure out what type of medicine to practice was one of the most challenging things I found. The other was finding stamina to keep going and learning to find balance in life.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?

Enjoy the small moments with patients, because that’s what makes it worth the stress and studying. Also, try to see things from a patient’s perspective.

What’s next for you?

I’m going to get married this summer and then start my Psychiatry Residency in Vancouver at St. Paul’s Hospital.

David Mongar

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?

My favourite part of medical school has been how much we’ve all grown and changed over the past four years. Looking around at my colleagues, whom I shared PBL groups, ORs, and even the stage with, I’m constantly blown away by the passion and the talent that surrounds me.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?

I was flabbergasted to learn that starting medical school wouldn’t mean sacrificing every other element of my life for the next four years. Sure I’ve never learned more, but I can also honestly say I’ve never lived more than during this pivotal time in my life.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?

You never need to sacrifice who you are, or what you love (or whom you love, for that matter), on the road to graduation. In fact, the things that seem to “cut into study time” are the very things which will not only keep you sane, but also land you the residency you want. It’s everything that you can’t write down in an exam that will make you a great doctor.

What’s next for you?

I was so happy to be offered a spot in the Vancouver Fraser Family Medicine Program, where I’ll be joining a brilliant community of residents and staff at Royal Columbian Hospital for the next two years. One of my primary focuses will be on providing maternity care as a family doc. I’m tremendously excited to deliver hordes of babies, and welcome them into the world as well as my patient roster.

Megan Neufeld

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?

I have definitely enjoyed the people the most – classmates, residents, preceptors and more importantly, patients. I have met some phenomenal people throughout my training – people who inspire me to constantly better myself and who have provided me with invaluable mentorship and support. After taking 2 maternity leaves in medical school, I have been a member of 3 different classes. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know so many trainees in medicine and I know that this will serve me and my patients well in the future.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?

I have been most challenged by having to balance a family life as a wife and mother of 2 young children and a professional life in medicine. There just rarely seems to be enough hours in a day for these to co-exist. What has surprised me though, is how much becoming a parent has enhanced my ability to be a physician. Before having kids, this concept hadn’t even crossed my mind. I use my time more efficiently, stay more organized, relate more easily with children and families and the list goes on. I come home to their smiling faces at the end of the day and they give me balance, perspective and resilience in a field that can often be difficult to navigate. This has been well beyond what I could have imagined.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?

Get as much exposure as you can early in your training. Shadow, shadow, shadow and ask lots of questions! Always strive to be kind, approachable and diligent. I have noticed that the most remarkable physicians, residents and medical students have these qualities. At times you might lose sight of these things among exams, sleepless nights, never ending consults and early surgery start times. With this comes the importance of staying balanced and making time for yourself and the things you love. Medicine can be all-consuming if you let it so reflect often, especially when it seems most difficult. You will learn a lot about yourself and your limits, but also about how strong you are to keep going on this glorified journey.

What’s next for you?

We are off to Ottawa where I will be doing my residency in Family Medicine. We are all very excited for the adventure ahead and are looking forward to exploring and settling into our new community.

Ali Moghaddamjou

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?

The most rewarding and enjoyable experience came in my fourth year of the program when I had the chance to travel across the country doing electives in six different cities. During this period I was doing rotations in electives of my choosing geared towards my interests and strengths while having the opportunity to explore parts of our country that I would not otherwise get the chance to see.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?

The most challenging part of medical school for me was the transition between the pre-clincal academic focused years to the clinical based third year. I went into medical school for the clinical experience and was eager to start my rotations. However, the first few rotations were challenging. I specifically remember spending 45 minutes on my first day doing a discharge dictation something that would take me 5-10 minutes to do now. Looking back, I feel like the first two years did, in fact, prepare us well for clerkship and the challenging transition is unavoidable and a necessity.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?

Acquire as much clinical exposure as you can early on with an open mind in order to aid you in your choice of residency. Your focus should always be in acquiring the knowledge and the confidence to manage patients and not just passing tests and evaluations as the real test is on the wards and in the operating rooms.

What’s next for you?

I will be starting the next chapter of my life in July as a neurosurgery resident at the University of Toronto.

Mike Bergunder in his first year at the UBC MD program.

When Mike Bergunder started the MD program four years ago, we asked him about his journey to medicine and the challenges he faced. These were his words:

I remember first wanting to go into medicine when I was eight years old. I watched as my mom underwent numerous surgeries and hospital visits. I saw how medicine could completely change someone’s life and the positive impact a physician could have on another human being.

There were times when I felt like I would never get into medicine. I remember my first organic chemistry midterm – it scared me quite a bit and I thought I’d never make it through.   I remember when my wife was diagnosed with Leukemia and I had to delay my med school application. I’ve had other challenges and moments of self-doubt, but I did my best to push through and eventually got to where I needed to be.

Other people in my life always believed me when I said I was going to become a doctor. They saw a driven young man who would get what he wanted if he stayed focused. My opinion was often dampened when I saw how amazing other applicants were. I had moments where I had to remind myself that I was good enough.

Giving back to my community is important to me. When I am finished my studies, I plan on returning to the Tri Cities area, where I grew up, to set up a family practice. I would also like to offer services to the urban Aboriginal population of Vancouver and also spend time each year visiting rural reserves that don’t have access to health care.

Mike, in fourth year, celebrating his match to Family Medicine in Red Deer, Alberta.

This May, Mike is set to graduate from UBC’s MD program along with seven other Aboriginal students. In 2002, UBC set out to graduate more than 50 Aboriginal MDs by 2020, The goal was achieved five years ahead of schedule in 2015. We wanted to ask Mike how his experience has been, what his future plans are and what advice he has for other young Aboriginal students who are interested in a career in medicine.

What is the biggest lesson you learned during your MD Undergrad years at UBC?

That’s a tough question to answer… I learned a lot during medical school. Not just about medicine, but about my passions, my fears, my goals and myself. But I’d have to say the biggest lesson I learned in medical school would be that this is just the beginning of a lifelong journey through an amazing, challenging, and rewarding career. I’m so lucky to be in this position and I am so thankful for all of the lessons that got me to where I am today.

As an Aboriginal student, how did you feel supported during your 4 years in the MD program?

I felt well supported throughout medical school and a large part of that support came from James Andrew, Aboriginal Student Initiatives Coordinator. He, and other faculty members like Leah Walker, worked hard to ensure we were supported as individuals and also as a cohort of Aboriginal students. We had multiple opportunities to engage in cultural events throughout medical school with Aboriginal students in all four years of medical school as well as our alumni. The chance to meet other Aboriginal students in various years of training added an extra layer of support and being able to participate in cultural events helped many students stay grounded and feel a sense of connection throughout medical school.

What advice would you give to Aboriginal students who are wishing to pursue a medical degree?

If your goal is to become a doctor, the best advice I can give is don’t give up and work hard! The path isn’t always the easiest, but it’s the challenges that we face that make us who we are. Medical School is a challenge, but it is worth the effort. If I could add one thing: I’d also like to point out that balance is key and as such, pursuing passions outside of medicine will help tremendously and will get you to where you want to be!

What’s next for you? Are your ambitions the same as when you first started the MD program?

Well, I matched to a fantastic rural family medicine residency program in Red Deer through The University of Alberta. I’ll be moving there this summer for two years and when I’ve completed residency I hope to be able to set up a full-scope practice and work with underserved Aboriginal communities.

All of the offer notifications have been sent and all applicants should know the admission decision on their file. Regardless of what type of news you received today, we would like to thank you for applying to UBC and participating in our process throughout this cycle. Our applicants are very impressive and while we are happy we can invite many of them to join the class, we always wish there were room for more. For applicants who wish to reapply for 2016/2017, the application will open in mid-June.

Every school treats their waitlist differently and we hope these FAQs will help to answer some common questions about our waitlist. These questions are mostly reprinted from an earlier post – we have not made changes to how we handle the waitlist this year.

Waitlist questions: applicants who have an application status of Waitlisted

1. Can you tell me where I am on the waitlist? How long is the waitlist?

No, sorry. Our waitlist is more complicated than most due to the four sites, and we don’t reveal where applicants are on it, how long it is, how quickly it’s moving, etc.

2. When will you send the next round of offers?

It will be after the deadline for this round (Wednesday, May 25). We will try to send them on Thursday the 26^th or Friday the 27^th and will update the blog when the next round has gone out.

3. I am on the waitlist but received an offer from another Canadian medical school. Can I accept the offer at the other institution but still remain on the waitlist for UBC?

Yes, that’s fine. If you get an offer from UBC and want to accept it you will need to withdraw your acceptance from the other school.

4. How long will I be on the waitlist?

That really depends on how many people decline their offers. We don’t give estimates or chances or anything like that to applicants because we don’t know how many people will decline, either. We usually try to shorten the waitlist at some point during the summer, but unfortunately it’s possible to stay on the waitlist until late August.

Waitlist questions: applicants who have received an offer

1. I received an offer, but it wasn’t to my first choice site. What are my options?

a. You can accept the offer and most likely stay on the waitlist for your first choice site (and second choice and third choice sites, if applicable). There are a couple of rare exceptions, which is why we say you will “most likely” stay on the waitlist – applicants who selected the NMP but did not complete the Rural Training section of the application will not be waitlisted for the NMP, for example. However, the majority of applicants will be on the waitlist for their preferred site(s). This happens automatically so you don’t need to contact us about it. Please note that if you accept the offer, you are agreeing to go to the site listed on your Response to Offer form. You will not be able to change sites unless you get another offer.

b. You can decline the offer to that site and most likely stay on the waitlist for your more preferred site(s). Same as above – the vast majority of applicants will be waitlisted for their preferred site(s), and this will happen automatically. The difference is that you are declining the offer and the site. This is taking a risk since you may not get an offer to a more preferred site, but sometimes you know a particular site just won’t work for you, and in this case it’s better to free up the spot for someone else.

c. You could decline UBC completely. This would remove you from the waitlist and you would not get any further offers from us.

d. You could not submit the Response to Offer form at all (although we would prefer you did!). Not submitting the form removes you from the waitlist for your preferred site(s) and prevents you from receiving any other offers from UBC.

1.  Is my position on the waitlist of my preferred site(s) affected by accepting or declining an offer to a less-preferred site?

No, your position is the same whether you accept or decline the offer.

3. What if I have accepted an offer to my second (or third or fourth) choice and have decided I want to stay there? Do I have accept an offer to my first choice site if I get one?

No, you can stay at a less-preferred site if you want. We will take you off the waitlist for your preferred site(s). Please email us to let us know, but be aware that this decision is final and you will not be able to be put back on the waitlist for your first (or second, etc) choice site.

4. What if I have received an offer to my first choice site but I want to go to my second (or third or fourth) choice? 

If you receive an offer to your first choice site you will have to stick with that site. You won’t be given any other offers. This assumes you have not already accepted an offer to the second (or third or forth) choice site – if you have please see #3 above.

We sent the second round of offers today. Congratulations to everyone who received one! The deadline for this round is Thursday, June 2 at noon Pacific Time; the next round of offers will go out after this deadline.

It is hard to be on the waitlist and we know waitlisted applicants are eager for any information we can provide, but unfortunately we cannot say how many people declined, how many offers were sent out, etc.

The third round of offers has been sent. As always, congratulations to everyone who received an offer! We will update the blog again after the deadline for this round, which is Friday, June 10 at noon Pacific Time.

UBC MD student, Michael Rizzuto

 In August of 2015, the UBC MD Undergraduate Program launched a renewed curriculum. Based on longitudinal learning, the traditional smaller blocks of material that have historically dominated the medical curriculum have been reshaped into “spirals” of integrated Themes, Systems and Clinical Experiences that will recur across all four years. Material taught in the foundational sciences such as anatomy, histology, physiology and genetics have been resurrected, at increasing levels of complexity, across all four years, while simulation exercises and immersion into clinical contexts are introduced right from the first year.

We caught up with Michael Rizzuto, who just completed Year 1 of his MD studies with the first cohort of students partaking in the renewed curriculum. We caught up with him to discuss his experience.

What has been your experience so far with the renewed curriculum?

If I were to sum up my experience in one word I would describe it as “dynamic”. The renewed curriculum is structured in such a way that students delve into the complexities of a different body system each week by exploring patient cases, illnesses and physiological phenomena.

Each week ends with our Friday morning Case Based Learning session followed by a Week Integration session. This effectively allows us to tie up any loose ends in the patient case, discuss what we have learned over the week and how it applies to clinical practice. Immediately after lunch we move on to a new week and a vastly different experience as we begin to integrate new information into our stream of consciousness.

The Faculty of Medicine has also been exceedingly attentive to the needs of students throughout this transition. Our class council has met regularly with faculty members throughout this inaugural year to discuss refinements to the curriculum which will improve student quality of life as well as the value and impact of each and every session. Overall, this is an exciting new direction UBC Medicine has taken with the curriculum and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

Why do you think the renewed curriculum serves student needs better?

At this stage in our medical education we are quite focused on capturing as much knowledge as possible and learning ways to apply that knowledge in future clinical scenarios. We need to learn how to be physicians and develop competencies that will allow us to function autonomously in our future careers.

In the renewed curriculum themes spiral back and allow us to learn longitudinally with vastly different patient cases each week, much like we will have in clinical practice. By virtue of being exposed to numerous systems and having that information on hand week-by-week we are able to gain a fuller appreciation of the clinical decision making process and develop more thorough differential diagnoses and investigation strategies. The clustering of topical lectures, labs and hands-on clinical skills sessions each week really gives us the tools to develop an approach to the investigation, treatment and management of disease.

This form of learning builds a solid foundation of integrated experiences that will allow us to bring an open mind to our clinical years and a concrete approach to caring for patients with a variety of health concerns. As MD students we are still exploring the world of medicine and many of us are unsure as to where we wish to take our careers (through residency). The renewed curriculum has built in a Flexible Enhanced Learning (FLEX) course in Years 1 & 2 that allows us to take part in a variety of self-directed projects in any field or discipline we wish to explore in order to broaden our horizons.

What, in your opinion, is the benefit of longitudinal learning?

In contrast to the compartmentalized method of teaching where courses are taught in isolation from one another, the longitudinal method allows instructors to weave topics together and develop “synapses” between themes. In my opinion, the difficulty (and benefit) comes with the fact that the learner is asked to maintain a broad array of topics in their stream of consciousness at any given time. However, maintaining the links between topics is how longitudinal learning sets the stage for the development of critical thinking and clinical decision making skills. I also feel as though the longitudinal style allows for better integration of knowledge for future application in a dynamic clinical setting. In addition, by revisiting topics every so often, learners are likely better able to commit what they’ve encountered to long term memory.

What makes the UBC MD program unique?

Aside from the benefits of longitudinal spiral teaching methods and case based learning approach, what impresses me about the UBC MD program is the distributed model that allows students across British Columbia to come together as one cohesive unit. Getting to know your classmates in Semester 1 and, subsequently, having the opportunity to visit the various sites for electives, and events is one of the fantastic benefits the program has to offer. Moreover, with the inception of the FLEX course, UBC has expanded its horizons, offering students the opportunity to effectively take part in research projects, humanitarian efforts and other scholarly endeavours across the province and around the world.

Do you feel the renewed curriculum will influence the kind of doctor you will be? How so?

I feel, in some ways, the renewed curriculum will shape the kind of physician I will be in the future. It has allowed me the opportunity to compare and contrast numerous medical specialties, systems and themes on a week-by-week basis. I have learned the importance of taking an evidence-based approach and considering the whole picture when interacting with patients, teaching students or advocating for health in the community.

I feel the renewed curriculum has provided us with a chance to take a step back and, in the grandest sense, think how we can apply what we’ve been taught to give back to our colleagues, future students and most of all the community.

Round 4 offers have been sent. The deadline for this round is Thursday, June 16 at noon Pacific Time, and we will update the blog after this deadline. Congratulations to this round’s offer recipients!

Rebecca MacLean-Angus meeting with four youths at the Burnaby Youth Custody Centre. Photo by Brian Kladko

Matthew Smyth, a first-year medical student at UBC, tries to grab their attention – and hold it – for a lesson in human physiology.

It’s not easy. They are teen-age boys. It is 8:30 am. And they are not a particularly motivated group – they are all in custody.

All of them have committed crimes – some of them serious – for which they have been incarcerated, from just a few days to several years. They are residents of the Burnaby Youth Custody Centre, a secure facility, surrounded by fences and patrolled by guard, at the end of a cul-de-sac in an industrial park, just a few metres from the Fraser River.

Smyth is doing most of the talking, as his classmate, Nazia Hossain, operates a laptop hooked up to a large screen projector. As Hossain starts to show gruesome clips of brain surgery and knee tendon repairs, the boys – all wearing white, institution-issued sneakers, gray or black sweatpants, and gray sweatshirts – start coming to life. One of them, in disgust, pulls a sweatshirt over his face.

“That looks crazy,” one of them says.

“That was pretty sick, man,” another says.

Smyth and Hossain were part of a group of eight second-year medical students who made regular trips to the Burnaby facility over four months to teach the young offenders about health. The lessons – focusing on self-care, drugs and alcohol, mental health and human physiology – were part of a course called “Life Skills” that all residents must take, and which counts as school credit.

For the medical students, it was also coursework. Inspired by a lecture given by Clinical Professor Ruth Elwood-Martin, an expert in prison health, in the first-year course “Doctor, Patient and Society,” they wanted to emulate Dr. Martin’s work for incarcerated people. DPAS, as it’s called, gave them that opportunity, because its spring session allowed students to pursue a “community service learning option.”

After some inquiries, they learned that a group of medical students had provided health lessons at the Burnaby facility a few years ago. That arrangement, however, had wound down after the students moved on with their education. So the group of eight decided to resurrect it.

A taste of teaching

For several of them, spending time at a youth correctional facility aligned with the professional aspirations of working in pediatrics, especially the social dimension of that specialty. For all of them, the visits offered a chance to work on a skill that isn’t explicitly taught in medical school – teaching.

“As doctors, we’re going to be teaching our patients about health care,” says Danielle Murray. “And many of them might not be paticularly receptive. So I was attracted by the challenge.”

A challenge is what they got. The first sessions were rough – not “scary” rough,” more like “first day of teaching” rough. The medical students would give presentations in much the same way that their medical school teachers presented – lecturing while standing at a laptop.

“The first session was really slow,” said Sandy Cerra, Youth Supervisor at the facility, who is in charge of “Life Skills.” “These are youths, and they’re going to be easily distracted.”

“In the beginning, it was tense, because we weren’t on the same wavelength,” Vincent Ye says. “We weren’t really understanding them and they weren’t really understanding us.”

Venturing beyond comfort zones

Cerra urged them to liven things up. He suggested that one of the presenters operate the laptop while the other concentrates on talking directly to the residents, undistracted by technological glitches or the need to advance to the next screen. He also urged them to use the residents’ language, swear words and all. And videos – lots of videos.

“I know the kids. I’ve been working here for 28 years, so I know what they want,” he says.

After following Cerra’s advice, the lessons became more lively, Cerra says.

“They just changed it around,” he says. “It was outstanding.”

“The visits really pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Ye says. “As a medical student, I was concerned about my ability to connect with different populations, to overcome socioeconomic or cultural differences. So this was a really good opportunity to come into contact with an audience that I usually don’t come into contact with.”

After a session for girls that focused on women’s health, the medical students learned that one of those who attended went to the facility’s nurse, asking for a Pap smear.

“That was really positive news for us because we were teaching them about how they could take control of their health,” Murray says.

The hand-off

The second-year students completed their sessions in April, but with the phasing out of the Doctor, Patient and Society course (due to the renewal of the curriculum), its future is a bit cloudy. One of them sent out an appeal to first-year students, and one of them, Rebecca MacLean-Angus, responded.

As a former nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital, MacLean-Angus had considered working in prison health, and had lots of contact with people living in tough circumstances.

“One of my passions is advocating for vulnerable people, helping them to navigate the system,” she says.

The Burnaby Youth Custody Centre, a secure facility, houses some youths who have committed serious crimes.

Although the Doctor, Patient and Society course wasn’t available to her anymore, a “Flex” course – part of the new curriculum – offered MacLean-Angus the opportunity to continue the prison health education program through May.

“I’m hoping to pass it on,” she says.

MacLean-Angus, a student in the Southern Medical Program, faced her own challenges on her first day in the Burnaby facility: Upon telling the four groggy-looking girls that she would be discussing mental health, she learned from them that they had already covered the same material during one of the visits of the second-year students.

But MacLean-Angus forged ahead, showing some videos aimed at de-stigmatizing mental illness, and trying to make the session as conversational as possible. Although three of the girls were largely silent, the fourth almost overcompensated by sharing details about her dysfunctional home life and her own struggles.

“My mom wanted to send me to the crazy house,” the girl said, as the sound of heavy metal doors, and the beeping of staff members’ two-way radios reminded everyone that she wound up in another type of institution. “I wanted to get help, but I didn’t want to go there.”

A mini-anatomy lesson

At one of MacLean-Angus’s subsequent sessions, one resident shared his worries about a heart condition he has, and was interested in knowing how health and fitness could help him. Another resident explained how his respect for his older brother had led him into strength training.

Even with the toughest of audiences, there are moments of connection and even education. When Smyth and Hossain’s physiology presentation turned to colonscopies, complete with a video, one boy came alive and asked about hiding drugs in anal cavities.

Smyth didn’t shy away from it, explaining that the colon is built to suck up water, and thus can also suck up a lethal amount of drugs from a ruptured bag.

“Your intestine can only deal with so much,” Smyth tells them. “It’s not meant to deal with a massive bag.”

Smyth, like the other original eight MD students, is now starting a series of clerkships, and will have very little time for the next two years for such outreach efforts. But he knows he will circle back to it.

“We learned that there are very few physicians who are even willing to see youths in prison,” he says. “So whatever field I go into, I’m going to look for opportunities to help these kids. They’ve had really bad luck, but that doesn’t make them bad people, and they have so much potential. I feel so fortunate to see that potential in a place where I wouldn’t expect to find it.”

We have sent Round 5 of the offers. If you received an offer this round, congratulations!  The deadline for this round is Thursday, June 23 and we will update the blog after the deadline.

The 2016/2017 application has been open for a week and a few applicants have already submitted their applications! For those of you just starting your application or working your way through it, this post is a chance to ask general questions. If you have a specific question that pertains to your particular situation, please email us through the application system instead. Just a reminder – please check the Help Guide before you post a question or email us.

We will be disabling comments to posts from the previous application cycle in late summer, so please post your 2016/2017 questions here.

The deadline for Round 6 has passed, and we are both happy and sad to report that all of the positions for the MED 2020 class have been filled. If students withdraw their acceptances there is a chance that a few more positions will become available, but it is impossible to say how many spots will open up, if any. We therefore recommend that applicants still on the waitlist start thinking about their 2016/2017 applications if they plan to reapply to the program.