IMP Recognizes Volunteer Patients

IMP student Anita Weng (IMP Class of 2021) sits with volunteer patient Margaret Chambers at the IMP volunteer patient appreciation tea on June 5 at Royal Jubilee Hospital.

Volunteer patients are an integral aspect of the medical education provided by the Island Medical Program (IMP). To recognize this contribution, IMP students, faculty, and staff gathered with volunteers at Royal Jubilee Hospital for an appreciation tea on June 5.

“They [the volunteers] play a vital role in assisting our students with practicing their clinical skills and relational skills,” says Karen Basi, Patient Programs Coordinator, IMP. “The IMP wants to express its deepest gratitude for their time and efforts.”

Patient Program volunteers assist the IMP in many ways. Volunteer Patients participate in clinical skills sessions to help first- and second-year students develop important skills like history-taking, physical examinations, and bedside manner. First Patient volunteers are people with chronic conditions, and their unique healthcare needs, experiences, and insights are invaluable for teaching students about continuity of care. Clinical Teaching Associates receive special training so they can help teach medical students how to perform sensitive physical examinations – such as breast, pelvic, and prostate exams – in a thorough and respectful way. Finally, Standardized Patients are actors trained to simulate the personal history, physical symptoms, emotional characteristics, and everyday concerns of certain cases.

Volunteers have many reasons for joining the program. First Patient volunteer Margaret Chambers joined the program because her son is in medical school. After reflecting on her son’s experience, she felt it is was her “turn to help here and return the favour.” Margaret also says that she appreciate how the program captures the humanity of medicine and allows students to “connect so much more.”

“Wanting to work with people is why I went into medicine,” says Kimberlee Hart (IMP Class of 2022). For her, volunteer patients are important as they “help us remember why we want to be doctors… It’s very humbling they are willing to teach and help us become better doctors.”

“We spend so many hours sitting at desk looking at pictures; [it’s] very theoretical,” Kimberlee adds. “To see live patient and learn from them is so exciting.”

To learn more about, or apply to, the Patient Program, visit https://imp.med.ubc.ca/community/patient-program/

Meet Four Graduates from the Class of 2019

Thirty-one students will graduate from the IMP next week. We spoke to four individuals in the Class of 2019 about their experiences in the program, where they’re headed next, and what inspires them.

Serenity Aberdour

Residency field: Anesthesiology

What attracted you to your field?

I like problem solving in the moment and taking a hands-on approach. Anesthesiology is a great combination of cognitive challenge and procedural skill. I also consistently enjoyed the personalities that I worked with in my anesthesia electives. I think that is important to consider when choosing a specialty – these are going to be your teammates for the rest of your career.

In 10 years, what IMP moment will you still talk about?

There are a lot to choose from. I spent most of medical school sitting in the back row of the lecture theatre with a pretty consistent group of people. There were some memorable moments back there for sure. I should probably just leave it at that…

What’s next for you?

I will join the UBC anesthesiology residency program on July 1. Rumour has it that will take up most of my time. I am looking forward to getting to know my co-residents and starting our five-year journey together! I will also be moving back to Vancouver for residency. I am looking forward to getting back into the trails and mountains on a more regular basis.

As you look ahead, who or what inspires you?

People who refuse to give up. People who succeed despite being told they couldn’t. People who feel it’s never too late to learn something new, be somebody different, or change their course in life.

Name one thing on your bucket list.

Sitting close to a colony of penguins in the wild and watching them waddle around while I drink tea.

Charles Yang

Residency field: Internal Medicine

What attracted you to your field?

What drew me to the field of internal medicine was the complexities of the diagnosis and treatments encountered. Digging behind the constellation of symptoms to find that grand, unifying diagnosis is extremely satisfying and keeps me intellectually engaged.

In 10 years, what IMP moment will you still talk about?

Having spend the last four years with the IMP family, I realize it is the small moments that we’ve shared together that I’ll never forget. It’s the serendipitous moments of running into your friends on the CaRMS tour and the late-night study sessions with pizza that I’ll keep within my heart.

What’s next for you?

I’m looking forward to upcoming travel plans over the summer before residency starts. I look forward to getting into the right mindset to tackle the next phase of my training.

As you look ahead, who or what inspires you?

As I reflect back on everything that’s happened and look forward into the future, seeing my aspirations come to life step by step gives me renewed inspiration. Along the way, the friends that have influenced me will continue to help me grow.

Name one thing on your bucket list.

Definitely skydiving.

Keely Hammond

Residency field: Internal Medicine

What attracted you to your field?

I’m excited to be involved in the care of complex patients, and to continue to learn and discuss interesting medical topics throughout my career. Internal medicine offers many opportunities to have rewarding and detailed conversations with patients, which I find satisfying. My interests within medicine are varied, and I’ll be able to further explore them through subspecialty rotations. Finally, I am excited to help teach learners and share their excitement and enthusiasm for medicine.

In 10 years, what IMP moment will you still talk about?

Hiking the West Coast Trail with a large group of my classmates in 2017. Two of our group even brought a guitar! We had a lovely experience that included sunshine, ocean swimming, rain, singing, and lots of good food.

What’s next for you?

I’m headed to Edmonton and the University of Alberta to start residency in internal medicine.

As you look ahead, who or what inspires you?

I’ve been inspired by many clinical preceptors here in Victoria and across Canada who have demonstrated exemplary patient communication skills over the course of my training. In the wider community, I also admire some excellent advocates for various causes, from Clara Hughes to Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond. During busy residency training, I hope that I can practice medicine in a way that models the best communicators I have observed while keeping a wider view on society.

Name one thing on your bucket list.

Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. I’ve signed up for it this June, so hopefully it will be checked off soon!

Stuart Hartsook

Residency field: Psychiatry

What attracted you to your field?

Coming from a past career in business and banking, I was interested in an area of medicine that really highlighted the patient as a person and that made the doctor-patient relationship central to the role. I was also looking for a field that was challenging from a diagnostic and treatment point of view, that focused on working in a team, and that provided the opportunity for work-life balance and control over my own practice in the future. To my surprise, I found that psychiatry checked all the boxes.

In 10 years, what IMP moment will you still talk about?

It isn’t a moment per se, but I will talk about the close-knit culture, the focus on quality teaching, and the really fantastic faculty and staff that the IMP has. I’ll also look back with fondness on all the new friendships I formed with my classmates.

What’s next for you?

Lucky for me, I won’t be leaving Vancouver Island! I’ll be starting a UBC Psychiatry residency here in Victoria on July 1, and will be here for at least the next five years. Ultimately, I’d like to spend the rest of my career practicing psychiatry on the BC coast.

As you look ahead, who or what inspires you?

I am constantly inspired by my wife. As an elementary school teacher, she has one of the toughest jobs in the world.

Name one thing on your bucket list.

Taking a trip across Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Dr. Bruce Wright Reappointed as Regional Associate Dean, Vancouver Island

A MESSAGE FROM DERMOT KELLEHER, DEAN, FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND VICE-PRESIDENT, HEALTH, THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ROGER WONG, EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE DEAN, EDUCATION, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

We are very pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr. Bruce Wright, Regional Associate Dean, Vancouver Island, UBC Faculty of Medicine and Head of the Division of Medical Sciences at UVic, for a five-year term effective July 1, 2019. We would like to express our appreciation to the members of the Appointment Advisory Committee for their work.

In his first five years in these roles, Dr. Wright has provided strategic leadership, working collaboratively with stakeholders and partners including Island Health to advance a shared vision for medical education throughout Vancouver Island, while also leading the ongoing development of academic and research capacity within Medical Sciences at UVic. He has led innovative and important initiatives such as the Centre for Interprofessional Clinical Simulation Learning – co-governed by UVic, UBC and Island Health – and the implementation of the Master Teachers and First Patient Programs. Both the Master Teachers and First Patient programs have been introduced at other distributed sites in UBC’s undergraduate medical program.

A strong advocate for students, staff and faculty, Dr. Wright has earned the respect and trust not only of his immediate colleagues, but of medical and health professionals across Vancouver Island, British Columbia and Canada. He is noted for his championship of equity and diversity and models professionalism and inclusivity.

On behalf of the UBC Faculty of Medicine and the University of Victoria, please join us in congratulating Dr. Wright on his reappointment.

Healthcare Travelling Roadshow Comes to Vancouver Island for the First Time

The Island Healthcare Travelling Roadshow team.

The Healthcare Travelling Roadshow (HCRS) became a truly provincial initiative this year with the inclusion of a Vancouver Island-based trip, which began on Sunday, May 5.

Led by UBC medical students with the Island, Southern, and Northern Medical Programs, the HCRS brings together a multidisciplinary group of healthcare students from post-secondary institutions from across BC. Together, the students showcase careers to rural high school students in BC and the Yukon with the goal of inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals in rural communities.

At each high school, students and graduates representing medicine, nursing, physical therapy, midwifery, pharmacy, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy and cardiology technology present hands-on demonstrations and answer questions about their chosen careers.

Students at Timberline Secondary School gather around stations to learn about different healthcare professions.

“Rural high school students on Vancouver Island need to know that they have career options in healthcare, and likewise healthcare students need to consider working in these amazing rural communities,” says Hamish Frayne (IMP Class of 2021), who helped organize the Island Roadshow as part of his FLEX project.

“After participating in the HCRS in my first year of medical school, I recognized it as a unique way to encourage rural youth to enter healthcare,” he says. “I have learned so much from my experiences with the roadshow, both about myself and about healthcare, and I want to allow other IMP students the same opportunity.”

Including the Island trip, the HCRS will visit the following communities this month:

Island Roadshow (Campbell River, Port McNeill, Port Hardy) – May 5–11, 2019
Kootenay Roadshow (Cranbrook, Invermere, Golden) – May 5–11, 2019
Northern Roadshow (Chetwynd, Mackenzie, Vanderhoof, Fort St. James) – May 12–18, 2019
Yukon Roadshow (Whitehorse, Dawson City, Atlin) – May 26–June 1, 2019

Though it is now a provincial initiative, the HCRS began at UNBC as a grass roots initiative to address rural healthcare workforce shortages.

“The HCRS was born at the University of Northern British Columbia a decade ago. It has grown from a small pilot project into a significant provincial initiative to address the rural healthcare workforce,” says Dr. Sean Maurice, senior lab instructor, Northern Medical Program.

Getting ready for some hands-on demonstrations.

“The roadshow team collaborates broadly with many different provincial partners to run this innovative project. In 2019, we are for the first time running four different week-long trips, involving 50 healthcare students visiting over 2,000 youth in numerous rural communities. We strive to put healthcare careers into the minds of rural youth, and put rural practice into the minds of healthcare students.”

The HCRS is delivered in partnership with UNBC, UBC Faculty of Medicine, Northern Medical Programs Trust, Rural Education Action Plan, Interior Health Authority, and Island Health.

Since its inception in 2010, the HCRS has connected with more than 8,500 high school students in 43 communities.

“Last year, I attended the Northern Roadshow and visited the communities of Terrace, Kitimat, New Aiyansh, Prince Rupert, and Lax Kw’alaams. We received hugely positive feedback from all the high school students and teachers we interacted with. High school students found it easier to engage and connect with the healthcare students, who are often only a few years out of high school themselves,” says Hamish.

The team gets a taste of the Island lifestyle by going on hikes and other activities.

This year is no exception. “You’re a hit,” wrote Timberline Secondary School teacher Diana Camerin after the Island Roadshow’s stop at the Campbell River high school on Monday. “The teachers thought it was great, and the students also voiced that they enjoyed it immensely. High praise doesn’t always hit my desk, so thank you for a great presentation and engaging our young people.”

To learn more, visit https://www.unbc.ca/healthcare-travelling-roadshow

Meet Some of the IMP Alumni

The Island Medical Program’s twelfth class will graduate later this month. As the students in the Class of 2019 get ready for their celebration in Victoria and congregation in Vancouver, we thought it would be fun to check in with few of the graduates who came before them.

Dr. Jack Shaw (IMP Class of 2014)

Program: Family medicine

Hometown: Victoria, BC

Current location: Victoria, BC

Describe what you do in two or three sentences.

I have a full-service family practice in town and am also part of an interdisciplinary team that provides home-based care to the frail elderly.

What led you to your current position?

My belief that family medicine provides an unparalleled continuity of care and quality-of-care experience for patients.

What is your favourite memory from your time at UBC?

Being surrounded my motivated learners.

What advice would you give to students in the Island Medical Program?

Try to experience many different services and disciplines as you progress through medical school—you may be surprised at what sticks.

What does a healthy community look like to you?

I’m thinking more of a global community, which is one where education, food security, and health security are valued; a person’s actions and ideas mean a great deal more than their appearance; and the fear of the different is replaced by curiosity and acceptance.

Dr. Andrew Kwasnica (IMP Class of 2013)

Program: Family medicine

Hometown: Victoria, BC

Current location: Sidney, BC

Describe what you do in two or three sentences.

I have a full-service family practice, which includes inpatient acute care, palliative care, and long-term care. I work in a dynamic, thriving group practice in Sidney, which is part of a community patient network growing on the Saanich Peninsula.

What led you to your current position?

Happenstance, interest, and great colleagues attracted me to this position.

What is your favourite memory from your time at UBC?

Singing with the a cappella group The Auscultations.

What advice would you give to students in the Island Medical Program?

Always pursue your interests and passions. Don’t settle on something if it doesn’t feel right.

What does a healthy community look like to you?

A healthy community is one that knows its strengths and interests. It knows how to advocate to have its needs met and is willing to work together in creative ways to this end.

Dr. Lindsay Warder (IMP Class of 2009)

Program: Family medicine

Hometown: Victoria, BC

Current location: Victoria, BC

Describe what you do in two or three sentences.

I have been working at the University of Victoria Health Clinic for the past three years. I have also done a bit of teaching with the Island Medical Program (IMP) for the past few years. Daniel—who is also a graduate of the Class of 2009—and I have two sons, who are seven and four. When not working, I am on my bike, running, or getting dirty in my garden.

What led you to your current position?

I really enjoy the young population and working with university students. The position had just come up when we returned to Victoria, and it is the perfect fit for how I want to practice medicine.

What is your favourite memory from your time at UBC?

I feel so fortunate to have been in Victoria with our small class of 24.

What advice would you give to students in the Island Medical Program?

Savour the time you have in Victoria; you are so lucky to be part of this small program. You don’t realize it until you are done and have gone to see what other places are like. The IMP offers so many opportunities and learning experiences.

What does a healthy community look like to you?

A place with green spaces, active lifestyles, accessibility to being outdoors for everyone, inclusiveness for all individuals in all aspects of life, and supports for mental health.

IMP Hosts Special Info Session for High School Students

On May 7, the Island Medical Program will host an information session specifically for high school students in school districts 61 (Victoria), 62 (Sooke), and 63 (Saanich).

“We want to let local students know they have the option to earn their MD at the University of Victoria and gain clinical experience on the Island,” says Jessica Skelton, IMP admissions coordinator.

The session will feature a PowerPoint presentation about the program’s admissions requirements and timelines. Two current medical students, Arielle Roberts (IMP Class of 2021) and Emily Lerhe (IMP Class of 2022), will also speak about their own experiences of applying to and being in med school. The evening will end with a Q&A.

The event will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. in Room 150 of the Medical Sciences Building at UVic. The information session is open to everyone, including guardians and educators. Admission is free.

For more information, including parking, visit our Facebook event page.

Students Present at National and International Academic Conferences

Academic conferences give medical students an opportunity to network with peers, keep up with the latest research in their field of interest, and present their own work. In this article, you’ll meet three of the IMP students who presented their research and held workshops at conferences around the world during the 2018/19 school year.

Alex DeGrace (IMP Class of 2021)

Alex DeGrace (IMP Class of 2021)

Which conferences did you attend?

Consortium of Universities for Global Health—March 8-10, 2019; Chicago, USA

Global Health & Innovation Conference—April 13-14, 2019; Yale University, USA

What did you do at the conferences?

I presented my research project “Nutritional analysis among school-aged children in a remote Himalayan community: Assessing deficiencies and identifying barriers to improvement.”

Could you give a brief overview of your research?

The India Spiti Health Project is a longstanding partnership between Munsel-ling Boarding School and UBC’s Global Health Initiative. In 2018, a nutrition analysis was conducted as part of this project to assess the diet of the students at Munsel-ling and identify areas for improvement. While the nutrition analysis was conducted as part of the India Spiti Health Project, the analysis itself was a new FLEX project I designed with the help of my colleague Justin Dragoman in the SMP and an expert consultant, Sanja Brkanovic, who conducted a previous analysis in 2009. It was not a continuation of that previous analysis, however; it was a stand-alone research initiative with unique methodology.

Being involved in global health gives me an opportunity to connect my interest in global issues with my medical education. I think as physicians in training, it is important to be cognizant of things like environmental degradation and humanitarian crises, and to do what we can to be a part of a global solution. Many things that happen globally affects us at home, too, so being a part of these wider conversations and solutions and developing skills by working in global health is also relevant to care in Canada.

Can you describe one of your presentation experiences?

I presented to a small group for six minutes as part of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) program on Saturday, March 9th. CUGH is a large conference with thousands in attendance, and it was exciting to network with others working in this field and learn more about global health through various conference presentations.

(L-R) Sergiy Shatenko and Samuel Harder (IMP Class of 2019)

Samuel Harder and Sergiy Shatenko (IMP Class of 2019)

Which conference did you attend?

Canadian Conference on Medical Education—April 13-16, 2019; Niagara Falls, Canada

What did you do at the conferences?

We presented our project “Why you should Mini Med School: Mini Med School as an intervention to improve health literacy.”

Could you give a brief overview of your project?

Sergiy: This presentation is based on the work we did for our second year FLEX project, which is currently pending publication. The project consisted of putting on a Mini Med School course consisting of six lectures for local retirees and measuring the impact of this intervention on health literacy scores in this population. The six lectures focused on topics that often come up in primary care. More specifically, we talked about disease prevention, navigating the healthcare system, understanding medical testing, brain health, heart health.

Samuel: We had 60 people come to a lecture every Saturday at the Medical Sciences Building for six weeks. Our question was to see if this could improve health literacy. Health literacy has an increasingly recognized importance. It is the skills you need to interpret health information and make health decisions. We know that the prevalence of low health literacy is high in Canada and the consequences of that are poor health and more expenses to the healthcare system. We had participants fill out a health literacy survey before the Mini Med School lecture series started and then again six weeks later. Because of the way our statistics worked, we can say that there was a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of improved health literacy.

Can you describe your presentation experience?

Samuel: I was really looking forward to an opportunity to present our work. It is really hard to get published and we have yet to be successful, so this is one way to get our results out there. I also felt pretty proud to represent UBC and the IMP particular at a national conference. We’re proud of what we did.

Sergiy: We were extremely excited to have the opportunity to present our work and believe that there is a lot of benefit in the Mini Med School concept for the students, the medical school, and the community. We learned a lot of valuable skills during the creation and delivery of the lectures and felt that we provided valuable community outreach on behalf of the medical school.

IMP Student Wins First Place in Research Contest

Andrew Jamroz (IMP Class of 2021) has won first place in the original research category of the Medical Student Research Contest for the upcoming Canadian Association of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (CAPM&R) Annual Scientific Meeting with this abstract abstract “Prednisone for acute complex regional pain syndrome: A retrospective case series.”

“We are proud of Andrew’s accomplishment. Having his work recognized by a national organization like the CAPM&R is a testament to Andrew’s work ethic and dedication to his studies at the IMP,” says Dr. Bruce Wright, Regional Associate Dean, Vancouver Island, Faculty of Medicine.

Andrew Jamroz (IMP Class of 2021)

Andrew’s research focused on using prednisone to treat Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a chronic pain condition that can present itself as a swollen and discoloured limb with limited mobility and sensory symptoms. Left untreated, CRPS can progress to permanent disability, severe pain, or amputation.

After analyzing the results of their research, Andrew and his team found most patients saw complete or partial pain reduction. Almost all cases of swelling, sensory, and vasomotor symptoms disappeared too.

“The optimal treatment approach for CRPS continues to be debated,” Andrew says. “These findings may be important for patients with acute CRPS as prednisone appears to be a disease modifying treatment. This project justifies a prospective study to confirm these results.”

Andrew took on this research as part of his FLEX project. “FLEX has provided me the opportunity and time to engage with this project,” he says. “I started the retrospective case series in the first cycle of FLEX back in first year. As I started the project from the beginning, I was able to design the research approach. My supervisor, Dr. [Paul] Winston, supported me throughout the entire process.”

“It would have been impossible for me to make this project work without the extraordinary time Andrew put into it,” says Dr. Winston. “His attention to detail criticisms and command of the literature never ceased to impress.”

Andrew will present his work at the annual CAPM&R meeting, which takes place on May 29 – June 1 in Gatineau-Ottawa. Three weeks before, he will present a poster at the International Congress on Neuropathic Pain in London, United Kingdom.

IMP Student Tries Using Human Fat to 3D Bioprint Breast Tissue

(L-R) Chantell Cleversey (IMP Class of 2021) and Meghan Robinson

(This article was originally posted on March 15, 2019. It was updated on August 28, 2019.)

Chantell Cleversey (IMP Class of 2021) is trying something few others have: using human fat to 3D bioprint breast tissue. More particularly, she is trying to bioprint tissue that could be used for breast reconstruction following mastectomy.

“It could be incredibly honouring to do that for someone,” says Chantell, who has a keen interest in plastic surgery.

To create the tissue, the research team—lead by Chantell and lab manager Meghan Robinson—is using liposuction fat and alginate, an inert gel that will hopefully make the new tissue easier to implant by providing additional stiffness. In practical application, the fat would come directly from the mastectomy patient, creating a replacement tissue most similar to that lost and lessening the chance of rejection.

Rejection, however, isn’t the first hurdle the team faces; it’s the fact that breast tissue is difficult to keep alive in the quantity needed for breast reconstruction. Chantell and Meghan say the most anyone has managed to create and keep viable is 10 mL.

“It’s a really needy tissue. It needs a lot of nutrients,” Meghan explains.

And the key to getting nutrients to that tissue: blood vessels. While fat contains plenty of stem cells and other valuable components to naturally promote the development of blood vessels, it’s not enough to sustain a large amount of unaltered implanted tissue. That’s why the team has turned to 3D bioprinting. A 3D bioprinter lays down cells suspended in alginate one layer at a time, allowing for the placement of blood vessel–forming cells deep inside the tissue. As stated in the research outline, the bioprinter can also print “empty architecture” to allow for greater diffusion of nutrients and oxygen within the tissue. This helps to circumvent the issue of tissue death, which has been seen in previous studies that tried implanting unaltered tissue.

Chantell and Meghan showcase some of the fat they’re using to conduct their research.

Currently, the team is trying to figure out if they can use the liposuction fat as-is, or if they need to separate the stem cells out for bioprinting.

While it’s too early to know if this method will succeed, both Chantell and Meghan say “so far, so good.” If all goes well, they hope to create a small piece (1–3 cm³) of healthy, long-term breast tissue with good structural integrity—or as Meaghan says, tissue that will “not die and fall apart.”

For Chantell, results that show proper cell and blood vessel growth would not only prove the materials provide the right resources for healthy tissue, but that the research could be continued and holds promise for further study.

“I’d like to see it go on, and progress to model studies and subsequently contribute to a solution for breast reconstruction” she says.

Whether she’ll be a part of that future work is yet to be determined, however. Chantell is conducting the current research for her second-year FLEX project, which comes to an end in May.

She says any other IMP students interested in taking over the FLEX project, or taking it in another direction, can contact her or her supervisor, Dr. Stephanie Willerth.

UPDATE

Chantell, Meghan and their team have successfully managed to 3D print breast tissue using human fat. However, they haven’t completed full analyses due to equipment delays, and thus have few results to share.

“The limited analyses we’ve completed concluded that there was a promising cell-survival rate immediately post-print – that is, the cells tolerated printing process well,” says Chantell. “This is important because we need live cells to promote tissue generation within the printed construct.”

The team is currently planning another print, as equipment issues have been resolved, and they plan to have further results this fall. They also eventually aim to publish their findings.

In the meantime, Chantell, Meghan and Dr. Willerth have published “3D Printing Breast Tissue Models: A Review of Past Work and Directions for Future Work” in Micromachines.

“Given my interest in reconstructive surgery, and the current and future role 3D printing will have, I thought it was an important opportunity to share the summarized research that myself and my co-authors have reviewed in preparation of 3D printing a construct of our own,” says Chantell. “This provides the scientific and clinical community a quick and easy glimpse of what has been done thus far and what strides could be taken next.”

Second-year Students Raise More than $2,500 for Local Charity

The IMP Class of 2021 raised $2,572.56 for the Victoria Cool Aid Society’s (Cool Aid) Community Health Centre. The students, who are currently in their second year, raised the funds in a silent auction at the Victoria Medical Society’s (VMS) 15th Annual Student Welcome Dinner and Gala in January.

The class of 2021

“It was so wonderful and touching to hear that the medical students had chosen Cool Aid Society for the donation from the proceeds from their silent auction,” says Dr. Fraser Black, IMP’s assistant dean, student affairs. Dr. Black has also worked as one of the physicians at Cool Aid Community Health Centre for the past five years or so.

“I work with the medical students and know how passionate each and every one of them are at trying to help and to make a difference,” he says. “I also know and work with the patients at Cool Aid, and I know just how much this donation will mean to them individually.”

Cool Aid is a not-for-profit organization that provides housing, integrated health care and other support services to those living in poverty. Grey Showler, director, health and support services, says the Cool Aid Community Health Centre provides low-cost medical care to 4,500 active registered clients, and that number is steadily increasing. While the centre naturally loses some clients each year, it usually takes on an additional 600 people annually.

Showler and Dr. Black says the students’ donated funds will go into a direct client support fund.

“The donations allow our team to help clients buy non-insured items. These items and services improve the quality of life for clients and allow them to spend their limited incomes on necessities like food and shelter,” Dr. Black says.

While IMP’s second year students always run a silent auction at the VMS Welcome Dinner and Gala, each class can decide how they want to use the collected funds.

“We can choose whether all the proceeds go to charity—which is what we did—or whether some goes to charity and some goes towards travel for our rural rotations in third year,” says student Arielle Roberts (IMP Class of 2021), who helped run this year’s silent auction.

Arielle says the main reason her class voted to donate the funds to Cool Aid is that several students worked with the non-profit. “A number of our classmates have volunteered or shadowed at their clinic in the past and are passionate about the work that they do,” she says.

“We have had and love having medical students work with us,” says Dr. Black. “They come as students in their second, third, and fourth years as clinical experiences, and many of them have spent time with us as well through their FLEX projects or volunteering in areas of harm reduction, group medical visits for patients living with persistent pain, and our art table, which has been very popular. In fact, one of our current physicians was once a volunteer and an IMP student and now is working with us!”

If you would like to donate to Cool Aid, click the donate button at the top of Cool Aid’s homepage (coolaid.org). To donate specifically to the Cool Aid Community Health Centre, email medicalreception@coolaid.org.