| medical student survival guide 2018-2019 · | medical student survival guide 2018-2019...

2 | Medical Student Survival Guide 2018-2019

3 Medical Student Survival Guide 2018-2019 |

WELCOME Class of 2022

Congratulations! You’vemade it through the hurdles of admission, and now your four yearjourneyatoneof themostprestigiousmedical schools in thecountrybegins!Youshouldbeincrediblyproudofyourselfandremember,youwerechosentobehereforareason.Youareenteringintosomeofthemostmemorableyearsofyourlife,surroundedbyyournewUofAfamily.Bepreparedtoworkhard,learnlots,anddeveloplastingfriendships.Thisguidewaspreparedwiththeintentofansweringmanyofthequestionsyoumayhaveasyoucontinueforwardinmedicalschool.Inthisguideyouwillfindinformationaboutwhereyoucangoforhelpifyouarerunningintoacademicdifficulty,whateventsyourfellowstudentsrunduring the year,what CaRMS is, information aboutmedical student finances, extracurricularopportunities at U of Amed, as well as descriptions of the curriculum for all four years ofmedical school. At the end of the guide is a list of contacts for the Medical Students’Association(MSA)Council,the2020ClassCouncil,MSAclubleaders,andtheMDProgram.Wehopethisguidecomesinhandywheneveryouhaveaquestionaboutthewho,what,whyandhowofmedicalschoolhereatUofA(you’llgetthe‘whereandwhen’duringtheschoolyear!).Cheers,congrats,andwelcomeagain!-TheMSA


Acknowledgements Theeditorswouldliketoextendasincerethankyoutoallthosewhohavehelpeduseditandcompilethisyear’sguide:facultycurriculumcoordinators,membersoftheMSA,MDProgramstaff,universitystaff,andstudents.AspecialthankstoInesZunaforeditingthefinalversionoftheguide.Themakingofthisguidehasbeenatrueteameffortandisareflectionoftheclose-knit,supportivecommunitywehavehereattheUniversityofAlbertaFacultyofMedicineandDentistry. Editors’ Note Theeditorshavemadeeveryefforttoensurethatthecontentsofthisguideareasup-to-dateandclearaspossibleatthetimeofprinting.However,ifyouareunsureofanythingdiscussedinthisguide,pleaseaskanyupperyearstudent,facultymemberand/orMDProgramstaffformoreinformation.


©MedicalStudents’Association,FacultyofMedicineandDentistry,UniversityofAlbertaPublishedAugust3,2018.

DesignedandproducedbyAmbikaAgrawalandZahraNikakhtari,MD2021CommunicationsRepresentatives;CoverpagebyZacnicteMay,MD2021.PreviousversionoftheSurvivalGuidewaskindlyprovidedbyDavidFungandAlexanderWong,MD2020CommunicationsRepresentatives.Allpictureswithintheguideareprintedwithpermissionfromstudentsand/orclassarchivists.


Table of Contents

THEESSENTIALS

Professionalism 8

LearnerAdvocacy&Wellness 13

PersonalHealth&Wellness

14Mmm

NOWTHATYOU’REINMEDSCHOOL...

CelebratewithCeremonies! 17

Events 17

ImportantWebsites 22

Parking

26

MDFinancialManagement 27

MedicalStudentFinancesFAQ

28

...WHAT’SNEXT?

HowtoBecomeaDoctor 31

CanadianResidencyMatchingService(CaRMS)

33

OPPORTUNITIESATUOFAMED

Research 41

GlobalHealth 43

Rural&RegionalHealth 45

AHHMProgram 45


THEMDPROGRAM

OverviewoftheCurriculum 48

FirstYear 56

SecondYear 65

ThirdYear 73

FourthYear

83

WHO’SWHO

2021ClassCouncil 85

2018-2019MSACouncil 87

MSAClubs 90

MDProgramOfficeContacts 91


THE ESSENTIALS

PROFESSIONALISM PracticalProfessionalismforMedicalStudentsCongratulations on getting into Medicine at the U of A! You now represent the medicalprofessionandyourwordsandactionscancarryalotofweight.Medicalstudentsareexpectedto conduct themselves professionally, but what is professionalism anyway? There aremanydefinitionsofprofessionalism,butsimplystated itmeansstrivingtoupholdthetenetsofthemedical profession (respect, compassion, trustworthiness, justice, altruism, etc.) by beingmindfulofourwordsandactions.Weencourageyoutoapproachprofessionalismasamindsetratherthanasetofrulestoobey.Wecandemonstrateprofessionalismjustbytreatingeachotherwithrespectandbybeingawareofhowourbehaviourmaybeinterpretedbyothers.Many of the ideas and concepts of professionalism are common sense; however, it is notuncommon for students to run into trouble when it comes to putting these concepts intopractice.Althoughsomeprofessionalism-relatedsituationsareblackandwhite,manyaregrey.Avaluablepartofoureducationinvolveslearninghowtonavigatethroughambiguity.Tohelpwiththistransition,wehaveprovidedsomebasicguidelinesbelow.ClassroomBehaviourWeareveryfortunatetohaveexcellentinstructorsinourFacultywhogivetheirtimefreelytoensurethehighqualityofourmedicaleducation.Wearealsofortunatetohavealecturespacewith advanced technologies. It is important thatwe demonstrate the utmost respect to ourlecturers,colleaguesandlecturespaceby:

● Arrivingtoclassontimeandpreparedforlectureandmandatorysessions.● Turningoffthevolumeonourphonesandotherelectronicdevices.● Stoppingallconversationsimmediatelywhentheinstructorbeginsthelecture.● Beingtidyanddisposingofourgarbageappropriately.

FeedbackforInstructorsThroughout the year, students have regular opportunities to provide online feedback for allinstructors. These evaluations are not edited or filtered; the raw comments are provideddirectlytotheinstructorstohelpimprovetheirteachingandourlearning.Thefacultytakesourfeedback very seriously and adapts the curriculum accordingly. Please make an effort tocomplete these evaluations and please keep your comments constructive, helpful, andrespectful.


Clubs/ActivitiesWehaveaverydiversecollectionofclubswithinour facultyandavarietyofrepresentativeswho coordinate andorganize events for students. A greatdeal of timeandeffort goes intoplanningtheseeventsandstudentsshouldonlysignupiftheyareseriousaboutattending.Ifcircumstanceschangeandyoucannolongerattend,pleasenotifytherepresentatives/leadersatleast24hoursinadvanceorassoonaspossiblesotheycanallowothersonthewaitinglisttoattend.AnatomyLabStarting inJanuary, firstyearstudentswillhavetheopportunitytoworkwithcadavers intheAnatomy Lab. These cadavers are the students’ first patients andmust be treatedwith thesamerespectthatallpatientsaredue. Inappropriatecomments inoroutsidethe labarenottolerated.Outofrespectforthepeoplewhohavedonatedtheirbodiesandfortheirfamilies,pleasedonotmakeanycadaver-relatedcommentsonsocialmedia(evenpositiveones,thereareotherwayswecanshowourappreciation).SocialMediaNavigatingtheinsandoutsofsocialmediacanbechallengingasamedicalstudent.It’salwaysa good idea to take a second before posting to consider how a post may be interpreted,especiallyifstrongemotionsarebeingexperiencedatthetime.Socialmediashouldalwaysbeconsideredapublicforum,regardlessofprivacysettings.Itisneveracceptabletocompromisepatient confidentiality or dignity by posting information or images that provide identifyinginformationorthataredisrespectfulinnature.Also,pleasekeepallpostsaboutcolleaguesandlecturersprofessionalandrespectful.Itcanbeverychallengingtokeepyourpersonalandprofessionallivescompletelyseparateonsocialmedia. Asastudentmemberofthemedicalprofession,whatweshareonline isoftenseenasareflectionofourprofession,evenifitisdoneonpersonaltime.Thisdoesnotmeanthatwecanno longerenjoytheworldofsocialmedia,orthatweneedtoobsessivelyguardouronlineprofiles.Instead,beawareofwhatinformationyoushare,howyourinformationisshared,andhowitmightimpactothers.PatientContactStudents are expected to bewell groomedanddressed appropriatelywhen interactingwithpatients (real or standardized), either through shadowing, Physicianship sessions, or clinicalskillssessions.

● Overlyshortskirts/dresses,revealingtops,topswithpotentiallyoffensiveimages/wordsshouldnotbeworn.

● Appropriatefootwear(closed-toedshoes,easytowalkin)shouldbeworn.


● Heavilyscentedbodyproducts(perfume/cologne,stronglotionsetc.)shouldbeavoidedasacourtesytothosewithscentsensitivities;thesecanbeourpatientsandourcolleagues.

● Studentsareexpectedtobehaveprofessionallyatalltimes.Nocommentsorjokesregardingsex/religion/raceortopicsthatmaybeinappropriateoroffensiveshouldbemade.

Sponsors/RepresentativesMedical students will have many opportunities to meet with representatives of variousprofessionalandfinancialorganizations.Thesegroupsfrequentlyhostfreesessionsatlunchorprovidecomplementaryitemsatcareerfairs,AMSCARandorientationweekevents.Studentswhochoosetoattendorspeakwiththerepresentativesshoulddosowiththeutmostrespectandnothelpthemselvestofreeitemsorfreefoodwithoutparticipatingfully.WhomtoApproachConcerns or questions about professionalism can be brought to the attention of the classProfessionalism Representatives, who will address all concerns with discretion andconfidentiality.Alternatively, students may also approach their Class Representative, theLearnerAdvocacyandWellnessoffice,ortheDirectorofProfessionalismattheMDProgram.Ifanunprofessionaleventoccurs,whatshouldyoudo?Option1:Talktotheindividualaboutwhatyousaw

● Areyoucomfortable talking to thisperson? Ifyouare, this is themostconservativeway to resolve aprofessionalism issue. It keeps the issue between the two of youwithout the risk of any repercussions towards the individual. A lot of the time,wedon’t realize that some of our actions can be perceived as unprofessional, so it’shelpfulforoneofourclassmatestojusttalktousaboutit.

Option2:TalktooneoftheProfessionalismReps

● If you're not sure what to do or are not comfortable approaching the individual,comingtoyourprofessionalismRepsisagreatsolution.Wecan:

(1)Giveyouadviceonhowtoresolvewhatyousaw(i.e.gototheLAWoffice,pushtheRedButtonetc.)(2)Talktotheindividualforyou(whilepreservingyouranonymity)or(3)Donothing. If you come touswithan issueandafter talking it through, youdon’t want to do anything, then that’s fine with us. You are the one to decidewhetheractionshouldbetaken.


Option3:GototheLAWoffice● The LAW office is a great resource forprofessionalismlapses. This option, like the

above,haveno repercussions for the individualand theirmedical student file.OneoftheLAWstaffwilltalkyouthroughwhatyouroptionsarefortheeventthatyousawandwithyourapprovaltheymaybringthestudentintotalkto(youwillstayanonymousofcourse). The LAW office can help the student resolve potential causes of theirunprofessionalbehaviourandhopefullystopthebehaviourfromoccurringagain.

● AnythingdiscussedattheLAWofficeisconfidential.

Option4:GototheMDProgram● Ifnoneoftheaboveoptionssolvedtheincidentorseemedappropriatetoyou,thenext

stepistospeaktotheMDProgramDirectorofProfessionalism.

Option5:PushtheRedButton● Think the situation through. Does the event that occurred need to be taken to the

curriculumlevel?Realizethattheindividualwilllikelyhavetheeventrecordedontheirfile.Thinkaboutifyouwereinthesamesituationasthisindividual,wouldyouwanttheRed Button pushed on you or would you prefer the situation be resolved in a lessthreateningway?Aquicksummaryofthisoptionisthatyoushouldstayawayfromitasmuchasyoucanwhentheincidentconcernsinternalissues.

● Pleasenote:ifyougetredbuttonedyouwillknowaboutitsothereisnouseworryingaboutyouhavingissuesonyourfileandnotknowingaboutthem

Inour journeytobecomesuccessfulpractitioners, thestudentsof theFacultyofMedicine&Dentistryhaveconstructedthiscodeofvalues,expectationsandconducttoreflecttheidealsthat are integral to professionalism. The Faculty has endorsed this document, which isconsistentwithTheFacultyofMedicine&DentistryCodeofConduct,andinturn,expectsusasstudents,tocommittothecodecitedherein.

Honesty• Iwillmaintainthehigheststandardsofacademichonesty.• I will neither give nor receive aid in examinations, unless such cooperation is expressly

permittedbytheinstructor.• Iwillbetruthfulwithpatientsandnotmisrepresentmyqualifications.• Iwill record accurately all historical andphysical findings, test results, andother information

pertinenttothecareofthepatient.• Iwillconductresearchinanethicalandunbiasedmanner;reportresultstruthfully,andcredit

ideasdevelopedandworkdonebyothers.

Confidentiality• Iwillregardconfidentialityasacentralobligationofpatientcare.• Iwilllimitdiscussionsofpatientstomembersofthehealthcareteaminappropriatesettings.• Iwillrespecttheprivacyofmypatients.


RespectforOthers• Iwilltreatmypatientsandtheirfamilieswithrespectanddignitybothintheirpresenceandin

discussionswithothermembersofthehealthcareteam.• Iwillrespectpatientdecisionsandautonomyatalltimes.Whenapatientlacksthecapacityto

maketreatmentdecisionsIwillconsultwiththeappropriatefamilymembersorguardians.• Iwillnotdiscriminateonthebasisofage,gender,medicalcondition,nationalorethnicorigin,

appearance,physicalormentaldisability,politicalaffiliation, race, religion,sexualorientation,familystatus,orsocioeconomicstatus.

• Iwillupholdaclassroomatmosphereconducivetolearning.• Iwill treatmy teachersandcolleaguesandotherswithwhom I interactwith respect,privacy

anddignity.• Iwill respect thepersonalboundariesofothers, including,butnot limited to, refraining from

makingunwantedromanticorsexualoverturesorphysicalcontacts.

Responsibility• Iwillconstantlystrivetohaveappropriateknowledgetoserveanddelivercompetentpatient

care.• Iwillsetpatientcareasthehighestpriorityintheclinicalsetting.• Iwillrecognizemyownlimitationsandwillseekhelpwhenmylevelofexperienceisinadequate

tohandleasituation.• Iwillabstainfromtheunfairexploitationofrelationshipswithpatients,colleagues,learners,or

theirfamiliesforemotional,financial,research,oreducationalpurposes.• I will conduct myself professionally in health care settings regarding my demeanor, use of

languageandappearance.• Iwillnotusealcoholordrugs inanywaythatcould interferewithmyacademic,professional

andclinicalresponsibilities.• I will report professional and scientificmisconduct and unskilled practice to the appropriate

authorities or through established procedures, respecting the need to avoid impugning thereputationofothermembersofthehealthcareand/orresearchteam.

• I will decline to perform procedures which I feel are outside my area of competence orinconsistentwithmypersonalbeliefs.


LEARNERADVOCACY&WELLNESS WhatisLearnerAdvocacy&Wellness?The Office of Learner Advocacy andWellness (LAW) looks after issues pertaining to learnerhealth, well-being and advocacy. Learner health and well-being encompasses all areas ofphysical andmental health.Weprovide counsellingonboth academic andpersonalmattersandhelpprovideaccommodationforlearnerswithspecialcircumstances.Ouraimistoensurethatundergraduatelearnersarenotdistractedbyhealthorpersonalmattersandareabletoperform to thebestof their abilities. Learner advocacyensures that thebest interestsof alllearners are represented in Faculty and University considerations. This includes bothadvocatingforstudentsandresidentsandmakingsurethattheyarerepresentedonallmajorpolicycommittees.WhenShouldIContactLearnerAdvocacy&Wellness?Theeasyanswer is any timeyouarehavingANYkindofproblem that you feel is interferingwith your studies. Learners encounter awide rangeof problems. These can includephysicalillness, personal or family crises, depression and anxiety, trouble with a partner, substanceabuse,legaltrouble,aswellasmanyothers.Itisourjobtohelpyoudealwiththesetypesofproblems.Ifwecannothelpyou,wewillreferyoutosomeonewhocan.Whendeciding ifyouwant tocontact someone inLAW, remember that there isnoproblemtoo small or insignificant. If it is bothering you, we are here to listen. Many issues, if leftunattended,growintobiggerandmoredisruptiveproblems.Itisverycommonforustohear,"Ididn’tthinkitwasabigdeal,"or,"IthoughtIcoulddealwithit,"or,"Iwasembarrassedtocometoyou"whensomeoneisinseriousacademictrouble.Cometousbeforeproblemsgetoutofhand!ItisimportanttonotethatLAWis"arms-length"fromtheacademicoffices.Wedonotshareinformationwith thosemakingacademicdecisionsongrades, promotions, etc.without yourpermission. Anyone facing academic difficulties should contact the Learner Advocacy andWellness office for additional advice, support, and academic performance resources (i.e.multiple choice test taking skills, impromptu communication skills (rounds in clerkship/OSCEperformance),etc.WhereisLearnerAdvocacy&Wellness?Ourofficelocatedat1-134KatzGroupCentreforPharmacy&HealthResearch.Pleasefeelfreetostopby,email,orcalltomakeanappointment.Moreinformationcanalsobefoundatwww.law.med.ualberta.ca.


Dr.MelanieLewisAssociateDean,LAWPhone:780-492-3092Email:[email protected]

Ms.MarjThomsonExecutiveSecretary,LAWPhone:780-492-3092Email:[email protected]

Dr.CherylGoldsteinAssistantDean,StudentAffairs,LAWPhone:780-492-3092Email:[email protected]

Ms.MichellePhillipsAdministrativeAssistant,LAWPhone:780-492-3150Email:[email protected]

PERSONALHEALTH&WELLNESS MentalHealthAlthoughmedical school is fun, exciting, and professionally rewarding, it also poses its ownchallenges. There are several reasons why students can become stressed while in medicalschool.Firstofall,yourpathtomedicalschooldictatedthatyouhavetobethetopoftheclass,however, that applied to all of your peers as well. Many medical students find themselvesaround average and that is perfectly okay (fun fact: 50% of the class will be below classaverage)!Youarenowlearninginformationtohelpyourfuturepatients,notjusttodowellontests. So if you are struggling in a subject, youmayneed to seek somehelp or put in extrawork,butdon’tsweatthenumbers.Otherpotentialproblemsstudentsencounterarethelonghoursspent inclassandonthewards,aswellas theheavycoursevolume.Youcanbecomesleep deprived, which makes it harder to deal with any other stresses. Also, the financialpressuresofspendinganother4yearsinschoolcanbecomedifficultforsomestudents.Thereasonwearepointingoutallofthesecommonproblems isto illustrate justthat:theseproblemsareCOMMON.Neverfeellikeyouarealoneinyourworries,ithasbeenshowntimeandtimeagainthemajorityofworriesfacedbymedicalstudentsaresharedwiththeirpeers.Thebestwecandoforourselvesistotalkaboutittosomeone;whetheritbeyouradvisor,aclassmate, an upper year, or anyone from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry’s Office ofLearnerAdvocacy&Wellness (seetheLearnerAdvocacy&Wellnesssectionofthisguidefortheirofficeandwebsiteinformation).Also,medicalstudentsasagrouptendtobemoreType-A, anxiouspeople,which ispartof the reason theyget accepted,but this canalsoput theirmental health at risk. Many medical students will at some point struggle with anxiety ordepression.Again,youarenotalone.Whetheryouareextremelyanxiousorjustwanttotalkaboutsomeofyourday-to-daystresses,thereareresourcesavailabletoyou.Wearefortunateenough to have access to the LAWoffice. Some of their resources include optional supportgroupsessions,optionalsessionswithstudentadvisorswhoyoucancontactindependently,as


well asmandatoryone-on-one studentadvisorappointments in year1. TheLAWofficealsohasapsychologistonstaffwhoyoucanbereferredtobyDr.LewisorDr.Goldstein.You may also access student-based well-being resources through the MSA or your ClassCouncil.Forexample:theMedicalStudentsforMentalHealthAwarenessClub,theMSAWell-Being Representative, or your Class Council Health &Wellness representatives. The point isthis:knowthat therearesupportstructures inplace,andthatyouareencouragedtoaccessthemwheneveryoufeeltheneed.You will be electing your class’ Health and Wellness Representatives near the start of theschoolyeartovoiceyourideasonwhatwecandoasaclasstoassureeveryonestayswell—physicallyandmentally. Initiatives thathavebeenbrought forth inpastacademicyearshaveincluded: BalanceNight,Medical Student Cookbook, TopConditionMission, various physicalactivitysessions,financialadvicetalks,andmore!Hereisabriefdescriptionofeachevent:

• Balance Night (autumn): A night of relaxation and de-stressing. Faculty members ofvarious backgrounds will be providing their perspective on dealing with stress andfinding “balance” in life in small group sessions. Dinner will be provided, music andprizesareanaddedbonus.Andtowrapitup,therewillbeawesomebreakoutincludingbutnotlimitedtoyoga,dance,meditation,drumming,andmore!

• MedicalStudentCookbook(endofwintersemester):Submityourrecipestoussothatwe can add on to the cookbook we have compiled over the years. This is a greatopportunitytoshareyourideasandeveryonewins.

• TopConditionMission(beginningofwintersemester):ReachyourNewYear’sresolutiongoalswithsomefriendlycompetition!Youearnpointsfordoinghealthyactivitiesoveramonthwhichistrackedbyaspreadsheetsystem.Peoplewhoearnthepointswinprizesalongwithrandomdrawsforparticipationprizes!

• Physical Activity Sessions (throughout the academic year): From kickboxing to spinclasses,wetrytoaddsomevarietytoyourphysicalhealth.

• FinancialTalks(February):FinancialFebruaryisamonthtohelpyouunderstandhowtobudgetduringmedicalschoolalongwithinyourfuturepractice.Youcanalsogetyourtaxesfiledforfree.

Health

• UniversityHealthCentre(studentwalk-inclinic)–phone:780-492-2612/generalquestions:[email protected](locatedinStudent’sUnionbuilding)

• UniversityHealthCentrePharmacy–locatedinStudents’UnionBuilding.780-492-2634,open9-5,Monday-Friday(alsodoesimmunizationsifyouhaveanAlbertahealthcarecard)


• Otherpharmacylocations:RexallintheStolleryHospital,MedicineShoppeinCollegePlaza(8215-112Street)

• JasperAveMedicalClinic:Tel:780.756.9212,11464JasperAVENW,Edmonton,ABT5K0M1(downtown)–acceptswalkins

• DynaLIFE:CollegePlaza,303,8215–112Street,Edmonton,AB,T6G2C8,Telephone:(780)433-7562

PhysicalWellness

• VanVlietComplex:icearena,maingym(basketball,volleyball,andbadmintoncourts),2indoorpools,dancestudio,squashandracquetballcourts

• UniversiadePavilion:6-lane200mindoortrack,indoorsoccer/fieldhockey,wrestlingroom,basketball/volleyball/tennis/badmintoncourts,climbingwall

• PAW(PhysicalActivityandWellness)Centre-two-storyclimbingwall,fitnesscenter(weightsandcardiomachines).ThisconvenientoptionispaidforbythePAWCentreFeeofyourtuition.

• VarsityField:multi-purposegreenspacewithwalking/runningpathlocatedontheWestsideoftheVanVlietCentre

• Southcampusfacilities:FooteField(Multi-usesporttrainingandcompetitionfacilityfortrackandfield,fieldhockey,footballandsoccer)andTheSavilleCentre–780-492-1000(curling,fitnesscenter,indoortrack,gymnastics,sportscourts)

• GoodLifeFitness:AsCMAmembers,medicalstudentsgetdiscountedmemberships!MembershipworksacrossCanadaandcanbeusefulwhentravellingordoingelectives.Formoreinformation,visit:https://www.cma.ca/En/Pages/goodlife-fitness.aspx

PlacestoEat• Students’UnionBuilding(SUB)–UniversityofAlberta

Includes:Subway,MarcosFamous,Edo,DailyGrind,Opa,TacoTime,Teapsy,Filistixandmore

• HUBMall–UniversityofAlbertaIncludes:Edo,KoreanRestaurant,LaPastaTrattoria,NewYorkFriesandmore

• AroundCampus:Subway,BurritoLibre,BoosterJuice,Earls,SugarBowl,HighLevelDiner,etc.

• 82ndAvenue(WhyteAvenue),a10-minutewalkfromtheUofA:Includes:noodle/ramenshops,FamosoPizzeria,Freshii,Tacoplaces,cafés,etc.

• Grocerystoresnearcampus:o Safeway:109StreetandWhyteAvenueo NoFrills:1046780thAveNWo OldStrathconaFarmer’sMarket:1031083AveNW–everySaturdayfrom8:00AM-

3:00PM


NOW THAT YOU’RE IN MED SCHOOL…

CELEBRATEWITHCEREMONIES! ProfessionalStandardsforStudentsCeremonyAt thismandatoryceremony,all firstyearMedical students,alongwith firstyear students inDentistry,DentalHygiene,Medical Laboratory Science andRadiation Therapy,will recite theProfessional Standards for Students. These standards outline the behaviour expected ofstudentswhoareenteringthehealingprofessions.Parentsand/orsignificantothersareinvitedto come and watch as you belt out these standards with the harmony and precision of anoperatic soprano. Afterwards, you will sign a copy of this document, and with that, you’vecomeonestepfurtherintotheworldofmedicalprofessionals.WhiteCoatCeremonyLiketheProfessionalStandardsCeremony,theWhiteCoatceremonyisalsomandatoryforallfirst-yearmedicalstudents.TheFacultyleaderswillpresentyouwiththelong-awaitedclinicaljacketthatyouwillcarrywithyouallthewayintoclerkship.Thepresentationofthecoatswillbe followed by the recitation of the Student Pledge and a reception. Again, you’ll definitelywanttoinviteyourfolksand/orsignificantothersasyougetonthatdoctorswag!

EVENTS IceBowlIceBowl is the firstofmanyevents thatmake themedical school studentexperienceuniqueandmemorable. Thisweekend is comprised of social events and an ice hockey tournamentwheremedicalstudentscometosocializeandcompete.Thisyear’sfestivitieswilltakeplaceonaweekendinmid-September2018inEdmonton,Alberta.Withtheearlytimingintheschoolyear,studentsofallyearsareabletoattendbeforeincreasedworkloadsandstresscanpreventinvolvement.Additionally,theinclusionofmembersfromallfourclasses(2022s,Amne21acs,Cauteri20rs,N19hterrors)providesagreatopportunitytoestablishrelationshipswithstudentsinupperyearsaswellasyourownclassmates.Evenifyoudon’tplayhockey,IceBowlisstilla


greattimetoenjoysomeawesomesocialeventswhileshowingUofApride.Wealwayshaveastrong cheering section who have a great time. IceBowl has 3 divisions each year: men'scompetitive, men's non-competitive, and women’s. Our competitive team has won severalprevious tournaments and are looking primed to make another win in the fall. Our Non-CompetitiveMen'steamwonlastyearaswell.Whilewetakeprideinwinningthecompetitivedivision, this year we are setting our sights on winning all three divisions, establishing ourschool as the dominant hockey power of western Canada (medical schools). Whether youcheer for theOilers, Flames,orCanucks, or couldn’t care less aboutbeing ahockey fan, IceBowl is a great opportunity to unite in support of University of Alberta and your newmedfamily.MSASkiTripAs the year continues, the fun keeps comingwith theMSA Ski Trip. The event is always anamazing time, giving skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels the chance to carve up theslopes of the Rocky Mountains. The trip is very popular, thus tickets are usually a hotcommodity and sell out quickly. If you are interested, keep your eyes peeled for theregistration email sent out by theMSA Sports Representatives to get your hands on someticketsandjoininwithyourclassontheslopes!AlbertaMedicalStudents’ConferenceandRetreat(AMSCAR)The Alberta Medical Students’ Conference and Retreat (AMSCAR) is a well-attended anduniquethree-dayeventformedicalstudentsacrossAlberta,developedtopromotethehealthandwellnessofmedicalstudents.OnJanuary18-20th2018,theannualtraditionwillcontinueasUofAandUofCmedicalstudentswillheadtoBanff foranamazingweekendfilledwithlearning, professional development,fun activities and festivities! Upon arrival, the energy atAMSCAR is incredible, as students take full advantage of the welcome reception andcelebrations to catch up with each other, and to begin meeting students from the U ofC. Saturdayis filledwithadiverserangeofconferencesessions forstudents, includingyoga,financial management, clinical skills, arts & crafts, fitness sessions, professionalism &ethics,wildernessmedicine, andmanymore! Throughout the rest of theweekend, studentswill experience the best Banff has to offer by hitting the slopes, visiting the hot springs,exploringthetownandcelebratingatthelocalbars!The event is heavily subsidized by both the U of A and U of C faculties as well as variousmedicalorganizationsinAlberta,leavingstudentstocoveronlyafractionofthecost.Thiscostincludesalmostallofthemealsoverthecourseoftheweekend,twonightsatthehotel,barnights,socialevents,transportation,andtheconferencesessionsthemselves!Thisweekendiseasilyoneofthehighlightsoftheyear-don’tforgettoregisterforit!


BirkebeinerSkiRaceVolunteer for a great event! This is the largest cross-country ski race in Canada, held 45minutes east of Edmonton on February 8-10th, 2019. Medical classes at the U of A havetraditionallysuppliedfirstaidvolunteersfortherace.InJanuary,wewillbelookingforJuniorMedicalChiefsfromtheclassof2022aswellasnumerousfirstaidvolunteers.Volunteeringforthiseventisauniqueandfun-filledexperienceand,totopitoff,yougettofillyourbellieswithfreedeliciousfoodandhotchocolate!Watchformoreinformationastheeventapproaches.ReadingWeekTripLastyear’striptoCancun,Mexicowasexcellentandthisyearweplantomakeitevenbetter!Getawayfromthe-40°CEdmontonwinterandspendaweekwithallthefabulouspeopleinfirstandsecondyear.Justdon’tgetTOOattachedoryoumightgetsomepost-readingweekstressdisorderwhenwegetback!MedicineCupCharityTournamentTheMedicineCupCharityTournament (MCCT) isanoutdoorhockey tournament thatbringstogether allied health professionals, students, and the local community. In ten yearscoordinatingwiththeStolleryChildren'sHospitalFoundationthistournamenthasraisedover$100000.Sincetwoyearsago,MCCTswitchedcharitiesandhassuccessfullybeenfundraisingtosupportthecharity"LittleWarriors”.TheLobotim17erswonthebigchampionshiplastyearin the men's competitive league. The N19htterrors won the championship trophy in thewomen'sdivision.Thisyear’shockeyshowdownwillbeheldduringthemonthofFebruaryandwill feature the always legendary MCCT hall party. Fundraising activities in addition to thetournament are held throughout the year and require the help of student volunteers.Volunteersarealsoneededtohelpfundraiseandorganizethetournament,sokeepaneyeonyoure-mailinboxesforachancetogetinvolved!MedFormalSometimes we like to class it up! The annual formal event in March organized by SOCOMpromises all thepompand circumstance you could everwant, aswell as a four-star dinner,dancing,andscoresofentertainment.Camerabulbswillbe flashing,asyourclassmatesputsontheirhighcoutureandrollouttheredcarpetforaneveninggalaextravaganza!IntramuralsThepossibilitiesareendlessforinvolvementinintramuralsports.Manymedstudentshereareinvolved in one ormore teams ranging from volleyball to dodgeball, fromwaterpolo to ballhockey,andyes,ofcourse,thereisicehockey!Thecostofjoiningisusually$4-20,andthereare often multiple teams for varying skill levels. Look out for e-mails from the sports repsduringO-weekforthefirstroundofintramuralsignup.Staytunedforotherintramuralsignupsthroughout the year aswell. In linewith yearsof tradition, youwill alsohave the chance topurchaseyourclass'sofficialicehockeyjersey!


InterclassCompetitionsItmay already be clear to you 2022s that U of AMedical School LOVES sports, particularlywhenthesesportsareplayedagainstotherclassyears!Throughouttheyear,therearemanyopportunitiestofacetheyearsaboveyouinshowdownsofathleticprowess.TheseincludetheWinterClassichockeygame,aninterclassbasketballtournament,andasoccergame.Everyoneiswelcomeandencouragedtoplayortocomeoutandsupportyourclassmates!InterphaseMultisportTournamentYouknowhowtheentireNHLseasonleadsuptotheStanleyCupFinals?Welltheentireschoolyear leadsup to the InterphaseTournament,which includesBasketball,Hockey, andSoccer.This year, itwasheld this year at the endofMarch. Eachof the fourMedicine classes putstogetherteamsfortosuitupforthistwo-dayextravaganza.Youwillbeamazedbythecaliberof play this weekend as the freshmen, the vets, and everybody in-between duke it out forbraggingrights.Therewillbemen’sandwomen’sdivisions.Itwillbeabattletothebitterend.Sodonthearmour,defendyourclasspride,orcheeryourclassmateson!Doyouhavewhatittakestogettothetopanddethronethecurrentchampions?MedNiteOkay2021’s,here’sthelowdownonwhythistraditionisaprettybigdeal.Eachyear,MedNitebringstogetherall fouryearsofmedicine for twonightsofpurehilarityanddebauchery. It’sbiggerthananyofuscantrulyfathom;it’sincomprehensively,unequivocally,andunabashedlythemost fun youmayhave inmedical school.MedNite is youropportunity toentertainbywriting, producing, performing, dancing, or even singing your way through any amount ofcomedy:clever,crude,orotherwise.Eachclasselectsonerepresentativetocoordinatetheiryear’sacts/skits/videosfortheirportionoftheshow,andthenbyfourthyear,theyevolveintoaBeyoncéofsortsinordertomastermindtheentireproduction.MedNiteistypicallyheldattheendofMarchandisacollectiveeffortamongeveryoneintheMDprogram,includingyourclassandmanyfamiliarfaceswithinthefaculty/administration.Ticketsalesnotonlyfundtheproduction,butalsohelptosupportthegraduatingclass.Keepaneyeoutforthee-mails,andgetreadytoseejusthowhilariouslytalentedusmedstudentscanbe!ShineramaShinerama isCanada’s largestpost-secondaryfundraiser insupportofCysticFibrosisCanada.Every year, student volunteers from over 60 Canadian universities and colleges across thecountrycometogethertomakeadifferenceinthelivesofthosebattlingcysticfibrosis.WhileShinerama began in 1964 as a shoe-shining campaign, it has since grown to include awidevariety activities including singing, playing instruments, washing cars and doing whatever ittakes to raise crucial funding to fight cystic fibrosis—this national event puts the “fun” infundraising!Forthisyear’smaineventheldSaturdaySeptember8th,theUniversityofAlberta’steamhopestoraise$3000.Joinusforadayoffunandhelpusmakeithappen!


PoliticalActionDayAsanMSAcommittee,thePoliticalAdvocacyCommittee(PAC)servesasanoutletformedicalstudents to raiseandpresent issuespertaining tooureducationand thecollectivehealthofour community. Issues include,butarenot limited to, admissions, tuition, andhealthpolicy.This past year PAC focused on discussing the investment of tax revenue from legalizedmarijuana in mental health programs for young Albertans. These lobby efforts led toproductivediscussionamongMLAsregardingthis issueand, inthepast,PAC lobbyingeffortshaveleadtopassedlegislation,suchasprohibitionoftanningbedusebyminorsandbanningof flavoured tobaccoproducts. Each year PAChas theopportunity to advocate for a chosencauseduringPolitical ActionDay (PAD).As a pan-Albertan initiative spearheadedbymedicalstudentsfromacrosstheprovince,PADprovidesUofAandUofCmedicalstudentswithanopportunitytodiscussapredeterminedissue(e.g.AboriginalHealthAwareness)withMLAsattheAlbertaLegislature.BeginningwitheducationalworkshopsandbriefingsthedaybeforeweheadtotheLegislature,PACworkstobringtangiblesolutionstoproblemsinourcommunitiesbypetitioningMLAstoenactmeaningfulchange.Notonly isPoliticalActionDayachancetomakesignificantstridesinoureducationandcommunityissues,butitalsoprovidesuswithanopportunitytogainvaluableskillsinadvocacy,policyformation,andpublicspeaking.SHINEClinicTheSHINE(StudentHealthInitiativesfortheNeedsofEdmonton)YouthClinicisastudent-runmultidisciplinaryhealthinitiativefocusingonthepublichealthaspectfortheyouthindowntownEdmonton.SHINEisuniqueinthatitnotonlyservesthecommunityyouth,butitisalsoanopportunityforstudentsofdifferentfacultiestocollaborate,network,buildskillsandgainexperiencethatwillbevaluabletotheireducationandprofessionaldevelopment.Currently,theclinicoperatesasanoutreachserviceattheArmouryResourceCentre,wheretheyrunaweeklyprogramcalledCookin’withSHINE.Inthepast,SHINEranCookin’withSHINEalongwithFridayNightChallengeoutofiHumanYouthSociety.SHINEalsooperatesadentalclinicthroughtheBoyleMcCauleyHealthCentre,whichprovidesfreedentalcaretolow-incomeandinner-cityyouthonSaturdays.ExpectupdatesthisfallandthroughouttheyearasweredeveloptheSHINEprogram!FormoreinformationaboutSHINE,checkouttheirwebsiteatwww.shineclinic.ca.


IMPORTANTWEBSITES ThesewebsiteswillcomeintheYear1DiscoveryLearningcourse,Clerkship,andfurtherdowntheroad.Bookmarkthispagenoworsaveittoyourfavoritesmenu!Theselists,however,arenotcomprehensiveandyoumayfindbettersourcesofinformationthatyoufindeasiertouse.

FreeOnlineDictionaries

v HealthcareConsumershttp://www.medterms.com/script/main/hp.aspThisisasearchableonlinedictionarywritteninlayperson’slanguagewithlinkstomoredetailsaboutparticulartopics.

v MedlinePlushttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.htmlQuickreferencewithbasicanswersforyourmedicalqueriesincludingdrugsanddiseases.OnlineTextbooks&Articles

v MerckManual(FreeVersion)https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professionalGreat website offering good overviews of signs, symptoms, pathology, treatment andepidemiology of various diseases. It also includes animations, videos, 3D diagrams tosupplementyourlearning.Youcanevensearchthewebsiteviathechiefcomplaintandshowatablestyleapproachtorulinginoroutvariousdiseasesthatmaybethecause.

v E-medicinehttp://www.emedicine.comYoucanaccessthissitewithouthavingtobeaUofAmedicalstudent.E-medicinehasanentiredossierofarticlesonanysubjectyouwishtoreadabout.ItmaybemoreusefulforDLthanforexamstudyasitgoesintoalotofdepthoneachparticularsubject.It’smoregearedtowardsphysicianswhoneedacrashcoursereviewonaparticularsubject.

v AccessMedicinehttp://www.library.ualberta.ca/databases/databaseinfo/index.cfm?ID=3439www.accessmedicine.com/

v DynaMedhttp://www.library.ualberta.ca/databases/databaseinfo/index.cfm?ID=4166ThissiteisaDLfavoritetomany!

v FamilyPracticeNotebookhttp://www.fpnotebook.com/


v EndoTexthttp://www.endotext.org/

AnatomyLab

v UniversityofMichigan–AnatomyPagehttp://ect.downstate.edu/courseware/haonline/toc.htmThiswebsitehas itsown formof adissectorwhich youhaveat yourdisposal. You canworkthroughtheunitsinastep-by-stepfashion.Italsohasaquizsections.Ifyoujusthappenedtomissalab,theabovewebsiteshavedissectionvideosthatyoucanviewatanytime.PleasebeawarethattherewillbesomevariationbetweenthedissectionsweperformattheUofA,andtheapproachthatotherschoolsmighttake.

Pharmaceutical/DrugsGuides

v BugsandDrugs:http://www.bugsanddrugs.orgAfreeonlineeducationalresourcesupportedbyAlbertaHealthServices.

v MedicineDrugs,Supplements,andHerbalInformationhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html

Radiology

Having a basic understanding of X-rays, CTs, angiograms, andMRIs is essential to amedicalcareer even if you are not a radiologist. Youwill learn some basics of radiology through anintroductory lab, Discovery Learning small groups, and supplemental Anatomy lab material.However,asourofficialteachingofradiologyinpreclerkshipcanbelimited,thesewebsitesarespectacularforhelpingyoutolearnradiologyonyourown.

v WayneStateUniversityRadiologicAnatomyPagehttps://www2.med.wayne.edu/diagRadiology/Anatomy_Modules/Page1.html

v EuroRadhttp://www.eurorad.org/RadiologicalCaseStudyDatabase

v UCSanDiegoSchoolofMedicinehttp://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/introduction.htmAwonderful siteusedbymany to study for theirOSCEs. It isdividedup intomanydifferentsystemsandithassomenicepictureinsertsaswell.


MedicalOrganizationsYouwillbeinundatedwithmanyacronymsinyourfirstyearofmedicalschool,fromnumerousMedicalOrganizationstoallthenamesofyourcourses.Weincludedtheinformationbelowtohelpclarifysomeofthatmentalclutter.Alsocheckoutthesectiononfirstyearcourses(pg54-62)!

v AlbertaMedicalAssociation(AMA)AMArepresentsandadvocatesforAlbertaphysiciansandtheirpatients.Asstudentmembers,wegainaccesstoresources,services,bursaries,benefitsandleadershipopportunities.Moreinformationformedicalstudentscanbefoundonthestudenthomepageatthelinkbelow:https://www.albertadoctors.org/services/students

● Howtogetinvolvedo Volunteer/leadershipopportunitieso AMAcommitteeso Physicianmentorshipo Conferences

● Scholarships/Bursarieso Emergingleadersinhealthpromotiongrant(September-October)o AMAmedicalstudentbursary(October-December)o Studentelectivetravelgrants(April-May)o Scholarships(earlyMay)

● Protectingyourself:o HealthInsurance(non-profit)

● PreparingforfuturepracticeListedbelowisthegenerallinktotheAMAwebsite.Here,onecanlearnmoreaboutmedicineingeneralwithintheAlbertaregion.http://www.albertadoctors.org

Formoreinformation,feelfreetocontactyourclass’AMARepresentative.

v CanadianMedicalAssociation(CMA)CMAisthenationaladvocacybodyforphysiciansacrossthecountry.TheyarethevoiceonCanadianhealthcaremattersandarecommittedtofurtheringahealthypopulationandavibrantprofession.Seehowyoucangetinvolvedtodaybyvisitinghttps://www.cma.ca/En/Pages/medical-students.aspx

v CanadianFederationofMedicalStudents(CFMS)

http://www.cfms.orgCFMSisanationalorganizationthatcomprisesofthousandsofmedicalstudentspursuingtheirmedicalcareers in14Canadianmedical schools fromcoast tocoastandprovidesspecializedservices,communication,andrepresentationtoCanadianmedicalstudents.


v CaRMS(CanadianResidentMatchingService)http://www.carms.ca/jsp/main.jspThis website will be useful when you start your student internship (residency). Thisorganizationfacilitatesresidencymatchesacrossthecountry.For1stand2ndyears,youwillhearmoreaboutthisinthefuture,sosittight!

v CollegeofPhysiciansandSurgeonsofAlberta(CPSA)www.cpsa.ab.caAll students registered in the MD Program are required by provincial legislation to beregistered intheEducationalRegisterof theAlbertaCollegeofPhysiciansandSurgeons.Thisregistration permits the practice of medicine within the confines of the formal medicinecurriculum. Students in theMDprogramare required to adhere to theprofessional codeofethics of the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons. You are required to complete theonline application form and pay the registration fee. This is a requirement for all medicalstudents in Alberta. You’ll find thewebsite useful as a studentwhen youwish to set up anelective. It’sgotanonlinedirectorywhereyoucansearch forphysiciansbyName,Specialty,andevenHealthRegion.Thenyouonlyneedtocontactthephysiciantoseeiftheywillreceiveyou.

v ProfessionalAssociationofResidentsofAlberta(PARA)http://www.para-ab.ca/This organization is analogous to the Canadian Federation of Medical Students – the onlydifferences are that they represent youduring your residency training, and theirmandate islimitedonlytothosewhoarecompletingtheirtraininginAlberta.PARAisaresident-operatedorganization, which negotiates a contract on your behalf that deals with the non-academicaspectsofresidencytraining.Thisincludespay,workingconditions,andbenefits.

v AlbertaRuralPhysicianActionPlan(RPAP)http://www.rpap.ab.caTheRPAP is an independentnot-for-profit company fundedbyAlbertaHealth&Wellness. Itwas established in 1991 by the Government of Alberta and provides a provincially-focused,comprehensive, integrated and sustained program for the education, recruitment andretentionofphysicians for ruralpractice.Youwillheara lotmoreaboutRPAPover thenextcoupleofyears. Ifyoudecidetodoanyelectivesorshadowingout inRuralAlberta,theywillcoverbothtravelexpensesandaccommodationduringyourstay.ThesamegoesforyourRuralFamilyMedicine1-monthrotationin3rdyear.


v UndergraduateMedicalEducation(UME)Websitehttp://www.med.ualberta.ca/programs/mdIthasimportantinformationoncurriculum,professionalism,electives,policiesandprocedures,aswellasimportantcontactinformation.Makeyourselffamiliarwiththissite.

v AwardsandBursariesUofABursariesforMedicalStudentsviaStudentAffairsandAwardswebsite:https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/md/academic/awards

PARKING 1stand2ndYearParkingpassescanbeobtainedfromUniversityofAlbertaParkingServices.ParkingpermitsfortheupcomingyearusuallygoonsaleinlateJuly.Thesepassestendtoselloutveryquickly,socontactthemassoonaspossibleorvisittheirwebsiteformoreinformation:

UniversityofAlbertaParkingServices1-051ListerCentre(locatedat87thAvenue&116thStreet)Edmonton,AlbertaT6G2H6Phone:(780)492-PARK(7275)Fax:(780)492-7832Email:[email protected]:http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/parking/index.cfm

Otheroptionsarealsoavailable.Imparkhas3parkinglotseastoftheUofAHospitalatwhichparkingpassescanbepurchasedfor$80-115/month.Youcanalsopayperentryattheselots.3rdand4thYearThere isoneparkingpass thatyoucangetwhichworks formultiple sites including theSCH,MIS,UAH,GlenroseHospital,GNCHandRAH.Refertolaterinthisguideforfurtherinformationonparkingin3rdand4thyears.


MDFINANCIALMANAGEMENT MDFinancialManagementisownedbytheCanadianMedicalAssociation,andouronlymandateisthefinancialwell-beingofCanada’sphysicians,medicalstudentsandresidents.WithyourCMAmembership,youbenefitfromMD’sobjective,specializedadvice,whichisalwaysinyourbestinterests.OurMDMedEdCounselTMisateamofMDAdvisorsandEarlyCareerSpecialistsdedicatedtomedicalstudentsandresidents.Whetheryouneedtopayformedicalschool,prepareforresidency,startinvestingormanageyourdebt,you’llsleepbetterknowingyou’reontherighttrack.TolearnmoreaboutMDMedEdCounselTM,visitmd.cma.ca/meded

WhatweofferLeveragingdecadesofexperience,weworkwithyoutounderstandandanticipatethe issuesand challenges that affect your personal and professional lives, and provide solutions andadviceforallstagesofyourlife.

● FinancialPlanning–Embarkingonacareerinmedicineisbothexcitingandrewarding.Itcan also leave youwith a high level of debt if you’re not carefulwithmanaging yourexpensesandborrowingcosts.YourMDMedEdadvisorcanhelpyoudevelopafinancialroadmap that will support you through medical school, residency, and into practice.We’ll develop a detailedbudget that canhelp youdeterminehowmuch youneed toborrow,andhelpyoutobettermanageyourmoney.


● BankingandCreditCardSolutions–MDoffersaccess tocompetitive,convenient,andcustomizedbankingandcreditcardsolutions.Ourservicesaredesignedandtailoredtothe needs of medical students. We can provide you with options to pay for youreducation,suchasalineofcredit,orfederalandprovincialstudentloansandbursaries.

● InsuranceCoverage–YourMDMedEdadvisorcanworkwithyoutoprotectyourfuture

incomebydetermining ifyouneeddisability insurance, life insurance,orcritical illnessinsurance.WeofferexclusiveandcompetitiveinsurancesolutionsinAlbertawhereMDhasaspecialalliancewiththeAlbertaMedicalAssociation.

● Investments – At MD, we take a comprehensive approach to meeting our clients’

financial objectives. We specialize in offering customized financial planning andprovidingtherightsolutionsforeachclient,basedontheirpersonalsituationandcareerstage. Physicians have unique needs beyond the average investor, and nobody canmatch our deep knowledge and proven expertise to address your needs.

Ourintegratedapproachleveragesamultidisciplinaryteamofexpertsandspecialistswhocancollectivelyaddressyourneedsandhelpyoutoachieveyourgoals.AtMD,ourclients’needsare the driving force behind everythingwe do. As anMD client, you’ll benefit from tailoredadviceandpersonalizedsolutionsthatevolvetomeetyourneedsateverystageofyourlife.

MEDICALSTUDENTFINANCESFAQ 1)What is the average annual cost of Medical School at U of A including living expenses?Livingwithparents($20,000/yearx4years=$80,000)Livingonyourown($50,000/yearx4years=$200,000)2)WhatistheaveragedebtloadofamedicalstudentgraduationfromUofA?Eachperson’ssituationisdifferent.AccordingtoasurveybyMD,17%ofmedicalstudentsexpecttograduatewithnodebt,37%expecttohavedebtunder$100,000,29%expecttohavedebtbetween$100,000and$200,000and17%expecttograduatewithover$200,000indebt.13)WhatorderoffinancingoptionsshouldIlookatandwhooffersthem?Grants,scholarshipsandbursariesareavailablethroughnumerousresourcessuchastheUniversityofAlberta,FacultyofMedicine,MedicineDepartmentsandtheAlberta&Canadian

1MDPhysicianLoyaltySurvey,December2016


MedicalAssociations(AMA/CMA)andoftenrequirenorepayment.Thisisthebestfinancingoptionasitistypicallygiftedmoney,howeverremembertoalwayscheck.Next,Federal&ProvincialStudentLoansshouldbeyourfirstoptionforborrowingandarebestbecauseoftheirinterest-free,payment-freestatusduringschool.KeepinmindthatFederalstudentloanstendtostartcharginginterestandenterrepaymentupongraduation,whileyourABloanskeepstudentstatusthroughresidency.Finally,yourlastresortforborrowingshouldbethroughastudentlineofcredit,whichbeginsaccumulatinginterestthemomentyoustartborrowingfromit.4)WhatshouldIlookforinastudentlineofcredit?Keep in mind that not all "student" line of credits offered by financial institutions are thesame. Youarenever locked intoa lineof credit andalwayshave theoption tomove if youfoundsomethingbetter.Keyfactorstolookatare:Amountofcreditgranted-Mostinstitutionswillofferaccessto$275,000upfrontinyourmedicalschooltraining.OthersoffermoreresponsibledebtmanagementandtiertheamountofcreditgrantedbasedonyourMEDyearorPGYlevelandallowadditionalincreasesupto$275,000inthefuturedependingonyourresidentprogram.Interestrateforborrowing-MostinstitutionswillofferaPrimeinterestrate(3.70%asofAugust2018).Ifyouarelookingatgettingalineofcredit,youexpecttheinterestratetobePrimeorbetter.InterestratescommonlyfluctuatewiththeeconomyandaregovernedbytheBankofCanada.Currently,thePrimeratesareverylowwhencomparedtohistoricratesof4%-5%,sodon’tbesurprisedifyoustartnoticingtherateofinterestincreasingasyouprogressinyourmedicaltraining.Length of time - How long you get to keep your line of credit is essential to your medicaltraining.Commonly,yourstudentstatusendsonceyoucompleteyourmedicalschooltraining.Therefore,someinstitutionswillrequireyoutoconvertyourlineofcreditovertoaloanwhereyou no longer have access to credit and are simply required to repay. The alternative isconvertedtoapersonallineofcreditwhichhasalessattractiveinterestratethatcanstartatPrime + 1% or higher. Best case would be your student status carries on throughresidency/fellowships and an additional one year into practice (also known as the graceperiod).


Minimuminterestpaymentsandflexibility-Asridiculousasitsounds,moststudentlinesofcreditwillrequireyoutomakemonthlyinterestpaymentseventhoughyouarenotmakinganymoney.Beonthelookoutforlinesofcreditthatofferinterestdeferraloptions,hencemakingyourlifeeasierwithinterestbeingrolledovermonthlyinsteadofrememberingtomakepayments.Thiswillalsoprotectyourcreditratingincaseyouaccidentallyforgetormisspayments.

http://www.mdm.ca/solutions/banking/students-and-residents/line-of-credit.asp5)HowcanIcontrolmydebtlevels?Budgetingisyourbestdefenseagainstrackinguptoomuchdebtduringyourmedicaltraining.Bymonitoringandmaintainingareasonablecashflowandreviewingyournetworthregularly,youwillbeabletomanageyourdebtloadsinanefficientmanner.6)Fromwhom&wherecanIgetadviceontheseissues?AspartnerswiththeAlbertaMedicalAssociation(AMA)andtheCanadianMedicalAssociation(CMA),MDFinancialManagementisadedicatedresourcetailoredtosupportingmedicalstudents,residents,andpracticingphysiciansintheirmedicalcareerpath.Ouradvisorsworkonsalary,notcommissionandweprovideobjectivefinancialandpersonalizedadvicetoensurethatyourfinancialplanismovingintherightdirection.Alwaysremembertoask,regardlessofthequestion.https://mdm.ca/physician-life-stages/students MDMedEdCounselTMservicesareprovidedbyMDManagementLimited,aCMAcompany.MDMedEdCounselTMisatrademarkoftheCanadianMedicalAssociation,usedunderlicence.BankingproductsandservicesareofferedbyNationalBankofCanadathrougharelationshipwithMDManagementLimited.CreditandlendingproductsaresubjecttocreditapprovalbyNationalBankofCanada.MDFinancialManagementprovidesfinancialproductsandservices,theMDFamilyofFundsandinvestmentcounsellingservicesthroughtheMDGroupofCompanies.Foradetailedlistofthesecompanies,visitmd.cma.ca.


…WHAT’S NEXT

HOWTOBECOMEADOCTOR Thereareessentiallyfourthingsyouneedtodotolegallypracticemedicine:1.GetyourMDdegree:Studyhard,writesomeexams,drinklotsofcoffee,dosomescutwork,getyourdegree.Simple!2. Get licensure: The Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons is established by Albertalegislationandmandatedtoprotectthepublic.AcrossCanada,alltwelveprovincialcollegesinthe Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada (FMRAC) contract the MedicalCouncilofCanada(MCC)toadministerexamsforthem.WhenyoupasstheexamssetbytheMCC,youbecomea licentiateof theMedicalCouncilofCanada(LMCC).Currently, therearetwoexamscalledtheMedicalCouncilofCanadaQualifyingExamPart1(MCCQEI)andpart2(MCCQEII). Part I iswrittenbefore you graduate at the endof the fourth year and is a longmultiple choice exam. Part II is currentlywritten in your second year of residency and is anOSCE-typeexam.Youneedtowrite/dobothexamstobelicensed.Theexamsaresupposedtoensurethatyouarenotathreattothepublic.3.Get certified: Inorder toget certified, youneed to completeanaccredited residencyandwrite the appropriate exam. For example, for family medicine, you must do a two-yearresidencyandwritetheexamsetbytheCollegeofFamilyPhysiciansofCanada(CFPC).Ifyouwanttodoanyotherspecialty,youmustcompletetheappropriateresidency(usuallyrangingfrom 3-6 years) and pass the exam set by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons ofCanada (RCPSC). These two colleges are national bodies that oversee physician training andevaluation.4.Getabillingnumber:Inordertogetabillingnumber,youmustapplytoaprovincialHealthMinistry and have met their various requirements to get your license. It’s important torememberthatnothavingabillingnumberdoesnotmeanthatyoucannotpracticemedicineinaprovince,onlythatyouwillnotbepaidbytheprovincialhealthcareplan.


Ohyes,andjusttointroduceyoutoalittleterminology:

Medicalstudent:Astudentinanyofthefouryearsofthemedicaldegreeprogram.

Clerk:Athirdorfourthyearstudentinthemedicaldegreeprogram.

Resident:Agraduateofmedicalschoolenteringaresidencyprogram.Youareaphysiciannowandyouaredoingpostgraduatetraininginaparticularspecialtyofyourchoice(usually2to6years)

Fellow:Aphysicianinsubspecialtytraining,havingalreadycompletedaresidency.

Intern: An obsolete term used to describe a special floating year in between clerkship andresidency.Sometimesclerksarereferredtoasstudentinterns.


CANADIANRESIDENCYMATCHINGSERVICE[CARMS] Yes,youhavetogothroughiteventually,soyoumayaswellknowalittleaboutitnow.CaRMSissetuptohandlethematchingofCanadian,U.S.,andinternationalmedicalstudentstoresidencyprogramsacrossCanada.Thereareafewthingsyoucouldstartthinkingaboutduringyourfirstyearsofmedicalschool.Theprocessgoessomethinglikethis:

Time Event Whatyoucando

FIRST&SECONDYEAR

Allyearround

Lectures,Physicianship,lunchtalks,etc.

● ShadowtofindoutwhatyouLIKEandwhatyouDON’TLIKE.It’sequallyimportanttoruleoutpotentialspecialtiesasitistorulein.

● Attendlunchtalks,talktoresidentswhenyoushadow,talktoyourfriends!

● Keeptrackofalltheextracurricular,volunteer,researchworkyoudo.

2ndyearsummer

Electiveandvacationtime ● RegisterforSummerElectivecourse(requiredregistrationfee)

● Setupelectivesinspecialtiesthat:● youmightbeinterestedinapplying● mighthelpyoulearngeneralclerkship

skillsandfamiliarizeyourselfwiththehospital(ie.family,internal,generalsurgery,emergency,etc.)

● Taketimeoff!Donotburnyourselfoutbeforeclerkshipstarts.

● Lookintopotentialelectiveoptionsfor3rdyearanddoublecheckyourimmunizationqualification.Differentschoolshavedifferentrequirementsanddeadlines.Befamiliarandplanahead.

● Askaroundtoseewhichelectivesandwhichpreceptorsaregoodtoworkwith.

● BrowsethroughCaRMSwebsitetoknowwhatyouneedtoapplytoyourpotentialspecialties.


THIRDYEAR

Clerkshiprotations

Psychiatry,Pediatrics,InternalMedicine,FamilyMedicine,ObstetricsandGynecology,andGynecology,GeneralSurgery

● Havefun.Workhard.Sleephard.● Keeptrackofthepreceptorsyouworkwithand

theinterestingcasesyouhaveencountered.WhenyouaskforareferenceletteraroundCaRMStime,theywillrememberyoumuchbetterifyouremindthemofthethingsyoudidtogether!

● Ifyourpreceptoroffersaletter,sayyes!● Ifyouthinkyoudidwellinarotation/elective,

askifyourpreceptor“feelscomfortablewritingyouaSTRONGreferenceletterforCaRMS”.

● Constantlyaskforfeedback.Somepreceptorsarelessapproachablebutdon’tletthemturnyouoffofthespecialty.Conversely,somepreceptorsaresonicethattheymightaccidentallydeceiveyouintothinkingyouwanttojointheirspecialty!

Clerkshipelectives

Electivetime ● Electivesin3rdyeararestillrelativelyearly.It’sstillagoodtimetoexploreyourareaofinterestorpotentialsites.

FOURTHYEAR

Clerkshipelectives

Electivetime ● Electivesin4thyearareprobablywheremostofyourCaRMSreferenceletterscomefrom.Planthemwellinadvance.

● Ifyouarekeeninaparticularlocationorspecialty,itisprobablybesttodothatelectivein4thyearsotheyrememberyouwell.

● Bookawayelectivesasearlyaspossibleinthefall.Everyfinalyearmedicalstudenthasawayelectivesinthefall,soavailabilityisVERYlimited.

September CaRMSApplicantWebstation(AWS)opens

● StartbuildingyourCaRMSapplication.Ittakeslongerthanyouthink.

● Writeyourpersonallettersearlyandalwayscomebacktoreadthemagain(andagain).You’dbesurprisedwhatyouthinkisawesomethefirsttimesoundscheesythesecondtimeyoureadit.AnswerallthequestionstheywantwithintheWORDLIMIT.


● ConstructyourCVforCaRMS.Exchangewithyourclosefriendstoproofreadandgivesuggestions.Everyone’sCVisdifferentsoit’snicetohaveadifferentview.

SeptembertoOctober

ReferenceLetters

Transcript● Contactallyourpreceptorsforreferenceletters

earlyandgivethemanearlierdeadline.Theyarebusysogiveplentyoftime.

● Givethemapackagewith1)CaRMSreflettertitlepage(printoffofAWS),2)yourCV,3)personalletterifyouhaveoneready,4)photoifyouwonderiftheyreallyrememberwhoyouare,5)Xpresspostenvelopetomaileverythingin.

● Labelthedeadlineclearlyeverywhereinthepackagedmaterials!

● YoucantrackyourXpresspostenvelopes.YoucanalsochecktoseeifCaRMShasreceivedtheletter.

● RequesttranscriptstobesenttoCaRMSviaUofABeartracks.

● Startsendinginextradocuments(publications,abstracts,citizenshipproofs).TrackonAWS.

UMEofficecannotarizeyourcitizenshipdocumentforyoufreeofcharge.

October ProgramselectionbeginsThefirstfourarefree(includedinyourapplicationfee).Submityourselectionearlysoyoucanstartassigningdocuments.

November Milestonesforapplicationsubmission,programselection,andreferenceletter

● Milestonesaresuggesteddatesforyourprogress,notdeadlines.Dotrytoadheretothemsoyouarenotbehindtheprocess.

● Ifyourrefereehasnotsentinanything,kindlyremindthemtodothatbeforeit’stoolate!

LastweekofNovember

AWSclosesMakesureeverythingiscompleted“perfectly”andsubmitearly.


NovembertoJanuary

CMACaRMSMockInterviewProgram

• AsamemberoftheCMAandAMA,youhaveaccesstoafreeprogramwhereyoucanpracticeyourinterviewskillsandheartipsandtricksfromresidentswhowereinyourshoesnotthatlongago.They’llaskyouquestions,giveyouconstructivefeedbackandprovideyouwiththeknowledgeyouneedtoaceyourinterviews.Thisyear,itwillbeheldonJanuary6,2018.

JanuarytoFebruary

NationalInterviewperiod,andsubmissionofRank-OrderList

• Interviewsforcurrent-yearCanadianmedicalschoolgraduatesfromout-of-townuniversitiesareconductedduringthisthree-weekperiod.

• Interviewsforinternationalmedicalgraduatesandapplicantsinterviewingattheirownschoolsarecoordinatedseparatelywithnospecificnationaltimeperiod.

LastweekofFebruary

MATCHDAYMatchresultsforthefirstiterationofthe2019R-1MainResidencyMatchareavailablethroughCaRMSOnline.

All of the information you submit to CaRMS is then fed into a computer, and through anamazing and highly technical algorithm (biased toward students, they tell us), the computersorts the wholemess out., You will not hear anything until match day when you receive aprintoutindicatingyourparticular“choice”ofcareerorthatyouareunmatched.Thematchisnot perfect and seeminglymysterious, but it works ratherwell. So, don’t panic and choosewisely!CaRMSTips&InfoforFourthYearFourthYearishardcorecrunchtimeforCaRMS.Hereyouwillfindalistofsuggestionsmadebyseveralof thepreviousyear’sgraduates,hopefullyyouwill find these tipsuseful tohelpyoumastertheCaRMSmatch.BesuretoattendtheCaRMStalksgivenbyfourthyearstudentswhohave successfully completed theirmatching process in the spring of each year! The CaRMSprocessfollowsthisgeneraltimeline:


GeneralHintsforApplyingtoCaRMS:● Castabignet:Applytolotsofprograms.Itwillbeexpensive,butit’saninvestmentinyour

future.● Alwayshaveaback-up.TrytofindmorethanonespecialtythatyouwouldlovedoingOR

applybroadlyalloverthecountrytomaximizeyourchances.● Becautious:Justbecauseaprogramwasn’tcompetitivelastyeardoesn’tmeanitwon’tbe

thisyear.● Choosecarefully:Noteverypreceptorknowsyouwellenoughandnoteveryonecanwrite

anoutstandingreferenceletter.Chooseyourreferencescarefully.● Provide accurate information: Make sure every component of your application provides

accurate information, including your core CaRMS application, CV,MSPR, personal letter,andthingsyousayintheinterview!Knowyourapplicationinsideandout,includingallyourresearchmaterials.

Wheredoesresearchfit?Research has always been something that is important for matching to traditionallycompetitivespecialties(i.e.ENT,ophthalmology,radiology)andevenspecialtieslikePediatrics.Research isnotanecessity;do it if you findsomething that interestsyouand if youactuallyhavetime. ItmighthelpyourCaRMSapplicationbut isnot theonlythingthatwillmakeyoucompetitive.Forexample,onestudentwhomatchedtodermatologylastyearhadnoresearchbuthadcompletedaninsanenumberofelectiveweeksinthefieldtomakeupforit.If you think you might want to do some extra research in 3rd and 4th year, you can askpreceptorsofelectives/rotationsaboutdoingCaseStudies. Ifyouseeanunusualcaseonthewards,enquireaboutthepossibilityofwritingitupandsubmittingit.Thisisn’tincrediblytimeconsumingandisanexcellenteducationalopportunityinadditiontohelpingbuildyourCV.Aftereveryrotation/elective,writedownifyoudidanyextra-curricularwork(e.g.CaseStudies)toaddtoyourCV.Thisgoesfor1stand2ndyeartoo.Describe itaccuratelyandthoroughly.Thisway,whenCaRMScomesaround,youdon'thavetospendawhole lotof timetryingtoremember what you did. In addition, write down any important contact names and theirrespectivephonenumbersbecausethesewillbeaskedofyouwhenCARMShits.Howtogetreferenceletters?Ifyouhadaparticularlypositiveexperiencewithapreceptor(evenif itwasashortperiodoftime)youcanaskthemiftheywouldbewillingtoprovideyouwithapositivereferenceletter.YoucaneithercollectthelettersimmediatelyorremindthepreceptorafewmonthspriortoCaRMS(apparentlythisisbeneficialbecausebythistimeyou’llknowwhatyouwanttomatchto,andsothey’llbeabletowritealettergearedtowardstheprogramyouareapplyingto).ItisgenerallyagoodideatosendacopyofyourCValongwithapicturetohelpjogtheirmemorywhenwritingtheletter.Ifitwasanelective,itisalsoadvisabletodescribewhatyoudidwiththem.


WhenyousendyourCaRMSpackage to them, itmightnotbeabad idea topersonalize thepackage. You can include a short cover letter outlining some of the more outstandingexperiencesyouhavehadwiththem.Youmayalsoincludeafewcharacteristicsortraitsthatyourspecialtylooksfortogivethemanideaonwhattotalkabout(thesecanbeeasilyfoundonCaRMSwebsite!).

Choosingtheright letters istricky.Somesaytobecarefulwithpreceptorswhowritea lotofreferencelettersincasethelettersarecarboncopiesofeachother.Ontheotherhand,thosewhowritealotofletterswillknowexactlyhowtowriteastrongletterandbeabletosupportyouwell.Itcomesdowntohowwellyouthinkyoudidontheelective/rotationandhowwellyouthinkyourpreceptorgottoknowyou.YoumayalsowanttoconsiderhowimportantthepreceptorisintheFaculty.Itisgenerallyrecommendedthatitisbettertouseastrongletterfrom a community physician who knows you well than to use a mediocre letter from theprogramdirectororsomeonebiginthedepartment.Howdoyouknowifyourletterisgoingtobegood?Toughquestion…butgenerally:● You shouldusea letter froma rotationorelective that youperformed reallywell in and

yourpreceptorinteractedwithyoucloselyandremembersyou.● Thepreceptorwhowritesa lotofgoodcommentsonyourevaluationformswillprobably

writepositivethingsinyourletter.● Asktheresidentsoreventhestafftoseewhowritesstronglettersandwhotoavoid.They

usuallyhavesomethinginsightfultotellyou!Workingwiththeprogramdirector?!Arranginganelectivewithadepartmentheadhasbothadvantagesanddisadvantages.YouwillbefamiliartothemcomeCaRMStime,BUT,theyarelikelysaturatedwithstudentsbecauseoftheir position. You reallyneed tobeupfront about lettersof reference in this situation. Letthemknowyourintent.NotethatitisNOTnecessarythatyougooutofyourwaytoarrangeanelectivewiththeprogramdirector.Medicalcirclesaresmall,andwordofmouthisapowerfulthing – everyone discusses everyone else. Many people have got letters from the programdirectorbutdidnotgetaninterviewofferandviceversa.

Whenapplyingforaprogram,makesureyouarecomfortablelivinginthecitythathoststhatparticularprogram.Attheveryleast,payavisittothiscitysincethisisaplacewhereyouwillspend thenext fewyearsofyour life.DuringCaRMS itmight seem likeall youcareabout isgettingaspotsomewhere,butwhiletheyareinterviewingyou,youarealsointerviewingthem.Spendsometimewiththepeopleandthecityontheinterviewtripanddecideifyouactuallylikethem.


Preparefortheinterviewtour!● Youneed carry-on luggage. Pack everything youwill ever need in the3weeks away and

haul that around with you everywhere. It is a true story that one student had lost hisluggageonday1ofhisfirstinterviewandspenttherestofthe3weekstryingtotrackdownhisluggageandshoppingfornewinterviewoutfits!

● Bookyourflightsandaccommodationssmartly.Usetheonlinedealswell.Sharewhenyoucan.

● Makesureyouallowflexibilityinbetweenyourinterviewdatesincasetheweatherorflightchangesinterferewithyourschedule.

● Mostpeoplechoosetoflyintheafternoon/eveningbeforetheactualinterviewdaysotheyhavethenighttorestandexplorethecityabit.Plantoarriveatyourinterviewearly(likeahalfhour)soyouhavetimetogetlost,runtowashroom,orrestabitbeforeyoustart!

● Some schools send out social events information early so you can plan them in.Unfortunately, most people do not have time or energy to go to all the socials. JustrememberitisNOTabigdealtomissthem(forthemostpart)!Socialeventsaregenerallymeant to let youget to know the residents, the city, learnabit about theprogram, andmeetfellowinterviewees.Forbiggerprogramswho interviewmanypeople,yourabsencewillnotbenoticed(e.g.family,internal,OBSGYN).Forsmallerprograms,however,itmightbedifferent.

CMA/AMACaRMSMockInterviewsHeldannually,theCMA/AMACaRMSMockInterviewprogramoffersanopportunityfor4thYearMedStudentstopracticetheirinterviewskillsaheadoftheiractualCaRMSInterviews.Alongwithyourclassmates,thisexperienceprovidesagroupsettingwhereresidentsrunyouthroughquestionsyoumightexpectduringyourinterview,aswellasprovidefeedbackandinsightfromtheirownpersonalexperiences.IfyousignedupforCMAmembership,you’llreceiveanemailinvitetosign-upassoonasregistrationopensup.Formoreinformation,checkout:https://www.cma.ca/En/Pages/carms-interview-prep-program.aspx.Whatexactlyaretheygoingtoaskmeattheinterview?Most residents and programs will agree that the most important thing they look for in acandidate iswhether they fit in or not. Regardless of howmuch research you have or howgreatyourlettersare,ifyoudon’tgetalongwiththepeoplethere(beittheresidents,nurses,orpatients),theyarelesslikelytowantyouaroundfor2-5years.Sobeyourselfandbenicetoeveryone.

Theinterviewiseithermultiplestandardizedstationsortraditionalpanels.Askaroundtoseewhichschooltypicallyhaswhich.Theirquestionsgenerallyresemblethefollowing:


● Whoareyou?(Tellmeaboutyourself/yourpet/favmovie/lasttimeyoutraveled…)● Whydoyouwanttodothis?(Whyx?Whynoty?Tellmeaboutthemostexcitingpatient

youhavehad?Whatdoyoulike/dislikeaboutthis?Whatwouldyouchange?Wheredoyouseeyourselfin5/10/20years?)

● Why this program? (Why this city? What do you like/dislike about this program?Whatwouldyouchange?Whatdoyouknowaboutourresearch?)

● Ethical situations (e.g. Your patient wants to know the gender of her 20-week-pregnantbabybecauseifitisagirl,shewantsanabortion.Whatdoyoudo?)

● ScenarioquestionsmostlyfocusedonCanMEDSroles(i.e.Giveanexamplewhenyoudealtwithconflict?Contributedtoteamwork?Demonstratedprofessionalism?)

● Funny, out-of-the-blue questions, just to see how you react and think on your feet (i.e.Whatdoyouseeinthispicture?Whathotbeveragewouldyoube?Fruit?Animal?)

● Any questions for us? (Make sure you think of questions for each school, but only ask“good”questions.“Whatisyourcurriculumlike?”or“howmanyspotsthisyear?”areNOTgoodquestions.)

It’sagoodideatothinkthesethrough.Don’tover-rehearseandendupsoundinglikearobot.Thinkofconcreteexamplestosupportwhyyouarethegreatestpersonintheworldandwhythiscityistheonlyplaceontheplanetyouwilleverlive.Talkaboutyourclerkshipexperience,yourresearch,yourextracurricularactivities,orevenyourhobbiestoshowthemyouarewell-rounded.Afterall, theyreally justwanttoseethatyouarenotweirdormean.Finally,enjoyyourself!


OPPORTUNITIES AT UOFA MED *note,thisisnotanexhaustivelist!

RESEARCH

• SummerStudentshipsThefirst(andonly)twosummersduringmedicalschoolareagoodtimetogainsomeresearchexperience. Summer research projectsmay range from 2 to 4months in length, dependinguponyourprojectdetailsandyoursupervisor’sarrangements.Studentscanapplyforavarietyofsummerstudentshipawards.

In the October-November timeframe a job-opportunity list is posted up on the Faculty ofMedicineandDentistry’swebsitelistingPIslookingforsummerstudents.Thisjoblistispartofthe Undergraduate Summer Students’ Research Program. However, you are not limited tothoseopportunities;youare free toapproachanyPIwithwhomyouwould like towork.Dosome looking around and find a PI that does research which genuinely interests you. Wesuggest consulting the Contact sections of departmental websites where you can findresearchersbydiscipline.

Notonlyaresummerstudentshipsanexcellentopportunityforyoutogainsomeinsight intowhatresearchisallabout,butitalsoprovidesyouwiththeopportunitytobecomeproficientina lab setting and improve your presentation skills. This research experience can also becountedtowardtheSTIRprogram(describedbelow),electivetime,orboth.IfyourworkispartofanofficialStudentship,neartheendofthesummeryouwillbeaskedtosubmitanabstractandmakeaposterpresentationfortheSummerStudentResearchDayinmid-October.Uptotwomedical studentwinnersmay receive a faculty-sponsored trip to Texas to present theirresearchataninternationalconference.

Ifdoingasummerofresearchinterestsyou,makesuretokeepanearopenforanynewsfromthe Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. There will be noon-time talks available andinformationalemailssentoutdiscussingsummerstudentpositionsandhowtoobtainfundingforaresearchposition.Budgetsaretighteratthemoment,butalternativefundingsourcescanbe foundandmanystudentsarestill successful!More informationand theSummerStudentJobDatabasecanbefoundat:https://www.med.ualberta.ca/research/studentships.


• SpecialTraininginResearch(STIR)ProgramThe STIR programmay be used as an intermediate step between summer research and theMD/PhD.IfyoulikeresearchbutareunsureaboutobtainingaPhD,youcandotwosummers(24weeks)ofresearchandgainthe“MDwithSTIR”designationonyourdegreetohelpinthedecisionmakingprocess.Youcanchoose todoeitherbasic sciencesorclinical research,butyou must submit an application typically by February 1st prior to your second summer ofresearch. You may apply for the STIR program in your first year of medical school if youcompletedafullsummerofresearchduringthesummerimmediatelypriortostartingmedicalschool.

The requirements for this include: a research proposal as a part of your application, a 10-minute oral presentation, a final written paper, and a presentation of your work to acommittee in the formof an oral defense. It is a significant amount ofwork, but if you aredoing summer research projects anyways and research is a passion of yours, you shouldconsiderit.Moreinformationcanbefoundat:https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/mdstir

• MD/PhDProgramThisinvolvesdoingaPhDinbetweenthepreclinicalyearsandtheclinicalyearsofmedschool(between2ndand3rdyear).Thisnotonlygivesyoumoreletterstowriteafteryournameandhigher bidding power for residencies and academic positions, but also the excitement andchallengeofbeinginvolvedinalong-termresearchproject.Asabonus,youalsogetpaidasagradstudentduringyourclinicalrotations!ThisisdefinitelyforthosewhoLOVEresearch,asitrequires at least 3 or more years of school including a substantial amount of energy,commitment, and stamina. The best advice is to talk to someone who has done it or iscurrentlyinvolvedinMD/PhDandfindoutwhatyouaregettingyourself intobeforeyousignup!Moreinformationcanbefoundat:https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/md-phd.

• UniversityofAlbertaHealthSciencesJournal(UAHSJ)UAHSJisascientificjournalrunbythemedicalstudentshereatUofA.Thisannualpublicationfeatures original research manuscripts (basic science and clinical research), case reports,reviewarticles,commentaries,letterstotheeditor,andothersubmissionspreparedbyhealthsciences students at U of A. This is a great opportunity for students to gain experience inscientificwritingandpublishing.Inaddition,weproudlyfeatureMusa-asectiondedicatedtotheartsandhumanitiesinhealthandmedicine.Formedin2004,thevisionoftheUAHSJistoincorporateresearchandscience intotheacademictrainingat theUofA,andgivestudentsvaluableexperienceandmentorshipinthefieldofscientificwritingandpublication.Formoreinformation,checkoutthesesites:http://www.uahsj.ualberta.ca/andhttps://www.med.ualberta.ca/programs/resources/[email protected].


GLOBALHEALTH OneoftheperksofmedicalschoolistheopportunitytogetinvolvedinGlobalHealthactivitiesthrough theDivision of Community Engagement, from local initiatives, to national positions,and participating in international programs. Youwill be slammedwith emails this year and,truthfully,alotofthemwillbefromtheGlobalHealthProgram.WehaveoutlinedsomeofthemajorinitiativesandprogramsthatarerunthroughCommunityEngagement,sohopefullyyouwillkeepaneyeoutforemailsthatpertaintoprojectsthatinterestyou.WearefortunateattheUofAtohaveastrongGlobalandInternationalHealthProgramthatisintegrated inourcurriculumandinextra-curricularprojects.MakethemostoftheresourcesavailabletoyouandhelpyourmedicaleducationextendbeyondthebordersoftheUofA.

• InternationalClinicalElectivesAn elective is considered to be international if the clinical rotation is completed outside ofCanada or the United States. Once you have finished your second year, you are eligible tocompleteand receivecredit foran internationalelective,and theelectivecanbecompletedanytimebetween the beginning of the summerbefore third year to the endof fourth year.Students of all years are encouraged to consider an international health elective,with earlystudents doing more public health oriented placements. All costs associated with aninternational elective are your responsibility; if you complete your elective in the summerbeforesecondyearorthirdyear,youmustregisterinMED518or528A&B,respectively,whichcostapproximately$600.00.Students going on electives abroad must participate in a mandatory pre-departure trainingsession.Thisone-daysessionfocusesonissuesfacedinresource-limitedsettingsandincludesclinicalsafetyandtravelsafetypresentationsandrelevantcasestudies.Thesessioniscriticalinpreparing students for international electives, and is offered once in the fall semester, andonceinthewinter,withdatesavailableontheMSAwebsite.Forstudentsdoingelectivesabroad,financialaidisavailablethroughtheGlobalHealthTravelBursary.Thebursary isdesignedtohelpcoverthecostsoftraveltoandfromthelocationofyourelective.Inordertobeeligibleforthisbursary,yourelectivemustmeetthefollowingfourcriteria:

o Theelectivemustbeaminimumoffourweekso Theelectivemustbeinaresourcelimitedsetting.o TheelectivemustbeUMEapproved.o TheparticipatingstudentmustattendtheInternationalElectivePre-departure

trainingsessionaswellastheInternationalHealth12-hourelective.


FormoreinformationontheInternationalElectiveprogram,therequirementsandtheproceduretoplanandgainapprovalforyourelective,pleasevisit:https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/medical-students-association/community-engagement/community-engagement-portfolios/international-electivesYourVPCommunityEngagement&GlobalHealthLiaisonshouldbecontactedfirstwhenyoudecide to participate in an international elective. Dr. Konkin, the Dean of CommunityEngagement, is the faculty member that will ultimately approve your elective; she can becontactedatdkonkin@ualberta.ca.AlltheinformationcanbefoundontheMedicalStudentsAssociationwebsiteathttp://msa.ualberta.ca/.

• International12HourElectiveThe International Health Elective is a 12-hour pre-clinical elective organized through theUniversityofAlbertaGlobalHealthTeam.Thiscancountasyourmandatory12electivehoursandwillhave lectureand small groupcomponents coveringawide rangeof topics from theglobal burden of disease to the ethics of global health work to disaster preparedness.Registration for the elective occurs in November/December, with the elective occurring inJanuary/February.

• GlobalHealthRoundsEverysecondMondayatnoon,GlobalHealthRoundsarehostedbytheGlobalHealthStandingCommittee. This is a great chance to listen to presentations from doctors, residents, andprogram directors on their work and research overseas. There are also presentations fromvisiting doctors, including Doctors Without Borders. Students also have the opportunity topresent on their overseas experiences (electives, projects, research etc.) to an audience oftheir peers andphysiciansworking in international health anddevelopment. Emails are sentoutpriortoeachpresentationandattendanceisopentoanyone.Ifyouwouldliketopresentat roundsorbe added to themailing list tobenotifiedof thepresentations, [email protected].

• GlobalHealthProgramWhile this gives great information on the international health program, our Global HealthProgram encompasses much more. It includes Inner City Health, Indigenous Health, andReproductiveandSexualHealth.Forthesakeofspacewecan't includealltheinformationinthisguide.PleasetaketimetovisittheCommunityEngagementandGlobalHealthtabontheMSAwebsitetolearnmoreaboutourfullprogram,includingother12hourelectivesandalotof initiatives you can get involved with! Any questions should be directed [email protected].


• CanadianFederationofMedicalStudents(CFMS)GlobalHealthProgramYou can collaborate with medical students across the country in global health initiativesthrough the CFMS Global Health Program. Through the CFMS, you are also part of theInternational Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), which, among otherstudent services, arranges clinical and research exchanges around the world. For moreinformation,visithttps://www.cfms.org/what-we-do/global-health/

RURAL&REGIONALHEALTH

• Pre-ClinicalNetworkedMedicalEducation(PNME)ProgramIf you’re interested in having an immersive experience in ruralmedicinewhile you’re still inpreclerkship,checkoutPNME.Studentscantakepart inthisprograminYearTwo. InPNME,yougettospendfourweeksofGIblock(SeptembertoOctober)inaruralcommunity,gettingyourfirsttasteofclinicalteaching!InformationonPNMEissentoutlateinYearOne.Formoreinformation,seetheirwebsite:https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/about/communities/community-engagement/ruralregional/undergraduate/pnme

• IntegratedCommunityClerkship(ICC)ICCisanalternativeYearThreeclerkshipoptionwhereyouworkinaruralAlbertacommunityforaround36weeks.More informationon ICC isgiven intheYearThreesectionunder“TheMDProgram”laterintheguide.

ARTS&HUMANITIESINHEALTH&MEDICINEPROGRAM TheUofAhasaprogramcalledArts&HumanitiesinHealth&Medicine(AHHM),whichoffersopportunitiesforstudents(andfacultyandresidents)tobecomeinvolvedinvariouswaysinexploringclinicalpracticeasbothanartandascience.Comevisit,shareyourideas,imagineandplannewinitiativesinthiscreativespace!Formoreinformation,visithttps://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/ahhm.


Throughouttheacademicyear,theprogramoffersopportunitiestoconnectwithcliniciansandscholarsfromtheUofAandelsewhereregardingtheirexpertiseinconnectionsbetweenthearts,humanities,socialsciencesandmedicinethroughtheAHHMSpeakerSeries.TheAHHMprogramalsoprovidesmanyuniqueelectives(suchasthe“ArtofObservation"-yougettogoto theArtGalleryofAlberta for this one!) inwhich you canenroll for four yearsof theMDprogram(seehttps://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/ahhm/undergrad/electives).Hundreds of medical students at the U of A have completed AHHM-sponsored electives.StudentsfromotherCanadianmedicalschoolsaswellas internationalmedicalstudentshavealsocometoUofA toparticipate inhealthhumanitieselectivesandexperiencesofferedbytheAHHMprogram.Inpre-clerkshipyouwillmeetDr.PamelaBrett-MacLean,directoroftheAHHMProgram,whohashelpedto introduceavarietyofeducational innovations intheMDprogramsuchastheInterpretiveArtProject,whichispartofthePatientImmersionExperiencethreadofthelongitudinalPhysicianshipcourse.If you are interested in gaining research experience that is not your typicalwet/dry lab andclinical/basic science sort of project, AHHMoffers summer studentshipswhere students canworkwithvariousdepartmentswithintheFoMDandevendesignstudentsfromtheFacultyofArts, to create a project that aims to enhance humanism, reflection, compassion and a“patient-centeredapproach”inmedicine.Pastprojectshaveconsideredarangeoftopicsandthemesincludingmedicaleducationandclinicalpractice.YoumaywanttoapproachyourAHHMclassstudentrepresentative(electedduringtheclasscouncilelectionsatthebeginningoftheschoolyear)aboutyourideas.Ifyouareinvolvedinastudentclubthatisconnectedtotheartsandhumanities,comebyandintroduceyourself.TheAHHM program has a Facebook presence and an e-listserv that you can join and alsopotentiallyusetopromoteyourvariousclubactivities.YoucanalsovisittheAHHMlibraryfilledwithartsandhumanitiesbooksandothermediathatyoucanborrow.AHHMhaslaunchedsomeexcitingnewinitiativesthisyear:

• “ReadingMedicine”BookClub:Wewillbereadingafewliteraryworks(oneofeach:book,graphicnovel,autobiography,shortstory)relatingtothehealthhumanities,thenhavingin-personinteractivesessionstoreflectonthetexts,whichcouldincludeanythingfromcasualcoffeeshopchatstostructuredvisualartsessionsordiscussionswithexperts.You(theclassof2022)justfinishedvotingforyourfavoriteworks;hereisthefinalbookselectionandtentativeschedule:TheCuriousIncidentoftheDogintheNight-TimebyMarkHaddon(LateSept.2018),PsychiatricTalesbyDarylCunningham(LateOct./Nov),SlowMedicine:TheWaytoHealingbyVictoriaSweet(Jan/Feb2019)"TheDeathofIvanIlyich"byLeoTolstoy(Mar/Apr2019).


• Arts&HumanitiesinHealthandMedicine(AHHM)StudentCommittee:Thenewly-formedAHHMStudentCommitteeisaconnectiveandcollaborativebodybetweenhealthcarestudents(e.g.medicine,nursing,pharmacy)andstudentsinvarioushumanitiesfields(e.g.theatre,design,finearts)atUofA.Itwillfostervariousstudenteventsandinitiatives,withanemphasisoncollaboratingacrossdisciplines.TosubscribetotheCommitteemailinglist,visittheAHHMpageontheMSAwebsite.Togetinvolved,talktoCatherine,theYear2AHHMRep([email protected]).

All inall,AHHMaimstobringabalanceofscienceandhumanitieswithinthefacultyinorderhelp us develop into well-rounded, caring, skilled professionals. Its ongoing and expandingprogrammingprovidesevidenceoftheFoMD’scommitmenttothehumansideofmedicine.Soifyou’recravingabreakfromallthebiomedicalcontentyou’llbestuffedwithinlecturesandwanttoseeamorearts-basedperspectiveonillnessanddisease,AHHMistheplacetogo!TheAHHMprogramis locatedat1-001Katz(acrossfromtheUMEProgramOffice),Comebyandvisit!Shareyourquestionsand ideas. LizLudwig,AHHMProgramCoordinatorwillbesure toextendawarmwelcome.


THE MD PROGRAM

OVERVIEWOFTHE4-YEARCURRICULUM TheUniversityofAlbertaMDcurriculumisa4-yearprogramthatconsistsof

• Years1-2:apreclinicallecture-basedcurriculum.Youwillbuildyourknowledgebaseinaseriesofsystems-basedcourseblocks.Ineachblock,specialistsintheareawillteacheverythingfrombasicphysiologyandanatomytopharmacologyandclinicalmedicine.AvastmajorityofthelecturesaregiveninKatz1080,thelargelecturehallfoundonthefirstflooroftheKatzbuilding.

• Years3-4:clinicalrotation(aka“onthewards”).Alongwith your systems-based courses, years 1 to 4 have a longitudinal course componentcalledPhysicianship.More informationaboutPhysicianship isgiven intheYearOneandYearTwo sections below, but as a general overview the course covers all aspects of thedevelopmentofaphysicianincludingprofessionalism,evidence-basedmedicine,ethics,patientsafety,patientimmersionexperiences,communicationskillsandphysicalexamination.MDProgramObjectivesandCanMEDSTheoverallgoaloftheMDprogramistohaveusgraduateasphysicianswithcompetenceandskillinthefollowingroles:● MedicalExpert● Communicator● Collaborator● Leader● HealthAdvocate● Scholar● Professional

TheserolesarepartoftheCanMEDSframework,whichwasdevelopedbytheRoyalCollegeofPhysicians and Surgeons of Canada and outlines the “essential competencies required tofunctionwellasasociallyaccountablephysician.”Thisisimportantstuff,andyouwilllikelyseethe CanMEDS flower (http://canmeds.royalcollege.ca/en/framework) many times over thecourseofyourmedicaleducation.Noneedtomemorizethis,butit’sagoodconcepttokeepinmind.


IntrotoPreclinicalYearsDuring1st year, youwill go through six coreblocks: FoundationsofMedicineandDentistry,Endocrinology, Cardiology, Pulmonary, and Renal. Information is conveyed in each blockthrough a variety ofmeans including lectures, Discovery Learning and TeamBased Learning(TBL)smallgroups(seebelow),hands-oncadavericdissection,andclinicalskillssessions.Somelectures are packedwith concepts andmechanistic details, and the volumeof newmaterialmay at times make you feel overwhelmed. Not to worry, no one is expected to knoweverything in medicine. You will quickly learn what method of studying works best for you(Note: cramming is not very effective in med school!). If you feel that you need to talk tosomeoneaboutfeelingoverwhelmed,donothesitatetocontacttheMDProgramorLearnerAdvocacy&Wellness!Don’tsweatthetiniestdetails in the lecturenotesbecausechancesareyouwill forget themanyway. Focus on the big picture and the details will fall into place. You are guaranteed tocomeacrossthemostimportantandclinicallyrelevantconceptsmorethanonceand,beforeyouknowit,youwillhavealreadylearnedthembyheart.TheFacultyhasmadeastrongefforttoaccommodatethewidevarietyoflearningstylesthatstudents have. Interactive computer based learning tools havebeen implemented to deliverlearningmaterialsthroughvideos,podcasts,websites,andonlinegamesandquizzes.In addition to the core blocks, our medical education is complemented by the longitudinalcourseofPhysicianshipaswellasan interdisciplinaryclassknownas INTD410. Thiscoursedividesallyear1medicalstudents intosmallgroupswithotherhealthsciencesstudentsandallowsyoutobeginlearninghowtoworktogetherasahealthcareteam.DiscoveryLearningDiscoverylearning(DL)providesanopportunityformedicalstudentstoapplylecturematerialandbasicscienceknowledgetoclinicalcases.Eachcaseiscoveredin2-3sessionsofaweek.Inthe first session, youwill be presentedwith a clinical scenario. From there, your groupwillworktogethertoformulateadifferentialdiagnosis,planofaction,andtreatmentoptions.Youthen do research on the topic, find information related to the problems including signs,symptoms,diagnosis, therapy,andprognosis,andbring it together tosolve thecase.TheDLcurriculumfosters responsibility in learningaswellaspeer-teachingunder theguidanceofafacilitator. You, together with your team, must decide what you want to learn and arechallengedtothinkcriticallylikeaphysicianinpractice.

DLcaneitherbeastimulatingandrewardingexperienceoraveryfrustratingonedependingonthestudentgroupandthepreceptor’sguidance.DLgroupschangewitheachblock,asdothepreceptors,so ifyouarenotenjoyingyourtime,hang inthere. Ifyoudidn’t likehowthingswere run in your previous group, suggest new guidelines during the firstweek in your newgroup to improve your experience. You canmaximize yourDL learning (and enjoyment!) bystrivingtoworktogetherasateam.Promoteequalcontributionsbygroupmembers,beactive


andreceptivelistenerstoyourpreceptorandyourclassmates,andmakesureyou’reclearonallofthenecessarypointsbeforeyoumoveahead.

Remember,DLisyourchancetoteachyourselves,whichiswhatyou’llbedoingonceyou’reinpractice! If everyoneworks together andputseffort in, these sessions canprovide youwithsomeofthemosteffectiveteachinginyourmedicalschoolcareer!Team-BasedLearningTeam-basedlearning(TBL)isanotheractivelearningmethodandhasbeenshowntoresultinhigher knowledge retention than other learning styles. TBL generally entails advancepreparation by students, which is then reinforced through individual and group readinessassessments, and application exercises. The format usually involves reading some papersbeforethesessionasadvancedpreparation,completinganindependentquizatthestartofthesession, then repeating thequizwith your group,working through case studies, and lastly awhole-classreview.GivingFeedbacktotheFacultyTheFacultyisveryinterestedinandreceptivetostudentfeedback.ThroughMEDSIS,youwillconsistently be asked for your input on DL preceptors, online learning tools, and lecturesessions. Wearebeinggivenalotofresponsibility inbeingaskedtoevaluateourclasses,sopleasebeprofessionalandcompletetheevaluationsassignedtoyou.

If there issomethingthatyou liked,tellsomeone! If there issomethingyoudon’t like, trytoexplain how it could be made better through constructive criticism. Keep in mind thatpreceptors and facilitators invest a lot of time and energy into our education, so please berespectfulwhenmakingyourcomments.

Therearemultiplestudentrepresentativeswhoattendmeetingsregularlytoprovidestudentfeedback to the faculty (Class Rep, Professionalism Reps, etc.). Providing feedback to yourstudentrepresentativesisthebestwaytomakesurethepeoplewhocanmakechangeshearyour opinion. TheMSA Executive is going to be trying out a few newmethods of collectingstudentfeedbackthisyear.KeepyoureyeoutforanannouncementfromanExecmember!Dean’sLetterTheDean'sletterisactuallycalledtheMedicalStudentPerformanceRecord(MSPR),whichisarecord of all the activities that you have participated in and awards that you have receivedthroughoutthefouryearsofmedschool.

WhatistheMSPRusedfor?Itispartoftheapplicationpackageyoumaketoapplytodifferentresidency programs through CaRMS. Some programs use it as part of your evaluation todeterminewhetheryougetaninterview,andsomeprogramsdon’tlookatitall.So,what’sthebigdeal?Whatconfusesmanyofusisthatnoteveryactivityyouparticipateinisrecordedontheletter.


Whatdoesthismean?The MSPR includes any awards received during medical school, and “Inquiries”, which areessentially research projects that you’ve undertaken while in medical school. As well, yourclerkshipcorerotationsandelectivesarelistedwithanyMSPRcomments.NotethatvolunteerinformationisnotincludedintheMSPR.MSPR Awards are U of A academic prizes and scholarships awarded duringmedical school.MSPR awards should be entered on your CV too,whichmeans that your CV should includeMSPR awards and all other awards such as bursaries, awards from a third party (ex. AMA),awardsusedtosupport/fundresearch,orthosethattookfinancialneedintoaccount.Inquiry covers research or development projects carried out under an official studentship,scholarshiporbursaryprogramduringmedicalschool.OnlyresearchdoneattheUofAwillbeincludedintheMSPR.AllotherresearchistobeplacedinyourCV.Researchactivitiesincludepublications,oralpresentations,posterpresentations,andresearchinprogress.Having four things on your letter insteadof five things really doesn’tmake a big difference.Unlessyourletterisexceptionallyoutstandingorhorriblylacking,chancesareitwillNOThavea huge impact on your residency application. Focus on working hard and impressing yourpreceptorsduringyourclinicalyears,as this isamuchmoreeffectivewayof improvingyourchanceatgettingyourdesiredresidencyposition!Remember, four years fromnow, youwill be a practicing physician. Don’t lose sight of thatfact!Inyourfouryearsoftraining,youshouldtrytolearnasmuchaboutmedicineasyoucan.Itisaprocessofdiscoveringwhoyouareandwhatyouarecapableofdoing,notaracetoseewhogetsthemostpointsontheirresidencyapplications. JohnW.ScottHealthSciencesLibraryThelibraryprovidesreferenceserviceinperson,overthephone,byemailorchat.Lookforthe“Ask Us” link at the top of the library’s homepage. You can also book a one-on-oneappointment with a librarian for help finding information on a specific topic. The MedicalSubjectLibrariansare:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Theywill provide someguidance for youduring the firstweeksof school to get you startedfindingevidenceforyourDLcases.


AccessingBooks(andotherprint/audiovisualmaterials)YourONEcardisyourlibrarycard.YourlibraryIDisthe13-digitnumberbelowthebarcode.Toplacerequests/holds,youneedyourlibrarybarcodeandyourPINnumber.Ifyoudonotknowwhat your PIN is, go to the following link and have it mailed to you:http://www.library.ualberta.ca/myaccount2/pin/.Accessing ElectronicMaterials (clinical point-of-care tools, databases, journal articles and e-books):Allofourelectronicresourcesareavailablefromoff-campus.GothroughthelibrarywebsiteandenteryourCampusComputingID(CCID)andpasswordwhenprompted.Informationtosupportyourlearningandresearch:The Libraryhas created a numberof guides to let you knowabout key resources in specificsubjectareas.Werecommendthefollowingones:

• Medicinehttp://ualberta.beta.libguides.com/medicine-medical-specialties/medicine

• HealthSciencesResourcesforMobileDeviceshttp://ualberta.beta.libguides.com/mobile-devices

• Refworks(http://guides.library.ualberta.ca/refworks)RefWorksisacitationmanagementsystemthatislicensedforusebyallUniversityofAlbertafaculty,staffandstudents.RefworksallowsyoutocapturereferencesfromadatabasesearchsuchasMedlineandstoretheminyourownpersonaldatabase.YoucanusetheWrite-n-Citefunctiontoinsert in-textcitationsintoyourpapersandautomaticallycreateabibliographyinthe citation format of your choice (e.g.: APA, Vancouver, etc). Refworks classes are offeredperiodically and can be found on the Library’s Workshops page:https://library.ualberta.ca/services/workshops.Computers&InternetComputerworkstationsandwirelessinternetarealsoavailable,andyoucanaccessthemusingyourCCID.AprinterandscannerareavailableonLevel2(themainlevel).StudySpaceThe Scott Library has study space on three levels. Levels 1 and 2 are quiet conversationlevels.Level1Aisasilentstudylevel.GroupstudyroomsThese rooms are on level 1A and can be booked through the Library’s booking system:http://www.library.ualberta.ca/services/studyspacebooking/


ServicesWhenYouareawayfromUniversityofAlberta:EduroamSeveraluniversitiesacrossCanadahaveEduroamavailableasasourceofwirelessinternetforstudentsfromotheruniversities.Youmayfindthisveryusefulwhileonanelective.Formoreinformationgoto:https://ist.ualberta.ca/cnc/wifi#eduroam

FreeTime(aka.Studyand/orSleepTime)ClassesrunfromMondaytoFriday,from8or10amtoaround3or5pm,dependingonthedayandyourschedule.Expecttospendmostofyourtimeinclasses,DL,ortheanatomylab.Youmay sometimes get Tuesdaymornings and Thursday afternoons off. Your PhysicianshipCourse and some other sessions will be intermittently spread throughout the year in thesetimeslots.Itisbesttodouble-checkyourcalendarbeforeyoubookanythingduringyourfreetime.Duringfirstyear,theFacultyalsorequiresyoutodoa12-hourelective.Thisfreetimewillcomeinhandysinceyouareaskednottoskipclassestoaccommodateelectiveschedules.ExamsFormostblocks,individuallecturerswillsubmit1to2questionspertainingtothematerialtheyhave covered to the course coordinator. Often, these questions test the major conceptspresentedduringthelecture.Astheyearprogresses,youwillbecomebetteratidentifyingthekindsofconceptsthatwillendupbeingontheexam,whichisusefulforwhenyouarerunninglowontimeandneedtoploughthroughthematerialonemoretime.Somelecturerswilleventellyouwhichconceptstheythinkareimportant(*wink,wink,nudge,nudge*).Theconceptsthat you come acrossmore than once are almost always the key concepts that you shouldknowbyheart!Itisrarethattheexamwillaskyoutorecallinformationandfactsstraightfromyournotes.Rememberthatalmostallofthequestionsonyourexamsareclinical(i.e.problem-based)andrequireasolidunderstandingofthebasicsciencematerial!Formostofthefirsttwoyears,youwillnothavetorememberdrugdosagesandrarelyspecificdrugnames.Youwill,however,beresponsiblefordrugsclassesasthisiscoreknowledge(i.e.knowwhatbeta-blockersare,butdon’tworryaboutmetoprololvs.carvedilol,etc.).HistoquestHistoquestisahistologyprogramdevelopedbyDr.DavidBeggandhiscolleagues.Itisaneasyandinteractivewayoflearningclinicallyrelevanthistologyandenhancingyourunderstandingofthediseasesyou’relearningabout.


Textbooks&OtherCourseAidsMost blocks will provide recommended textbooks, but the question invariably comes up:shouldyoubuythemornot?Theansweris:itdependsonhowyoulearn.

If you are a personwho is able to take everything away from lectures and have everythingorganized,thenyoumaybeabletocruisethroughblockswithouthavingtobuyanytextbooks.Mostofthetime,thematerialyouneedtoknowwillcomefromthelecturenotesandyouwilldofinewithoutanytextbooks.

Thevalue in textbooks is thatyouget toreadthematerial fromadifferentperspectivethanthe one you get in class. This can help you understand a difficult concept, reinforce theinformation,andgiveyoualternativewrittenexplanationsandsupplementalreading.

BEFOREyougooutandbuyatextbook,searchyouroptionsforfreeonlinetextbooks.Checkoutthe“ImportantWebsites”sectionofthesurvivalguideformoreinformationonfreeonlinetextbooks.WerecommendHarrison’sPrinciplesofInternalMedicineandMDConsult.Thereareafewotherbooksthatmanypeoplefindusefulduringfirstyear.Theseinclude:

● InteractiveClinicalAnatomy:AworkbookofLectureNotes,IllustrationsandDrawings–AtextbookmadebyourownDr.Walji.Itsmainaimistomakelearninganatomyeasy,exciting,meaningfulandenduring. It isathree-part interactivepackageconsistingofaCDwithanimatedPowerPoint illustrations, a studentworkbookwith concurrentblackandwhitelinedrawings,andlecturenotes.YoucanfillinthedrawingsintheworkbookbyfollowingtheanimationsinthePowerPointandstudyingthelecturenotes.

● Gray’sAnatomyforStudents -Clearexplanationandgooddiagrams.Usefulasaquickreferenceforanatomylecturesandlabs.

● Rohen’sorNetter’sAtlasofHumanAnatomy-Gooddiagramsfordissectionpurposes.OnecopyofNetter’s ispurchased foreachanatomygroup foruseduringdissections,butitmustbekeptinthelab.

● Lilly’sPathophysiologyoftheHeart-Greatbookwrittenspecificallyformedicalstudentsanditcoversmaterialcomprehensivelywithoutgettingintotoomanydetails.

● Dubin’sRapidInterpretationofEKG’sor12-LeadECG–EitherisagoodsupplementaryreadingfortheECGteachingyoureceiveinclass.Dubin’sisaquickreadthatcoversthebasics (whichmaybeallyouneednow)butdoesn’thavetoomuchpracticematerial.The12-LeadECG isamuchmoredetailedbook that coverseverything frombasics tocardiologist-only topics (don’tworry, theydistinguishwhicharewhich in thebook). ItalsohasquiteafewpracticeECGstoshowthevariationthatoccursineveryECG.

Ontopofbuyingthesetextbooks,youcanalsofindgoodresourcesonreserveintheJohnW.Scott Health Sciences Library, where you can sign them out to read ormake copies of thepages.


TorontoNotesTorontoNotes is a bookput together by students and facultymembers at theUniversity ofToronto.Asquoted in itspreface: “Thepurposeof theTorontoNotes is to serveasausefulclinical reference for students embarking on their clinical clerkship responsibilities and toprepare students for their graduating licensing exam. It helps to provide students who arepressedfortimewithano-nonsense,concisereviewandexplanationofthemedicalcurriculumandmore.”

Everyyear,thesecondyearClassFundraisingRepsplaceamassorderforTorontoNotes.Formany students, TO Notes is their saving grace when it comes to studying for tests like theComp(after2ndyear)andtheLMCC(during4thyear).Thenotesworkmosteffectivelyasaframework tohelpyouapproachthe lecturematerialbeingprovided.Somepeoplesaid thattheydidn’tuseitinpre-clinicalyearsastheyweretoobusytryingtomakesenseofthenotes.Others referred to it frequently (or used it for DL researchwhen theywere short on time).Someusedittoreviewbeforestartinganelectiveor3rdyearrotation.Youdon’tneedtobuyitbutsomemayfindithelpful.EdmontonManualThe EdmontonManual is a unique Canadian guide for medical students to transform theirpreclinical knowledge to useful skills for clerkship learning and objective structured clinicalexaminations(OSCE).Thispublicationdrawsontheexperienceofmedicalstudents,residents,andstaffphysiciansattheUniversityofAlbertaandbringstogetheranapproachtoover140commonclinicalscenarios.ManystudentshavefounditextremelyusefulbothforapproachestoclinicalproblemsandforOSCEpreparation.TheEdmontonManualisaUniversityofAlbertaMSAproductionandallunusedproceedsgotowardstheMSAbudget.


YEARONE FoundationsofMedicineandDentistry–Coordinator:Dr.WintonIn the Foundations Block, you'llfocus on integrating foundational principles of the medicalsciences, pathologyand infectious disease with homeostasis, disease pathogenesis andpharmacologicaltreatment.Thecourseisacombinationoflectures,laboratories,clinicalcasesessionsanddiscussions.You’llalsobeintroducedtoteam-basedlearning(TBL)anddiscoverylearning(DL).Thesemandatorysessionsareacomponentofeachblockthroughoutthepre-clerkshipyears,andthey involvegroupdiscussionsaboutclinicalcases.Thepurposeofthesesessionsistolearnhowtoeffectivelyapproachaclinicalproblem(i.e.,whatdoIneedtoknowtodiagnoseandtreatapatient),tocommunicateandworkasateam,aswellaswheretofindreliableclinicalinformation.Theprimarygoalofthisblockistobegintoteachyouhowtointegratescientificinformationinthe clinical setting to diagnose, manage and prevent disease, and to begin to take on theCanMEDS roleofmedicalexpert. Inaddition, youwill begin to familiarize yourselfwith theother CanMEDS roles of an effective physician (professional, communicator, collaborator,scholar, health advocate, and leader). The scientific concepts taught in the block(anatomy,biochemistry, genetics, histology, immunology, infectious disease, hematology,microbiology, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, virology) will form the basis of yourunderstandingofthematerialinsubsequentblocksandbeyond.Thefirsthalfoftheblockwillfocusonbasicscience,withthemajorityofthelecturesfocusedonanatomy,pharmacology,genetics,physiology,andbiochemistry.Youmayhaveseensomeof the previousmaterial before in your undergraduate classes, but even if you haven’t, thepacingofFoundationsblockisreasonableenoughforstudentsfromanybackgroundtocatchup. Focusondevelopinga strong study technique,and try tomake linksbetween thebasicscienceconceptsandclinical applications.The secondhalfof this coursewillplaceagreateremphasis on infectious disease, and youwill learn about how the human body responds toinfectionsfrombacteria,viruses,fungiandparasites. Microbiologyandantibioticsmayseemoverwhelmingatfirst,butthisistobeexpected,astheyaredifficultconceptsthatrequirealotof repetition to learn. Keep revisiting these topics as you learn about infectious diseasethroughout the block, and we suggest creating your own chart of micro-organisms andantimicrobials thatyoucanuse foryourownreference. Immunology iscoveredbyDr.Elliot,and he provides great PDF documents that summarize his lectures. That being said,immunology isadifficultsubject,sobesuretopayattentionduringhis lectures! Inaddition,thefundamentalsofhematologyarecovered, includingapproachestoanemiaandcontrolofcoagulation.Thesearecritical concepts thatphysiciansuseeveryday,andanti-coagulants inparticularwill be re-visited again soon in Cardiology block, somake an effort to learn themnow!


EndocrinologyBlock–Coordinator:TBAForstudentswhopreferto learnbyproblemsolvingor lovephysiology,thisblock is foryou!Manyconceptsrevolvearoundregulationandfeedbackloops,sothekeyistodevelopagoodunderstandingoftheseideas,ratherthanjustrotememorization.Youwillalsobeintroducedtodevelopingandusingadifferentialdiagnosis-animportantstepinthinkinglikeadoctor.Each endocrine topic is presented in an integrated fashion, incorporating anatomy andphysiologywith a patient’s clinical presentation andmanagement. Where relevant, specialpediatric lectures are also given. Endocrine block uses a variety of teaching formats fromlecturetoDLtoTBL,andprovidesyouwithreferencestoaugmentyourlearning.There is an abundance of material available for self-study guaranteed to boost yourunderstanding of endocrinology and enhance your ability to manage common endocrineproblemsseenintheprimarycareclinicandontheward.Becauseendocrinologycoversmanyorgansystems,itisaveryintegrativeblock,whichmanystudentsfindchallengingatfirst.Theself-study cases are there to help you with this. Start day 1 and do them all for bestresults!MarksarebasedonDL,TBLandexams.Everythingislinkedtoobjectivessobesuretofollow the learning objectives and making sure you understand the key concepts in eachlecture.This course is filledwith enthusiastic professorswho love to teach and are keen toansweryourquestionsandhelpyoubesuccessfulinmedicalschool!CardiologyBlock–Coordinator:Dr.SonnenbergCardiologyiswhenmanymedicalstudentsfinallyhittheirstride.Thereisalotofinformationinthisblockanditmovesquitequickly,especiallyinthebeginning.Itisimportanttotryandstayontopofthematerialinthefirstfewweeksbecausethisinformationformsthebasisforwhatwill be taught later. This block is appealing to many students because of the logic behindcardiacdysfunction.Ifyouunderstandthebasicphysiologyandmechanics,it’seasytopredictthesymptomsandeventhetimelineofsymptomdevelopment.Thefirstweekofcardiologyisusuallymadeupofhematologyandsomeanatomy,continuingthe hematology / cardiology teaching introduced in the first block. Dr. Sonnenberg teachesmanyofthemajorlecturesintheblockincludingsomepathophysiologyandhowtoreadECGs,aswellasconductingweeklyreviews.ThevasculardiseaselecturestaughtbyvascularsurgeonDr.Chyczijarefullofinterestingclinicalstoriesandhistories.

The cardiologyexamquestionsare very clinicallybased, so you shouldpractice linking signs,symptoms, presentations, and clinical findings with cardiac conditions and matching theappropriatetreatmentwiththediagnosis.Thepracticequestionsprovidedareveryusefulforexampreparation.

ThemostusefulresourceforcardiologyisLilly’sPathophysiologyofHeartDisease.Itisasmall,relatively inexpensive textbook that explains all of the concepts in a very clear and concise


manner.ManystudentsalsopurchasedECGbooks,thetwomostcommonbooksbeingDubin’sRapidInterpretationofEKG’sand12-LeadECG.TheECGbooksare lessnecessaryasyoucanfind copies in the libraryoruseweb-based resources. In addition, Lilly’shasanECGchapterthatmaybesufficientfortheblock.Thatbeingsaid,beingabletoreadanECGisanimportantandnecessaryskillthatwillbetestedagaininacoupleyears’timeduringclerkship.PulmonaryBlock–Coordinator:Dr.DamantThe course coordinator, Dr. Damant, is a fun and extremely devoted prof. His classes areinformativeandentertaining,especiallyhisphoto-shoppedpicswhichpopupeverynowandthen.

Theblockrevolvesaroundclinicallyimportanttopics,suchasCOPDandasthma.Focusontheconcepts that are brought up more than once in lectures and discovery learning sessions;chancesarethattheywillappearontheexam.However,don’tbelulledintoafalsesenseofsecurity.Definitelyattendtheworkshopsonpulmonaryfunctiontestsandacid-baseproblems,as youwill need to understand these topics for the test and for your career. Thepathologyworkshopisalsoveryinteresting,nottomentionusefulfortheexam.

Thepulmonaryexamisthemostclinicallybasedexaminfirstyear.Dr.Damant’squestionsdealwithclinicalcasesandusuallyaskforthemostlikelydiagnosisorthebesttreatmentapproach.Hereisthetrickypart:Dr.Damantdoesn’tprovideatonofoptionsbutusuallyalltheoneshedoes include are good responses and you must rank them to identify the BEST answer.Honestly, there is not a lot of material to be memorized from the lectures. What is moreimportant is to study for thisexamas if youwere in theclinic. Learndiagnoses, treatments,prognoses,andcomplicationsinsideandout.Makesureyoudotheweeklypracticequestionsonlineassomeoftheimagesseentheremayalsobeonyourexam.

On the final exam, you are expected to know how to interpret chest X-rays, CT scans, andpulmonaryfunctiontests,solearnthesewell.Dr.Damanthasapre-recordedpodcastlecturealong with Powerpoint slides on MEDSIS, which goes over these important clinical tools indetail,somakesureyoudon’tmissthat!PayattentioninthepulmonaryclinicalskillslectureasyouwillneedtoknowitfortheOSCEaswell.RenalBlock–Coordinator:Dr.McMahonCloseyoureyes,sitback,andrelax…allowmetopaintaquietlittlespringsceneforyou.Howareyougoing to read thiswithyoureyes closed, youask? I seeyournewlyacquiredcriticalthinkingskillsarehardatwork.Anyway,Aprilisabeautifulmonth:youwakeuptosunshineonyourfaceandthetwitterofbirdsinyourears;thepromiseofsummerjustaroundthecornerputsabounceinyourstep;andaknowledgeablenephrologistwithwhatseemslikeanendlesssupplyofawesometiesisteachingyouallabouttheblackboxthatisthekidney.


All inall,Renal isagreatwaytoendtheyear.Whilethereisadecentamountofmaterialtolearn, there is plenty of study time because it’s the end of the year and you aren’t terriblyboggeddownundertheweightofAnatomyandClinicalSkills.Dr.AlanMcMahonwill lecturemostofthecourses inthisblock.Accordingtosomephysicians,thenephron issmarterthanthesmartestnephrologists,makingnephrologyconfusing.ButDr.McMahonexplainsconceptswellandisprettyfunny,sowhatelsecouldyouaskfor?

Afewtips:dothepracticequestionsandattendtheweeklyreviewsessionstotryandsoakuptheessenceof the last fivedays.As younear the finish line, keepupwith thematerial andenjoyyourselfwhileyourcontemporariesinundergradarebusystressingoutoverfinalexams!For many students, the hardest part of Renal was that many of the symptoms of variousdiseasesareverysimilartoeachother(i.e.theyallinvolvechangesintheurine).Therefore,werecommendyoumakeachartofall thediseases inorder tohelpyoucategorize thevariousclinicalsignsandsymptoms,aswellasbeingabletorecalltheprognosis,treatment,etc.Workhardtostayontopofthingsandyou’llbefine.

Therenalexamischallengingandwillincludeidentificationofhistologicalpicturessincemanykidneydiseasesareclassifiedbasedontheirpathologies.Andjustlikethat,yourfirstyearisINTHEBAG!Congratulations!AnatomyTheU of A is one of the fewmedical schools in Canada that offers a full anatomyprogramincludinganewsetofcadaversforeachclasstodissect.Consideryourselfluckytobeabletoexperience a dissection. Besides the excitement of a hands-on experience, youwill sharpenyouranatomicalrecognitionskillsasyoulearnabouttheanatomicalvariationsbetweenbodies.Thereismorevariationontheinsidethanontheoutside!Evenifyoudon’trememberthefirstcutintothecadaver,thesmelloftheformalinwilllingerformuchlongerinyourclothesandonyourfingers.Itisrequiredthatyoubringyourlabcoat.Manystudentsalsoopttopurchaseasetof scrubs towearunder the labcoat.Hospital scrubs shouldnotbewornoutsideof thehospital,andarethereforeunsuitableforanatomylabs.

Whatelseshouldyoubuy?Oneboxofglovesisdefinitelyenoughforyoutouseinyourfirstandsecondyears.Awordofadvice:keepyourglovesinyourlocker–ifyouleavetheminthelabyourboxwillbepillagedbyotherstudentsandyou’llbeoutbeforetheendoftheterm.Before anatomy begins in January, Dr. Livywill tell you to buy dissection instruments. Sinceeachgroupsharesonecadaver,itisrecommendedtohaveatleasttwosetsoftoolspergrouptomaximizetheopportunitiesforallstudentstoparticipateinthelab.Therestofthestudentswillwatchand/orhelptheoneortwostudentsthataredissectingthecadaver.Itisbesttowaittofindoutwhowillbeinyouranatomygroupbeforebuyingtheinstruments.Whenyouknowwho will be in your group, talk to your group members to see if anyone already has thedissection tools. (The instruments are cheap, but you really don’t have much use of themoutsideofthelab,sowhybuyunnecessarythings?)


In theanatomy lab,youwillbeplaced inagroupof6-8people for thedurationof theyear.Readthedissectionmanualbeforeattendingeachlabtosavetimeandbetterunderstandthepurposeofeachdissection.Also,makesureonegroupmemberprintsthemanualandbringsacopytothelab.Youwilloftenfindithelpfultohaveananatomyatlastoreferencethroughoutthe dissection; fortunately, the Faculty provides a copy for each group. Take your time toexplore the cadaver. Instructors like Drs. Hocking, Livy, Lemelin, Walji, andWebber will beavailable to address your questions and, if you’re lucky, theymight even give you and yourgroupashort,hands-onanatomylesson.Ifyoudon’tfinishthedissectioninthescheduledlabtime,youcangoback to the labonyourown free time (youhave24-houraccesswithyourProxyCard).However,don’tdo thedissectionsonyourownwithoutasking the restof yourgroup–youdon’twanttobetheonethatruinsthefunforeveryoneelse!

AnatomylecturesaretaughtbyDrs.Walji,Lemelin,Webber,Hocking,andLivy.Classlecturesareimportantfortheexamasmanyclinicalpointsarediscussed(hint,hint),sotrytomakeittothelectures.Thelecturesoftenmoveatarelativelyfastpace,sotrytokeepup.Somepeoplefounditusefultobringincoloringpencilsorhighlighterstolabeldiagrams.Manystudentsalsofounditusefultore-vodcasttheanatomylectures.Interdisciplinary410The purpose of Interdisciplinary (INT D) 410 is to foster collaboration among students fromdifferent health care programs. Research has shown that patients achieve a higher level ofsatisfactionandbetteroutcomesfrominterprofessional(IP)healthcareteams.Inthiscourse,youwillbemeetingwithstudentsfromdifferentprofessionalprograms(nurses,dietitians,OTs,PTs,pharmacists,dentists,etc.).Youwillworkwiththemtobreakdownstereotypes,developteamworkskillsbyworkingongroupprojects,andlearnhowtoconductIPteampatient/familyconferences. Pay attention to the deadlines because in this course there are many smallassignments,mostofwhicharereflectionsorgroupprojects.Attimes,itmaybedifficulttoactasthe‘physician’inthegroup,especiallysinceyoudon’tyethaveaclearunderstandingofwhataphysician’sroleis.However,thiscoursedoesnotassumeahighlevelofclinicalknowledgeandprovidesappropriateclinicalinformationforcasestudies.The focus is more on collective competence, developing transferable behaviors on how toengage the expertise of other health professions across settings. This course is one step inpreparingyouforcollaborativepracticeinyourfutureprofessionalcareer.ObjectiveStructuredClinicalExaminations(OSCEs)OSCE is a term that you will become increasingly familiar with throughout your medicaltraining. During your first year of medical school, you will be expected to learn the basicapproach to patient interaction and several physical examination skills. You will learn theseclinical skills from class lectures, your Physicianship course and from clinical skills teaching


sessions during most blocks. Year 1 OSCEs provide you the opportunity to show yourcompetenciesinphysicalexaminationsandtolearnwhichskillsyoucanimproveon.

InApril,youwillhaveyouryear-endOSCE.Inthisexam,youareexpectedtoperformphysicalexams inmost stationsandhistory taking inonestation.Therewillbeseveral stations,eachwithastandardizedpatient,andanoteonthedoorclearlyindicatingtheexamskillsthatneedtobedemonstrated.Dr.DanielshasdesignedthephysicalexamcoursesoyouwillhaveaclearunderstandingofhowtosucceedintheOSCE.Wheredoyoulearntheseclinicalskills?

● Lecturesinclass● Clinicalskillteachingsessionsduringsomeblocks● Physicianshipcourse

All the OSCEs during first year are pass/fail and the markers are generally generous andunderstandingofthefactthatyouhavejuststartedyourmedicaltraining.Youshouldgetusedto performing in OSCEs, as this is now the standardized way of evaluating clinical skillsthroughoutmedical school and residency training. Don’t stress out toomuch and enjoy thebeginningsofbecomingaphysician!Year1Physicianship–Coordinator:Dr.Burton-MacLeodPhysicianshipisacoursethataimstopreparethenextgenerationofphysiciansforthecomplexworldofmedicine.Studentswilllearnthetwocoreskillsneededtobeasuccessfulphysician:understandinghowphysiciansnavigateinsociety(ex.professionalism,socialaccountability)andlearningimportantclinicalskillsandmedicalknowledge.Whileothercoursesteststudentsontheirabilitytounderstandandretaininformationneededforcertainclinicaldisciplines,Physicianshipisuniqueinthatitalsofocusesonthedevelopmentoftheimportantskillsrequiredtoprovidepatient-centeredcare.The Year 1 Physicianship course is comprised of communication skills, physical exam skills,integrationofprofessionalism,socialaccountability,culturalcompetency,socialdeterminantsof health, andevidence-basedmedicine concepts alongwithmedical expert content tohelpstudentsdeveloptheirclinicalapproach.Eachthreadisassessedwithaformatappropriatetothattopic(ie:writtentest,small-groupactivities,and/orfacilitator/self/peerassessments).Youmust pass all assessed components and will be offered immediate remediation if you areidentified as unsuccessful. A grade will be assigned at the end of the course through acollectionofthedifferentactivities,butthefocusofthecourseshouldnotbetheassignmentofgrades,butrathertoensureyouhavesatisfiedallrequirementsandactivitiesofthecourse.


Thecomponentsofthiscourseinclude:

• LongitudinalClinicalExperience(LCE)Studentswillspend8half-daysessionsinaFamilyPhysician’sofficeinordertopracticehistorytaking,clinicalskills,aswellaslearningabouttherelationshipsbetweenthedoctorandthepatients.Inaddition,longitudinalrelationshipbetweenthestudentandpreceptorwillbecentraltothisexperience.

• PatientImmersionExperience(PIE)Pairsofstudentswillbeassignedtoapatientmentorinordertounderstandwhatit’slikelivingwithachronicillness.Fromthesevisits,studentswilllearnhowpatientsnavigatedthroughthemedicalsystemandhowtheirillnessimpactedtheirlifeandfamily.Inaddition,studentswillaccompanytheirpatientmentortoamedicalappointmenttoobservethedoctor-patientrelationshipfromthepatient’sperspective.

• PhysicianshipDiscussionGroups(PDG)Groupsof8-9studentsandonefacultyfacilitatorwillmeet8timesinYear1.Thefocusofthesegroupsistodiscussthestudents’clinicalexperiences(ex.LCE,PIE)aswellassocialaccountability,culturalcompetency,andsocialdeterminantsofhealth.

• CommunicationSessionsGroupsof4studentswillmeetthroughouttheyeartolearnandpracticehowtocommunicatewithpatients.Throughtheuseofrole-playing,studentswilllearnhowtotakehistoriesfrompatientsundertheguidanceofafacilitator.Whilestudentsmayworrythattheirknowledgeaboutpotentialdiagnosesandmanagementmaybeinsufficient,thegoalofthesesessionsistodevelopcommunicationskillsratherthanpresentingclinicalknowledge,althoughyouwillbeguidedthroughclinicalreasoningforeachcase.Youwillbeassessedattheendoftheyearwithavideotapedinterviewwithastandardizedpatient.

• PhysicalExaminationThroughouttheyear,therewillbearound2-3clinicalskillssessionsperblockthataimtoteachstudentspertinentphysicalexamskillsinasmallgroupformat,usuallyledbyaclinicalfacilitator.Attheendoftheyear,studentswillbedevelopingOSCEcheckliststhattheclasscanusetoprepareforthePhysicalExamOSCEattheendoftheyear.

• Professionalism,Ethics,SocialAccountability,HealthEquityStudentswillbeintroducedtotheseconceptsinalarge-groupformatfollowedbyinteractivegroupactivities.SomeofthematerialfromthelectureswilllaterbediscussedinPhysicianshipDiscussionGroups.Lectureswillbefocusedonaddressingethicalaspectsofmedicalpractice,includingpatientconfidentialityandconsent,aswellastopicsrelatedtohealthequity,suchashowtoprovideappropriatecaretoIndigenousandLGBTQ2S+populations.


• AcademicServiceLearningExperience(ASL)Groupsofstudentswillbematchedtoacommunityagencywherethestudentswillvolunteerforaminimumnumberofhours.ThepurposeofthisistoallowstudentstolearnaboutthedifferentpopulationsinEdmonton,whatit’sliketoruncommunityagenciesaswellastheconceptsofHealthyEquity,Communications,PatientRelationshipBuilding,andSocialDeterminantsofHealth.Attheendoftheyear,somestudentsfromeachagencywillpresenttheirexperiencestotheclass.

• PublicHealthandHealthSystemsLecturesandsmall-groupactivitieswillintroducestudentstotheconceptsofhealthpromotion,diseaseprevention,accesstocare,resourceallocation,andotherissuesrelatedtohealthsystemsandpublichealth.

• End-of-BlockConsolidationCasesandEnd-of-YearIntegrationAttheendofeachblock,studentswillworkthroughcasesinsmallgroupsthatwillallowthemtoapplytheirknowledgetomanageapatientinacomprehensivemanner,suchasdiscussingclinicalpresentationsandtreatment.Attheendoftheyear,allcomponentsofPhysicianshipwillbeintegratedwithrelevantcasepresentationsusingstandardizedpatientsforinterviewingandphysicalexam(i.e.,OSCEandCommunicationSessions).YearOneElectives–Coordinator:Dr.RobinsonYou’llneedtocompleteaminimumof12electivehoursineachofYears1and2.Itisuptoyoutoselectandarrangeyourownelective(s).Electivesmaybecompletedinmorethanonediscipline,andcanbecompletedinseveraldifferentways.Herearesomeexamples:● All12hourswithonepreceptoroveraperiodoftimeorallinoneday.● Twodifferentsix-hourelectiveswithtwodifferentpreceptors(canbedifferent

disciplines).● Threefour-hoursessionswithdifferentpreceptors(canbedifferentdisciplines).● Anycombinationofhoursandpreceptorsthatadduptoaminimumof12hours.● Therearealsonon-shadowingelectivessuchasthoseofferedthroughthecommunity

engagementoffice.Keepyourearsopenforannouncementsonsuchopportunitiesiftheseliewithinyourscopeofinterest.

● TheelectivesapplicationformmustbesubmittedtotheUMEOfficewithinthreeweeksofthecompletionofyourelective.

Intermsoforganizingelectives,youcanpickanypreceptoryouwouldliketoshadow(aslongastheyagree!)andhavethemcompleteyourapplicationform,oryoucanselectfromanyoftheelectivesintheYear1and2Database,orboth.Thelinktothedatabaseis:https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/md/curriculum/electives/y1/catalogue1-2


Fornon-shadowingelectives,theCommunityEngagementteamworkswiththeDivisionofCommunityEngagementtocoordinatenumerouselectivestomeetthis12-hourelectiverequirement.TheseelectivesareontopicsinSexualandReproductiveHealth,InnerCityHealth,IndigenousHealth,GlobalHealthEducationandAdvocacy,AdolescentHealth,andCommunityServiceLearning.

NOTETHATELECTIVESCANNOTBECOMPLETEDDURINGSCHEDULEDCLASSTIMEINANYCOURSE.RuralShadowing&SkillsThereisaspecialprogramthatprovidesanopportunityforstudentstodoruralshadowingduringtheschoolyear.Notethatitisrestrictedtoweekendsonly.Formoreinformation,checkouthttps://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/md/curriculum/electives/y1/shadowing.OptionalSummerElectivesIfyouwouldliketoshadowinthesummertimeandactuallybeabletodohands-onworkwithpatients,you’llneedtobecoveredformalpracticeandliabilitywiththeuniversity.Thismeansyou’llhavetoregisterforMED518.Registrationforthiscourseisavailableearlysecondsemester(aroundFebruary)andcloseslatesecondsemester(aroundMay)andthefeeswillbeannouncedatthattime.WithMED518,youarefreetodoasmanyorasfewelectivesasyouwouldlike,fromoneweekupto12weeks,withoutworryingaboutliabilityissues.Ofcourse,youaretechnicallyabletoshadowwithoutMED518,howeveryouwilllikelybeunabletoparticipateasfullyasyou’dliketowithpatients,clinicalrecords,etc.-andwhere’sthefun/utilityinshadowingifyoucan’tdothat!

YouareresponsibleforensuringthatanelectiveapplicationformissubmittedtotheMDProgramofficeafteryourshadowingtime.NotethatanyshadowingdoneinthesummerbetweenYear1and2willnotcounttowardsYear2electivehours.Thissummershadowing/registeringinMED518iscompletelyoptional.


YEARTWO IntroductionUnlikeinfirstyearwhereyouareeasedintothematerial,secondyearstartsimmediatelywherefirstyearleftoff.Thedaysarepackedwithlectures,andtherearemorefrequentanatomyandclinicalskillssessions.Mostoftheblockshaveweeklyquizzes,makingitnecessarytostayontopofthematerial.Thatbeingsaid,secondyearisstillablast.Besuretomakethemostofitasclerkshipisjustaroundthecorner.

AnatomyAnatomyinsecondyearisconsiderablymoreworkthaninfirstyear.Youspendmoretimeinthe lab (eventually there are two sessions perweek) and the content, particularlyMSK andNeuro(butalsoGIandRepro),isveryanatomy-heavy.Preparationfortheselabsisnecessarytogetthemostoutofthem.TheanatomyyoustudywillbeveryclinicallyrelevantasthereisagreatdegreeofinterplaybetweenanatomicalstructureandfunctioninblockslikeMSK,Repro,andNeuro.Forexample,ifyouareaGPgivingasteroidinjectionintoasorejoint,doyouknowwhatstructuresyoucouldpotentiallyinjure?Ifyouareintubatingapatient(andyouwill!)whatstructuresdoyouneedtovisualize?Andwhichonesmustyoubeverycarefulnottodamage?Youwill learnmoreifyouenterthelabknowingtherelevanceofthematerialtoyourfuturepractice.Trytoconsiderthesurgicalapproachesorclinicalproceduresthatrelatetotheareaofthebodythatyouarestudying.

We are really lucky to have full dissections and guidance from so many excellent anatomyinstructors, so do your best tomake themost of the opportunity! All of the instructors aremorethanwillingtospendextratimeexplainingconceptstoyouifyouexpressyourinterest.

Gastroenterology&NutritionBlock–Coordinator:Dr.BistritzDr.Bistritz isthecoordinatorforGIblockandshedoesafantastic job!Weeklyobjectivesareclearly stated, and the extraordinary quantity of information is explained in a concise andunderstandable way. One of the best things about this block was the number of lecturesentitled “Approach to…” (e.g., “Approach to Abnormal Liver Function Tests”). This way oflearning helps immensely in clerkship because your patients will come in with a particularsymptomorsign(e.g.,rectalbleeding),andyouwillhavetodevelopanapproachtodecipherthecause.

Youmaysignup foranoptional“ScopeDay”whereyou’llget toseeendoscopicprocedures(somestudentsevengot toseeanERCP).Theseareveryworthwhilesessionsthatmakethecoursematerialmuchmoresubstantive!


Youwillbe intheanatomy labeveryweekforthisblock.GIanatomy isbothstraightforwardandquitefun.Dr.Waljiandhiscrewdoanexcellentjobteachingthematerial.(Importanttip:DONOTforgettotietherectumtightbeforecutting!)

OnlinecasesandtheircorrespondingquestionsofferadditionalexposuretoGI-relatedtopics,andgoingthroughthemisbothhelpfulandrelevant.Theweeklyreviews lastyearwereveryinteractive and they had example questions that helped identify gaps in knowledge, so theyweredefinitelyworthattending.Additionally,youwilltakepartinaWellnessRxmoduleonline.

AlthoughstudyingforquizzescaneatupyourThursdayevenings,moststudents foundthemhelpful as they encouraged them to stay on top of the material. This also resulted in lesscrammingforthefinalexamination.Thequizzesgiveyouanopportunitytoidentifyyourweakspots,andthequestionsweremostlystraightforward.Bothquizandfinalexamquestionshaveequalfocusonclinicalandbasicsciencecomponents.Overtheyearsstudentshaveremarkedthatthequizquestionsseemharderandmoredetailedthanthe finalexamquestions.Dr.Bistritzhasclarified thatall thesequestionsactuallycomefromthesameexambank,sothatisNOTtheintent.Studentsjustperceivethefinalexamasbeing easier because a) they have by now studied all of the coursematerial and b) all thedifferentelementsofthecoursehavecometogetheratlast!Itisprobablymoreareflectionofstudentcompetenceattheendofthecoursethanadifferenceinquizquestionconstruction.

ReproductiveMedicineBlock–Coordinators:Dr.ChandraandDr.BaydockPelvicanatomyisspatiallyconfusingandcanbedifficulttograsp,adequateprepforthe labswilldefinitelypayofflater.Manystudentsfounditusefultoshadowgynecologicalsurgery.Theanatomydepartmentisexcellent,soifyou’reconfusedatallletthemknowandthey’lldotheirbesttohelpyou!

Similarto“ScopeDay”inGIblock,youwillbeabletosignuptoshadowinLaborandDeliveryateitherRAHorGNH.Itisagreatexperienceandmanyofuswereabletoobservedeliveriesand C-sections on our shifts. This is a valuable learning experience and really helps to bothsolidifylectureknowledgeandgainasenseofthepatientexperience.

Reproductive medicine physiology is heavy, but relatively clear-cut. The recommendedreference textbooks for this course are Williams Obstetrics, which can be found throughAccessMedicine,andBerek&Novak'sGynecology,[email protected],manystudentsfoundBlueprintsObstetricsandGynecologybetter.Notonlydoesthisbookfollowalongwiththelecturesasthey’represented,italsohasphenomenaldiagramsANDa tonofmultiple choicequestionsat theback. The teachers for thegynecologyandurologypartsofthecoursearealsophenomenal.Dr.SagleandDr.Rourkepresentedtheirlecturessoclearlythatwhenstudyingwebarelyneededtoreviewtheconcepts.

Theclinicalsessionsinthisblockwerewellorganizedandfun,coveringpapsmears,assessingthecervixduringlabour,deliveringbabies,andidentifyingprostatemassesandhypertrophyin


models.Theseclinicalsessionsallowedstudentstomasteraspeculumandotherinvasivephysicalexamtechniquesbeforeapproachingrealpatients.

BesidesDL,yourothersmallgroupsessionswill includeasexuallytransmittedinfectionsmallgroup and team-based learning (TBL). TBL, like DL, covers topics that are not specificallyaddressed in lectures. TBL sessions take place mid-week and cover content related to thethemeofthepreviousweek.Duringthesesessions,youwill firstwritea ‘mini-quiz’basedonyourreadings,vodcasts,ormodulesaccessedonlineaheadoftime.Afterwards,youwillthenconvene inassignedsmallgroups tore-write thequizasa team.Thesearegreatcase-basedsessionsthatwillallowyoutoexploredifferenttopicsin-depth.

Thereareessentially threepatient complaints inObs/Gyn:bleeding,pain, andbleedingwithpain.All jokesaside, though, thesecomplaints compriseahugeportionof thecurriculumastheyareoftentheonly(oratleasttheearliest)presentationofmanygynecologicaldisorders.Focusonformingdifferentialsforthesesymptomsandfindoutwaysinwhichyoucanseparatethepossiblecausesbasedonpatientcharacteristics(e.g.,byage).Youwilllearnaboutthreemajortopicsinthisblock:obstetrics,gynecology,andurology.Youwillbeexposedtoavarietyoflecturesfrompre-natalcaretoinfertilitytogynecologicalandurologicalcomplaints.Therewillbesomethingthatinterestsyou!

MusculoskeletalSystemBlock–Coordinators:Dr.J.YuandDr.M.MenonCompared to other blocks, this block takes a slightly different approach to DL and weeklyreviews.Inpreviousblocks,DLmaterialwasusuallycoveredinlectures;thisisnotthecaseinMSK.Youcannotwait for lecturetoclarifyyourunderstandingofthematerialortouse itasanother“research”source.Instead,youmustinvestigatethesediseasesonyourown.Althoughthis may be a little worrisome at first, the DL preceptors do a good job of ensuring thateveryone covers the necessary material. In addition, it is not enough to list a differentialwithoutknowingwhattheotherdiseasesonthelistare.Lookthemupandyouwillbebetteroffcomeexamtime.TheweeklyreviewsarealsomoreofaQ&AsessionthanthesummariesyouhavecometoexpectfromGIandRepro.

Thefirstweekoftheblock isalldermatology.Unlikemanyotherdiseases,thefocus ismuchlessontreatmentandmoreonrecognition.Itmaybehelpfultocreatea“studypowerpoint”thathasallofthediseasesandtheirfeaturessothatyoucanrecognizetheminthefuture.ThedermatologymanualcreatedbyDr.Linisalsowellwrittenandcoversalotofwhatyouneedtoknow.Italsocontainslinkstoonlinedermatologyatlases,thoughthesecanbeslowattimes.Therestoftheblockisdividedintoorthopedicandrheumatologicdisorders.

The anatomy content is understandably much higher in MSK than in other blocks. Thisanatomy,however,isessentialtounderstandingmanyofthediseases,aswellasthephysicalexams and treatments. Visualizationof differentmuscles is often fairly easy in the lab giventheirsizeandseparatingfascialplanes.Althoughthereisalottolearn,Dr.Satkunamteachesitbeautifully.His lectureswerefantastic,andhishandouts (althoughsometimesover30pages


forasinglelecture)wereequallyamazing.Thesehandoutscloselyfollowhislectures;heevenreferences them on his slides by page number. Thework and care he puts into teaching isclearlyvisible,whetheratthefrontofthelectureroomorintheanatomylab.

Therearea lotofphysicalexamsto learn forMSK.Youareresponsible for findingyourownresources for the physical exam maneuvers. Some good resources include Bates’ Guide toPhysicalExaminationandHistoryTaking,theEssentialsofClinicalExaminationHandbook,andYouTubewhereavarietyofinstructionalvideoscanbefound.TheRheumTutorwebsitefromMcMastercanalsobeusedasaphysicalexamresource.Checkouteachoftheseresourcestodeterminewhichwillbemosthelpfulforyou.

ThemarkingschemeoftheMSKblockisquitedifferentcomparedtootherblocks,butaclearbreakdownisgivenduringthefirstweek.InadditiontoDL,weeklyquizzesandthefinalexam,therearealsomarksforabriefreflectivepaper,web-basedvirtualpatientexercisesandteam-based learning (TBL). TheMSKblockalsohasweb-basedmodulesand ‘Case-Based Learning’smallgroupsessionsthatincludeanexpertintheareabeingcovered.Allofthesemethodsoflearningreallyhelpsolidifythekeyconcepts.

Weeklyquizzesaregenerallyabitchallenging–prepareforanatomyquestionssuchas“ifwebroke off this part of the bone,whatwould happen?” and “if this nervewas severedwhatwouldhappen?”.Thesekindsofquestionswillrequireyoutoknowyourmuscleinsertionsandinnervations. The final exam was extremely fair – know the brachial plexus inside out, andexpect some straightforward rheumatology and picture-based dermatology questions.Makesure you know the common presenting symptoms, such as shoulder pain, “hip” pain (notalwaysatthehip!),lowerbackpain,andwhattodowiththem.

PsychiatryBlock-Coordinator:Dr.R.OswaldPsychiatryblockisa4weekcourseinwhichvariousmentalhealthdisorderswillbeexploredintermsofdefinition,epidemiology,etiology,pathophysiology, signs, symptoms, investigations,treatment and prognosis. You will touch on different populations, including the complexpatient and geriatric patients, and learnmore about capacity,mental status, and substanceabusedisorders.Psychiatry hasweekly quizzes,DL, TBL andCBL aswell. There are a variety of unique activelearningmodalitiessuchasvirtualpatientcaseswhereyouworkthoroughapatientcaseanddifferenttreatmentsoroutcomesassociatedwithavarietyofconditions.Thereisalsoasmallgroupguided learningprojectwhereyouandyour classmateswill choosea topicof interestandcreateabasicpresentationonyourpsychiatricchoiceofinterest!10groupswillbechosentopresenttheirtopicstotheclass—payattention!Dr.Oswaldwillalsobringpatientstosomeofthelectures,somakesurenottomissthesesessions!


NeurosciencesBlock–Coordinator:Dr.Goez,ENTSection:Dr.O’ConnellNeuro block is a 7 week course that provides a reasonable approach to different clinicalpresentations that the undifferentiated 4th year graduating MD student may see in clinicalpractice and will benefit from knowing the approach to. It consists of neurology, pediatricneurology, ophthalmology, developmental pediatrics, (first 6 weeks) and ENT – ears, nose,throat(7thweek).Neuroblockhasweeklyquizzes,somakesuretokeepuponyourstudying!

Theneurologysectionisveryinformation-dense,andadecentknowledgeofneuroanatomyisnecessary.Neurology, just like realestate, is all about “location, location, location”. Labsareuseful, but you will need to spend some time by yourself learning structures and vascularsuppliesof thebrainandspinalcord.Youshouldbeabletotellwhicharteryandpartof thebrainareinjuredgivenalistofsymptoms(andalsowhatsymptomsyouwouldexpectgivenanMRI). You will have neurolocalization small group teaching and Dr. Walji’s lectures areparticularlyamazing,sowerecommendlisteningtohisvodcastsmorethanonce.Hisdiagramsandnarrativesareextremelyuseful,andhedoesanamazingjobdrawingonclinicalcorrelates.Even theotheranatomistshavestated thathisneuroanatomy lecturesaresomeof thebestyouwilleverfind.

The Ophthalmology portion of the block is taught by Dr. Rudnisky. There is a TON ofinformation that he is required to go through, and he does an excellent job. However, youmightspendthefirstfewhoursoflecturetryingtodecipherhisshorthandnotes.Eventhoughthereissuchalargeamountofmaterial,hiswell-organizedslidesmakeiteasiertodigest.Hislectures contain fantastic photo examples of all the important presentations. There arehandoutsthataccompanyallofthelectures,anditisusefultoreadthesepriortoattendingasthey are nice overviews and not too long or complex. His notes also contain somesupplementalmaterialthatisnotcoveredinclassbutyouareexpectedtoknow.Thelecturesappear to be based on the recommended textbook, Basic Ophthalmology, and there issignificant overlap in the material. This section is now accompanied with visits toophthalmologyoffices,whereyougettoworkwithawesome(andveryexpensive)equipmentand use scopes to check out your classmates’ optic discs.Mastering a fundoscope can takesometimeandsometrialanderrorsotakethisopportunitytoreallypractice;luckilyherethepupilsaredilated,whichmakestheexameasier.

MuchofDevelopmentalPediatricsisdevotedtotheassessmentofachild’sdevelopment.Thisis done by breaking down their abilities into different categories: gross motor, fine motor,speech/language, cognitive, and social/emotional. You will be given the opportunity to seechildrenofdifferentagesinanattempttohelpyouestablishwhatthenormalis.Forthoseofyou who already have children, you may find this section particularly easy since you havealready had the pleasure of watching them grow. For everyone else, remembering whenchildrendevelopcertainabilitiescanbechallenging.Therewillbequestionson the test thatdescribeachildtoyouandaskyoutopickthemostappropriatedevelopmentalage,sodoyourbesttoknowthemilestones.


IntheENTpartoftheblock,thecranialnerve,headandneckanatomyisveryinterestingandcorrelatesextremelywellwiththeanatomylab.Somesaythereis“moreanatomy”packedintotheheadandneck than in the restof thebody.Dissectionsof theheadandneckaremuchmore difficult as the structures you are looking for (mainly nerves and blood vessels) aresmallerandinamoreconfinedareacomparedtotherestofthebody.Tofindeverythingyouneedtotakeyourtime,otherwiseyoumaymissalot.

Theneurologicalexamisanabsolutemust-knowfornotonlytheOSCE,butforthewards,somakesuretopracticeyourskillsandyourneurolocalizationskillsduringthe4scheduledteachingsessions!

OncologyBlock–Coordinator:Dr.ScarfeDr.Scarfeisnothingshortoffantastic.Itisreadilyapparentthatheputsalotofthoughtinhislecturesanddoesallhecantomakesurethathethoroughlyanswersthequestionshegets.Hisweeklyreviewsareextremelyuseful,sodon’tmissthem!

Thefirstweekoftheblockcoversbenignhematology.Becausehematologycanbeconfusing,alotoftimeisdevotedtocreatingastrongknowledgebasebyworkingthroughcaseproblemsin lecture. Definitely work on forming an approach to abnormalities like anemia,thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, pancytopenia, etc. You will use differential diagnoses fortheseabnormalitiesfortherestofyourcareer.

This entire block is very well done. This is the only block in second year that doesn’t haveweeklyquizzesasinpreviousblocks,butitdoeshave“QuestionsoftheWeek”thatareon-linequestions adding up to 15% of the blockmark. This should help you tomaintain a balancebetweenoncologyandcomprehensiveexamstudying.Thereareafewcancerlecturesthathadaguest(e.g.,familyphysician,aspecialistsuchasagastroenterologist,anoncologist,generalsurgeon,etc.)come intopresenttheirperspectivesof theparticularcancerbeingdiscussed.These lecturesare trulyunique learningexperiences.Oncologyblock is alsogreat review fortheComp–manythingsyoulearnedinotherblockswillbere-visited!

DLforthisblockisalsouniqueinthatyouspendthefirsthourofthefirstsessioninterviewingandexaminingastandardizedpatient.AlthoughyourentireDLgroupwatchesyourinterview,itreallyisastress-freeenvironmentaseveryoneistheretoassistyouinyourlearning.Thisalsogivesyouagoodchancetogetmorecomfortablewithhavingotherswatchyouinterview,asthiswillbesomethingyouarerequiredtododuringclerkship.Youandyourclassmateswillalsohaveachancetopresentonanobjectivethatyoufeelwasnotcoveredwellduringtheweek.Thisactiveguidedlearningprojectinsmallgroupsisagreatsummary of some difficult concepts! You will get to assess each group via your iClicker, somakesureyouhavethemtoawardpointstoyourclassmates!


Though daunting tomany, thewritten (non-MCQ) component of the final examination getsstudentstoshowmoreabouthowthey'rethinkingaboutaproblemthanwhatyoucanshowbyselectingoneoffivedistractorsinaMCQ.

Year2Physicianship–Coordinator:Dr.GoezThe components that were introduced in first year Physicianship continue in second year.During the LCE and PDG sessions, students will be expected to learn more about patientmanagement and how that is communicated to patients. In addition, studentswill concludetheir visits with their patient mentor by presenting their Physician Immersion ExperienceInterpretive Project. Students are allowed to use any artisticmedium, such as sculpting andmusiccomposition,todemonstratethelessonstheylearnedfromtheirpatientmentors.

Year2Electives–Coordinator:Dr.RobinsonEssentiallythesameastheYear1electives(seeprevioussectionformoreinformation).ComprehensiveExams(TheComp)The Comp has 2 components, the MCQ part and the OSCE part. MCQ last year coveredeverythingfromthefirsttwoyears,includingPhysicianship.Thepurposeoftheexamisnottoseeifyouhavemanagedtoretainallofthedetailsyouhaveseen,butrathertomakesureyouunderstandthefundamentalconceptsthatarenecessarytoworkinthewards.Manymembersofpreviousyears’classeshavemetinsmallgroupstodevelopnotesforeachblockandsharedthemamongsttheirgroup.Thisensuredthatyouwouldrereadallofthetopicstouchedoninclasswithout having to reread all of thenotes youhave (aHerculean task to say the least).Others turned to summary resources suchasTOnotesorCaseFilesbookswhen looking forsomethingmoreinterestingtoread.Pre-testquestionbooks,QuizMD,andtheonlinetestsonthee-learningsystemarealsouseful forpracticeandstudyaside fromsimplyreadingnotes.Thegoalofthisexamisnottomakesureyouknoweverything,butrathertomakesureyoumeetaminimumstandardandseeifanysupportiverevisionisnecessary.

Dr.DanielsisresponsibleforthefinalOSCEs.TheOSCEsarethesameaswhatyouhavebeenexposedtoalready,theonlydifferencebeingthattherearemorestations.YouwillhavebothaphysicalexamOSCEandcommunicationsOSCE

Oncethesetestsareoutoftheway,congratulationsaredue!Youarenowmovingontotheclinicalyearsofyoureducation!OptionalSummerElectivesJustaquicknoteaboutdoingelectivesinthesummerbetweenyears2and3.Again,youhaveto register inacourse (MED528)prior toMayandpay tuition. It canbeveryuseful tohavesomeexperienceonthewardsbeforeyourofficialclerkshipstartsandafteryouhaveasolidunderstandingofthebasicsfromyourfirsttwoyears.Thiscanbeachanceforyoutofurtherexploresomethingyouareinterestedin,ordoingsomethinggenerallikefamilymedicinecanbeveryhelpfulinpreppingyouforthewards.


WhatisdifferentbetweensummerelectivesafterYear1vs.Year2isthatnow,youcangetupto 4weeks credit towards Year 3 electives, ofwhich up to 2weeks can be clinical researchelectives(onesinvolvingpatientsortheircharts).BesurethatyouhandintheApplicationforClinicalElectivesformbeforeyoustarttheelectiveoryouwillnotreceivecredit. Also, ifyouforgettoregisterinMED528,UMEwillforgettogiveyoucreditforyoursummerelectives,

Wenowhave exchangeprogramswithuniversities inGraz (Austria),Munich (Germany) andHangzhou (China). All offer awide range of electives. Studentsmust go forminimum threeweeks.Weprefertosendfourthyearstudentsbutifnotenoughapply,wehavesentthirdyearstudents, including in the summer between second and third year. Contact the electivescoordinator([email protected])forinformation.

Itisgenerallyadvisabletotryoutelectivesinspecialtiesyoumightbeconsideringapplyingto,asyourYear3electivesmightnotoccuruntillateintheacademicyear.Assuch,gettingasenseofyourinterestsearlycanbeusefulfromacareerplanningperspective.

TrackSelectionTrackselectionforthirdyearoccursintheDecemberorJanuaryofsecondyear.Althoughstudentsinevitablygetworkedupabouttheselection,trytorememberthatalltracks(exceptforICC)areessentiallythesame.NotethatunlikeinYears1and2,yourelectivescheduleispre-determinedaccordingtowhichtrackyouget(i.e.youcan’tjustdoelectiveswheneveryou’dlike).Thingsthatmightinfluenceyourchoiceoftrackshouldinclude:

(1) Whenare thecore rotationsandwhenareelectives? If you’re interested ina specificspecialtyandwillwant todoelectivesatother centers, it’sprobablybest toget yourcorerotationinthatareaattheUofAcompletedfirst(infact,mostschoolsrequireyoutocompletecertaincorerotationsbeforeyou’reallowedtobookanelective.Youcancheck out all the requirements on their websites, usually under “visiting studentelectives”)

(2) WhatkindofdoctordoIwanttobe(i.e.what’smyspecialtyofinterest)?Ifyou’renotcertain, itmight be good to put the fields that you think youmight be interested inearlier on in the track, so that you can rule them in or out early (whichmight aid infutureelectiveplanning).

Bottomline:nomatterwhereyoustart,youwon’tknowanything,andnomatterwhereyoufinish,you’llgainexperienceandknowledgeasyougo,sodon’tstressaboutyourtrack!Onyourowntime,youwillberequiredtomakesureyourimmunizationformsarecompletedforelectives.ThereisnowastandardizedformontheAFMCportalandtheUofAUniversityHealthCenterisagreatplacetogetthemdone!YouwillalsorequireanotherN-95maskfittingandCPRcertification,somakesurethesearecompletedbeforeLinkBlock.


YEARTHREE IntroductionThirdyearmarksthebeginningofthepracticalaspectofyourmedicaleducation,clerkship.Bythis time, you should have a good grasp of (a) the vocabulary and (b) the basic academicconcepts of clinical medicine. Third and fourth year are your opportunity to solidify thatknowledgethroughpracticalexperience.Thetransition fromtheclassroomto thewardscanbechallengingandtheinitiallearningcurveissteep.Inadditiontotheconceptsyou’velearnedbefore,youneedtolearnhowtonavigateEdmonton’shospitals(wheretopark,wherearethewards, etc.), find your way around patient charts and electronic medical records, how to(quickly!) write up consult notes, progress notes, and orders, and how tomake referrals toother docs and services. Rotations in surgery comewith another set of challenges entirely:earlymornings,scrubbingin,NOTcontaminatingthesterilefield,bookingcaseswiththeunitclerk, and learning the names of themyriad of surgical instruments that exist. Don’tworry,you’llgetthebasicsprettyquickandacquiretherestovertime. Ifyouhavequestionsorareunsure,alwaysaskyourresidentorpreceptor,takenotesandyou’llneverhavetoaskagain.ParkingPlacard&StudentInternIDTheUMEofficeprovidesyouwithyourstudentinternAlbertaHealthServicesIDcardsinyear1.On your own time, youmayneed to get a parking placard, as this is usually essential forgettingaroundtoyourvariousrotationswithinthecity.Somestudentsfindtheparkingplacardtobeveryusefulas youaregenerallyguaranteedparking.However,other studentsmanagewithstreetparkingorpublictransit. It isgenerallyeasierifyougetyourplacarddoneduringLinkblock,asfindingtimewillbecomeincreasinglydifficultduringthirdyearrotations.Insomecases,studentsmayalsopickuptheirparkingplacardearly inthemorningduringapost-callday.Pleasenotethatparkingisnotguaranteedduetooversubscription,soifthelotsarefull,itisuptoyoutofindalternateparking.

Here’showtogetaparkingplacard:

VisittheGreyNunsHospitalandbringacreditcardandyourID.Theparkingofficeislocatedinroom1106 (on themain floorbeside thechapel). Itdoes take15-20minutes topickup theparkingplacardthefirsttime.Theywillgiveyouaparkingplacardandparkingmapstotellyouwhere to park. Themonthly fee ($95.00) will be charged to your credit card automatically.There are no refunds on parking—once themonthly charge has been processed, it is non-refundable.Shouldyouwish toputyourparkingonholdorcancelatany time,yourplacardmustbereturnedtoConvenantHealthparkingServices.Monthlypaymentswillbeprocessedaslongastheplacardisinyourpossession.PleaseseeMSAwebsiteforupdatedinformation.Also, remember that purchasing a parking placard is not absolutely necessary. If you don’tmindabitofawalk,it’spossibletofindfreeparkingaroundallofthehospitals!


LinkBlockThepurposeoftheLinkBlockistofocusonthepracticalbasicsofclerkship(e.g.howtowriteordersoraprogressnote, introduction to thevarious rotations,basicclinical skills, radiologyreview,andothercommonclerkshiptopics).Animportantthemeembeddedwithinthecourseis the importanceofmentalhealthduringwhatcanbean intimidatingyearof rotationsandexaminations.Emphasizingtheneedforsocialcontactsbothinandoutofthehospital,andofensuringthatyoumaintainsomesemblanceofbalanceinyourlifeisparamounttoasuccessfulclerkship.Duringthefirstweek,youcanexpectavarietyofsmallgroupsessionswhereyougetthe chance to learn some practical skills (NG tube insertion, injections, use of sterile andaseptictechnique,suturesession,foleycatheterinsertion,introductiontobedsideultrasound,respiratorytherapypractices)andpracticeon/tortureyourfriends.

The second week involves attending HSERC for simulation sessions. Review the radiologyteachingfilesonthee-learningsystembeforethestartofweek2,asyou’llbegoingthroughtheminsmallgroupsthatweek.TipsthatApplytoALLROTATIONSYou’ll hear these tips at least a million times, but this is because they are important! It’ssurprisinghowmanystudents forgetthesethingsoncetheygetoutonthewards!ThemostimportantruleofclerkshipistoBEONTIME.

ThesecondmostimportantruleistoBEENTHUSIASTIC.Ifapreceptororresidentasksifyou’dlike to see something, the answer is always YES. Everything in clerkship is a learningopportunity,somakethemostofitandbe(oratleastact)interested.Seeminganythinglesswill reflect very poorly on you and will be noted in your evaluation. Put yourself in thepreceptor’s shoes: would you want to spend your valuable time with a student who looksbored?

Makeyourselfavailable–letyourpreceptor,thenurses,residents,etc.knowthatyouwanttobenotifiedwhenthingsarehappening.BEKINDANDRESPECTFULTOEVERYONE!Thisshouldbe self-evident, andapplies topatients, preceptors, residents, and to theother alliedhealthprofessionals youwillmeeton thewards.Notonly are they anextremely valuable resource(the nurses on your units/teams will be invaluable for both patient information AND forpracticalskills),butoftentheseindividualsareconsultedregardingyourperformanceandwillhaveinputintoyourevaluation.

Finally,BEPREPARED.Duringclerkship,theonusforlearningisonYOU.Youneedtoreadaboutyourpatientsandtheircases,andtakethetimetostudyareasinwhichyouareweak.Thisisnotforthepurposeofpassingexams(althoughithelps),butinsteadbecausethispreparationiswhatwillmakeyouacompetent(andexcellent!)physician.

Anotherthingthatreallyhelpsistoexpressyourinterestinthespecialtyearly(withoutlying!)soyourpreceptorpaysattentiontoyourperformancemore.ASKFORFEEDBACKREGULARLY


andtrytomakevisibleimprovements.Forexample,ifyoupreceptorcorrectsyouonaphysicalexamskilltechnique,makesureyoulookitupandpracticeitwellsothenexttimeyoudoit,you can do it better. ACTIVELY PARTICIPATEANDASKQUESTIONS. Even if you are bored todeathretractingforthe5thC-sectionyouhaveseenthatday,comeupwithquestionssotheyknowyouareattentiveand learningsomething.Clerkshipevaluationsalsoplayan importantpart inyourCaRMSapplicationbecauseeveryprogram likes toseeawell-rounded“perfect”applicant who does pristinely in all areas. You can express your interest and ASK YOURPRECEPTORTOGIVEYOUMOREFEEDBACKONTHEEVALUATIONbecausethecommentsreallycount.Forexample,mostsurgeonsarelesspoeticwhenitcomestoevaluationsodon’tbeshytoaskforit.

InpersonfeedbacksessionswithaUMEadministratortakeplaceattheendofsomerotationsduring3rdand4thyear.Thisusedtobedoneaftereveryrotation,buttheUMEhascutdownonthis, so it ismore important than ever to fill out your onlineMedSIS evaluations after eachrotation! TheMD Programmakes changes based on this feedback and the information youshare with the UME administrator is confidential, so feel free to talk to her about yourconcerns!FamilyMedicineYourFamilyMedicinerotationwillconsistofatotalof8weeks.Moststudentsdoonemonthruralandonemonthurban,althoughyoucanchoosetospendtwomonthsinarurallocation.TherearenumerousruralteachingsitesthatyouwillbeaskedtorankinthespringofYear2.Ifyoureallywantaspecificsiteletthemknowwellinadvanceoryoucanspecifyyourreasononyourrankingsheet(e.g.familyof5kidsintownsowanttobeplacedclosetoEdmonton).RPAPorganizes(andfunds!)youraccommodationintheselocations,andwillcontactyouaweekortwopriortoyourstartdatewiththedetails.Yoururbansitesmayeitherbeoutofthemajorhospitals (GNH, MIS, UAH, RAH or the Northeast Community Health Centre) or within thecommunity.Tipsforsuccessinclude:(1)showupfortheorientation,(2)refertotheguidebook(this will be posted on MedSIS under “Family Medicine”), and (3) have fun! You will beevaluatedclinicallybyyourpreceptorsand throughbothagrouppresentationandawrittenexam at the end of your 8 weeks. Currently, there is a mixed multiple choice and writtenexamination that is very fair. The remainder of the assessment is made up of a smallpresentationprojectcomponentandparticipationmarkinacademichalfday.

There is no particular textbookor handbook for this rotationbecauseof the breadthof thespecialty. You can use the handbook (a binder of many sheets) they provide you at thebeginning of the rotation as a guideline. From there, you are expected to know up-to-datepracticeguidelinesandEBM.AlbertaTOPguidelinesareagoodplacetostart.

Family medicine is an important rotation because it gives you a baseline for ‘normal’, andallowsyoutoappreciatethepresentationof‘undifferentiated’patients.Youwillbeabletoseepatientswithverycomplexproblems,andoftenfollowsomeofthemovertime.


InternalMedicineInternalmedicine is8weeksof intensivewardmedicineatoneofthemainEdmontonhospitals:UAH,RAH,MISandGNH.Programadministratorswill contactyou toprovide thedetailsofyourrotation(e.g.wheretoshowup,whatserviceyou’llbeon,etc.)afewweekspriortostartingyourrotation. You should alsobeadvisedof your call schedule at that time. Some sites allowyou tomakeyourownscheduleasagroup,andothershavea‘ChiefStudent’whomakestheschedule.Becheerful, enthusiastic, and if you don’t know something or you feel uncomfortable, ASKQUESTIONS!Ifsomethingcomesupmidwaythroughyourrotation,itmaybepossibletoswapcalldayswithyourpeers.Eachrotationwillstartoffwithanorientationsessiondetailingthemorningreport/handoff routine, call rooms, and the wards you’ll be working on. Additionally, yourpreceptors should outline their daily expectations of you. Internal medicine is a team-basedrotation,soexpecttoworkwithothermedicalstudents,residents,andvariouspreceptors,aswellasnursepractitionersandotheralliedhealthprofessionals.Youwillmakeanexcellentimpressiononthisrotationifyoudevelopasenseofownershipandresponsibilityfor“your”patients.Thesearethepeoplethatyouwilladmit,writedailyprogressnotes,write(co-signed)orders,anddictatedischargesummaryfor.Checkwithyourpreceptororaresident,butitisoftenexpectedthatyoutaketheinitiativetoroundonthesepatientsbeforemeetingwiththeteam(“pre-rounding”).Youwillplayacentralroleintheircare,andprovideinformationtothemregardingtheiradmissionandabout basic medical information and medications. The key is to ASK QUESTIONS! If you areuncertainaboutanything,itisalwaysbettertoaskandmakesure.Youwilllearn,andsometimesyourquestionswillhelpyourresidentsandstafflearnaswell!

Harrison’s InternalMedicine is a great resource for pathophysiology and also contains sectionswith‘approaches’tocommonproblems,althoughitmightbeverylongreading.Mostinternsandresidentscarryaroundoneoftwo(orboth!)ofthefollowinghandbooksduringthisrotation.Thefirstoneis“ApproachtoInternalMedicine”writtenbyourveryownDr.PadwalattheUAH.It isorganized by system-based common chief complaints and has very thorough, yet, to-the-pointinformation. It also contains short summaries of “Rational Clinical Examination” that mostpreceptors seem to like topimpabout so it isdefinitelyhelpful tohaveonhand. The second is“PocketMedicine”thateveryoneknowsabout.Ittakessometimetogetusedtobecauseofalltheabbreviationsbutmostresidents lovethatbookaswell! Ifyoucanwait,buyitfromtherotationassistantatadiscountedprice!Up-to-date isalsoanotherusefulresourceandcanbepurchasedthroughtheCFMSwebsite.

Internalmedicine gives you the opportunity to put all of yourmedical knowledge together andapplyittoverycomplexpatientswithmulti-systemdiseasesandmultipleissues.Successrequiresproblem solving (you will become an expert at forming differential diagnoses). There are alsoopportunitiesto learnmanyproceduralskills (ensureyougetteaching inthesebyASKING).TakeadvantageofresourcespostedonMedSIS,whichdetailtherotationobjectives.Previousstudentshavefoundthatit ismosteffectivetostudyforthisexambyjustpracticingfortheOSCEs.Thereare16OSCE stations (8minutes long) that aregenerallyquite fair. You can fail up to twoOSCEstations and just have to remediate those stations. Failing beyond two will require additionalremediation.TheMCQexamiscomprehensive.


PsychiatryForPsychiatry,youwillbeassignedtotheRAH,GNH,UAH,MISorAlbertaHospitalEdmonton.Therotationstartswithamorningoforientationbeforepresentingtoyoursite,andthey’llrunthroughtheobjectiveswithyouatthistime.Thereisasetofabouttenclinicalpresentationsthatyou’llbeexpectedtomaster,andyou’llbecomeproficientatobtaining(very)fullmedicaland psychiatric histories, along with MSEs and cognitive/functional assessments. Psych isknownasarelativelyeasyblock.TheMCQexamhasbeenchangedrecentlyandismorefair.InadditiontotheMCQ,there isanoralexamwhereyouwillberequiredtopresenta fullcaseandthendiscuss4scenariosonthespot.Inpastyears,oralexaminershavebeenpositiveandhelpful.Thereareopportunitiestoseeinterestingsubspecialtyareasduringtherotation,likeChild,Geriatric,orForensicPsychiatry.PediatricsPediatrics isan8-weekrotationthat isbrokendown into twomaincomponents:ambulatorypedsandhospitalpeds.Fortheambulatorypediatricscomponents,youwillspendthreeweeksin a general pediatric clinic either at one of four hospital sites (MIS, Stollery, RAH, orNorthEdmontonChildren’sCenter)or inacommunityclinic.Duringtheseweeksyou’llseepatientsforwell-babycheck-ups,newconsultsandacuteproblems.Youwill spendanadditional fewmorningsinthenewbornnurseryofeithertheGNHorMISwithaneonatologistfornewbornclinicshifts.Thefourthweekofambulatorypedsisspentinpediatricsubspecialty,andmaybeeither a one-week experience with a particular specialty (e.g. nephrology, cardiology,gastroenterology), or may be comprised of a variety of different peds subspecialty clinics(specialty‘speeddating’).Forthehospitalpedscomponent,twoweekswillbespentononeoftheclinicalteachingunits(CTUs)attheStollery.Youwillbeassignedtooneof3orsoteams,and this will be a bit like the pediatric version of internal medicine. Be prepared to takeresponsibilityforyourpatients(roundingonthem,followinguponlabs,discharges,etc.),buttherewillbenocallduringthesetwoweeks!Youwillbeevaluatedbyyourpreceptorsandalsobyyourseniorresidents,asyouinteractcloselywiththemduringthistime.Youwillcompletetwoweeks of peds emergency andCTU call shifts. These twoweeks are quite busy and theschedulesomewhatunpredictable.Theobjectivesarebasedonclinicalpresentationsandareavailableonlineatwww.pupdoc.caalongwithlinkstodifferenttypesofresources.Forkeenerswhowant to look smart, “Pediatric Secrets” containsevery fact that theymightquiz youon(and is reallywell sourced). PedsCases.com is an online resource that not only contains funcases to complete for your own learning, but also has links to U of A podcasts that areextremely useful! The peds people provide you with a pocket card containing info on fluidreplacement,milestones,andtheimmunizationschedule,andthisisalsoextremelyhelpful.Besure to attend and take notes at the academic full day (usually all-day Mondays). Thepowerpoints and presentations are very useful. Examinations include a MCQ exam and 10OSCE stations, both of which are reasonable. Two other assessments include a clinicallyappraisedtopic(CAT)andnarrativereflection.


GeneralSurgeryYoursurgeryrotationiscomposedofsixweeksofsurgery.You’llspendthreeweeksingeneralsurgeryattwodifferentsites,eitherRAH+MIS(orSturgeonHospital)orUAH+GNH(orFortSaskatchewan Hospital). During the first two days of the rotation, you will receive acomprehensivedidacticorientationincludingcommonpresentationsandsuturingskills.Onthefirstdayatyoursite,therewillalsobeahalfdayORorientationtoteachyouscrubbingskillsandorientyoutotheOR.Generally, ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutsterility,youshouldaskthenursesortheresidentyou’reworkingwithintheORthatday.Duringyoursurgicalrotationyouwill be expected to play an active role on your team by reviewing charts and labs andexaminingyourpatients.You’llberesponsibleforwritingdailyprogressnotesand(co-signed)ordersonmorning rounds. Expect theAM rounds to start at 6AMatmost sites. You shouldshowupabitearliertoprintthelistforeveryone(yourresidentmayshowyouhowtodothis,althoughsometimesthejuniorresidentmightjustdoit).Youwillthenroundveryrapidly(quiteoppositetomedicinerounds)onallyourpatientsbeforeORstartsaround7:45.WhenenteringtheORfor thecase, tell thescrubnurseandcirculatingnurse ifyouarescrubbing in for thecase.Also,writeyourname,designationandglovesizeonthewhiteboard(ifapplicable).Ifyoucan,arrivetoacaseearlytohelpsetup,andthenstayafterthecasetohelp.Thenursescananswerallofyourquestionsaboutroomsetup,draping,steriletechnique,etc.IfyouwanttomakeareallygreatimpressionintheOR,checkinwiththefrontdeskandmakesureyouknowwhatcasesarebookedforthenextday.

Theslate(sheetwithalltheORcases)isusuallypostedintheafternoonforthenextday.Fourthings you shoulddo tomake youa great student intern, especially if youare consideringasurgicalcareer:

1) Read up on the procedure or the anatomical approach ahead of time to prepare forpimping in theOR (andknowwhere theheckyouare, sincesurgicalanatomy isVERYdifferentfrombothtextandcadavericanatomy).Forresources,refertoTOnotesandthebook“SurgicalRecall”,whichwillhelpyoutoansweranyquestionstheythrowyourway.

2) GototheORabitearliertoreadthepatient’schartsoyouknowexactlywhatconditionthepatienthasandwhyyouareperformingtheprocedure.Themoreyouknowaboutthepatient,themoreintelligentyourquestionsaregoingtobewhenyouwanttobreakthesilenceintheOR.

3) Whentheyaskyou ifyouwanttosew,ALWAYSsayyes,assumingyouhavepracticedbeforehand! Themore you volunteer yourself to do, themore enthusiastic you seemandthemoreyouWILLgettodo.

Youwillbeevaluatedthroughpreceptorevaluations,aMCQexam,anda12stationOSCE(5minperstation)andanarrativereflection.ObstetricsandGynecologyOBGYNisa6-weekrotationthathasrecentlybeenchanged.ThreeweekswillbespentattheRAH,whereyouwillseemorehigh-riskpatients,andthreeweekswillbespentatacommunitysite(GNH,MISorSturgeon).AttheRAH,yourrotationwillbedividedinto3weeks:laborand


delivery,specialtygynecology,andoutpatientambulatoryclinics.Theschedulevaries.Youareexpectedtoroundeachdayat6:30am.Dependingonwhatyou’rescheduledtodothatweek,youwillgenerallyleavebetween3:00pmand5:00pm.AttheRAH,youwillbeexpectedtodo1in7call,orabout2-3callshifts,dependingonthenumberofstudents.Callwillbeverybusy,andyouoftendonotseemuchofthecallroom.Teachingoncallisvariable,however,thereisgenerallyagoodamountoflearning.Callisoneofthefewopportunitiesforconcentratedone-on-onefacetimewithseniorresidentsandpreceptors.Inthisrotation(perhapsmorethaninothers), nurses on your ward/team can make or break your experience. If you want theopportunitytoparticipate incases,and ifyouwanttogetcalledwhenthingsarehappening,youneedtoexpressyourenthusiasmandwillingnesstothenursingstaff.Ifyouarepleasant,enthusiastic,andrespectfulofyourpatients,you’llgettoseealotmore!

During the three weeks at the community sites, the experience is variable. The GNH issignificantly busier, withmore hands-on experience than the Sturgeon orMIS. However, ateachsite,youwillseelaboranddelivery,surgery,andoutpatientclinics.

Since you will not be assigned to a specific preceptor, you will be expected to collectevaluationsusingassess.med.ualberta.ca.Allthecommentsareavailableforthesitepreceptorwhocompletesyourfinalevaluation.

Previous students recommend TO Notes and Blueprints Obstetrics and Gynecology.ExaminationsincludeareasonableMCQtestand5straightforwardOSCEstations(10minuteseach).Thereisa“slideexam”aswellthatisbrutal,butithasbeenthatwayforyearsandsinceit’sonlyasmallpartoftheexam,wewereadvisednottoworryaboutit!

YearThreeElectivesYouhavetocompleteaminimumof14weeksofelectivesinbothYears3and4combined.InYear3,youmustcompleteaminimumof4weeks,butyou’llhaveatotalof6weeksofelectivetimeslottedintoyourYear3track.Youcanspeaktocareercounselors(oneoftheUMEstaff)oranyofyourpreceptorsaboutwhat theymight recommend foryourelectives.Students inpreviousyearsweregiventhefollowingadvice: ifyouaren’tyetcertainwhatyouwanttobewhenyougrowup,pickgeneralelectivesthatwillbecertaintohelpyouinallyourrotations(generalinternalmedicineorsurgery,emergency,radiologyetc.).Ifyouhavespecificareasofweakness(i.e.youweren’tafanofrenal),it’sagreatideatodoelectivesintheseareastohelpimproveyourknowledgebase. If youalreadyknowwhatyouwant specialtyyou’d like togointo, thenpick electives in that area. You can also choose to do electives in things that youmightnotbeable todo in the future just for interest (manypeople tried forensicpathologyandwounduplovingit).

Here’sthelinktotheYears3and4electivecatalogue:https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/programs/md/curriculum/electives/y4/catalogue3-4..Moststudentschoosetodoafewweeksofelectivesduringthesummeraftersecondyearandbeforethirdyear (see info inYear2).Thiswillgiveyouagreatedgewhenhittingthewards,andalsocountsforsomeofyourthirdyearelectivetime!


IntegratedCommunityClerkshipTheIntegratedCommunityClerkship(ICC)attheUniversityofAlbertaisarurallearningexperiencethatunfoldsovertime.ReferredtoasaLongitudinalIntegratedClerkship(LIC),theexperienceissignificantlydifferentthantherotation-basedclerkshipsthattakeplaceinacademichealthcenters.ThecoreprincipleofaLICisexpressedthroughtheconceptofCONTINUITYinallaspectsoftheexperienceIntheICC,studentscoveralloftheirobjectivesinPsychiatry,Pediatrics,Surgery,ObstetricsandGynecology,InternalMedicineandFamilyMedicine.TheobjectivesoftheICCarethesameasforevery3rdyearstudent.Learningtakesplacewithinthecontextofageneralistruralmedicalpracticeandruralcommunityinwhichthatpracticeissituated.Approximatelyhalfofthetimeisspentinthefamilymedicineclinic,andtherestofthetimeinthehospitalwards,OR,caseroom,emergencydepartment,andotherclinics.Ruralfamilyphysiciansmaintainexcellentclinicalcare,developandmaintainalasting,helpfulrelationshipwiththeirpatients,andactasaresourceandadvocatefortheirpatientpopulation.LearningaboutthesedimensionsofpracticeiscentraltotheICCexperience.WhoshouldchooseICC?PaststudentssaythattheICCisbestsuitedforthosewhoareflexible,adaptable, comfortable being uncomfortable, adventuresome and who embrace both theprogramandruralcommunitylife.

ContinuityofLearningExperience

ContinuityofCare ContinuityofPreceptor

IntheICC,learningunfoldswithinacommunityoverthefullacademicyear.

OverthecourseoftheICC,studentsbecomevaluablemembersofthelocalhealthcareteam.Studentsspend42weeksinthesamecommunity,workinginthesameclinicsandhospitals,learningcontinuity.Studentsdonothavetocontinuallylearnthelayoutofnewworkingenvironments.Studentsdeveloprelationshipswithotherhealthcareworkersandgenerallysortouttheflowoftheworkday.Thisgivesstudentsmoretimetosettleintolearningwhatneedstobe

TheICCprovidesstudentstheopportunitytogettoknowpatientsovertimeandtofollowthemtovariouscaredeliveryvenues,e.g.,theemergencyroom,thein-patienthospitalward,homecare.

Studentshavetheopportunitytoobservethenaturalhistoryofcommondiseases.

Continuityofcareisanimportantmeanstolearnmoreaboutthepatients'experiencesofillnessandhowtheirfamilyandsocialcontextaffecttheirhealth.

Healthpromotionandpreventiontakeonaddedrelevancethroughan

EachoftheICCcommunitieshasaPrimaryPreceptor.Insomecommunities,twoormorepeoplewillsharethisposition.Thesephysicianshaveassumedtheresponsibilityofbeingthego-topeopleforbothstudentsandtheICCprogram.Theyareresponsibleforensuringthatstudentsreceiveregularfeedbackandthatevaluationsarecompletedinatimelymanneranddiscussedwithstudents.TheyarealsoresponsibleforschedulingclinicalexperienceswithICCstudents.

Studentsalsoworkwithotherphysiciansintheir


learnedinthirdyear:integratingbasicscienceknowledgewithclinicalmedicineandlearningproceduralskills.

Learningisbuiltonpreviousexperiencesandknowledgebase.Inastablelearningenvironment,learnersarebetterabletobuildonpreviousknowledgeandskills.

understandingofthecontextinwhichpatientsliveandwork.

communities,alliedhealthprofessionals,andspecialistswhotravelintothecommunity.However,thePrimaryPreceptorprovidescontinuitythroughtheICCexperience.ItisthePrimaryPreceptorwhoprovidesfeedbacktostudentsontheirmaturingclinicalreasoningandassiststudentsandtheICCinidentifyinggapsorareasneedingincreasedattention.

PreparationforFourthYearAsmentionedearlier, all studentsmustdominimum14weeksof electives in Years3 and4combined. They can be in any specialties that you like. In Year 4, you must complete aminimumof10weeks.Notethatifyoucompletemorethantherequired4weeksofelectivesinYearThree,theadditionalweekscanbeappliedtowardsYear4requirements.

Researchmaybe completedduring yourelective timeandmaybeusedasa componentonyour "Medical Student Performance Record", but cannot be used towards your electiverequirementsunlessitwasclinicalresearch(directlyinvolvingpatientsortheircharts)andyoudiditinthesummerafteryear2.CheckwiththeUMEstafftoensureyoursituationmeetstherequirements.

IfyouaredoinganelectiveattheUofA,youcansetitupbygoingtotheYear3and4electivescatalogueandusingtherelevantcontacts.

Note: Do not contact individual physicians in order to set up electives. After using thecatalogueandcontactsonitinordertosetupanelective,youwillthenneedtovisittheUME(or print out the required form online). The electives form will need to be taken to yourpreceptorortoyourelective’sdepartment,andtheywillcompleteitandreturnittotheUME,afterwhichtheinformationpertainingtotheelectivewillbeavailabletoyouonMedSIS.

IfyouwishtodoaRuralFamilyMedicineElective,contactaphysicianintheregionyouwishtowork.ContactinformationmaybefoundontheCPSAWebsite(seeImportantWebsitesPage).ContacttheOfficeofRuralandRegionalHealthforalistingofpreceptorsifrequired.Theywillprovideyouwithremunerationfortravelonly.ForUofAelectives,youaregenerallyabletobookthemasfaras9monthsinadvance.Assuch,youcanarrangeelectivesbeforeawayelectivestudentscan.Generally,itiseasiertobookhomeelectivesthanawayelectives.


Some departments require you to book your elective months (up to a year!) in advance,including many surgical specialties, ophthalmology, dermatology, emergency, etc. Do notassume anything in terms of advance notice. Non-U of A students are allowed to apply forelectivesabout26-30weeksinadvance.Informationregardingeachschool’spolicyisavailableontheAFMCportal.

Moststudentswillarrangeelectivesinotherprovinces.You’llneedtoreaduponeachschool’swebsitesorpageontheAFMCportal,becausetheirpoliciesandapplicationprocessescanbedifferent.Onceyouknowwhenyourelectivesare,findouttheearliestdatethatapplicationsareacceptedandtrytoapplyonthefirstday.Ifyoufindyourselfunabletobookan“official”elective because the school’s slots are all full, it is still sometimes possible to arrange anelectivethroughtheprovince’scollege(i.e.BCCPS).Ifyouareabletofindawillingpreceptor,make sure that they know that you are applying through the college and not through theuniversity.Youthenobtaina licensefromthecollege(which isusuallyverysimple)andthensimplyfilloutoneoftheUofA’selectiveformsandgetyourpreceptortofillitoutandfaxitback.TheinfowillthenshowuponyourMedSISandyourpreceptorwillhavetheevaluationformemailedtothem.

Forelectivesabroad,visittherespectivewebsitesoftheuniversitiesthatwillbereceivingyou.Beawarethatyoumayhavetopayadditionalsignificantfeesandthatyoumaybesubjecttodifferent policies in other provinces or at other schools. It is up to you to gather thisinformation. Ensure you talk to the appropriate people in the UME before arranginginternational electives. There is information on international electives on theUMEwebsite,and your global health liaison should be able to offer additional information. All electives inresourcepoorcountriesmustbearrangedthroughGlobalHealthastheytrytoensurethatyouknowwhattodoityouhaveaneedlestickinjuryorotherunpredictableproblem.


YEARFOUR Fourth year consists primarily of elective time alongside your core rotations: ER, geriatrics,internal medicine specialization and specialty surgery. You’ll want to complete all of thenecessary electives for CaRMS matching through the summer and fall (it’s ok to do theseelectivesrightupuntilinterviewtimeaswell),andyoucanuseelectivesthatfallafterCaRMSmatchingforcorrectinganydeficienciesinyourmedicalknowledge,forbasicinterest,orifyouhavecompletedallofyourelectiverequirements,youcouldalsousethetimetotakeawell-deservedbreak!Thefourthyearendswithareviewcourseandexams.Overall,year4iswaymorerelaxedthanyear 3. There is significantly less call, loads of elective time, interesting rotations, and you’llfinallybeabletoputyourmedicalknowledgealltogether.CaRMSwillbestressful,buttryyourbesttorelax!EmergencyMedicineAsolidbaseinemergencymedicinewillbevaluableforwhateverfieldyoueventuallywindupin,andthiswillprobablybeoneofyourmostexcitingrotations.There isanewwebsitethathas themandatory pre-reading for lectures. It is also filledwith other EmergencyMedicineresources to use during the clerkship. You will work at one of a number of EmergencyDepartmentsthroughoutthecity. You’llworkacombinationofday,eveningandnightshifts(13shiftsina4-weekperiod).Unlikecallinotherrotations,youarenotallowedtoswapshifts,andanyschedulechangesyouhopetomakehavetobeapprovedthroughyoursitepreceptor.Schedulerequestscanbemade4-6weeksbeforethestartoftherotation.Yourschedulewillbehandedoutonthefirstdayoforientation,sobestnottobugthecoordinatorsaboutthemearlier. You’ll be evaluated by your preceptor (60% of your mark), and will then have tocomplete a MCQ exam (40%). There will be mandatory small group teaching sessionsthroughouttheblocksobesuretowritedownwhentheyaresothatyoudon’tforget!Thereisalso a scheduled Simulation day during the rotation to practice resuscitation in a safe, funenvironment. Therewillbetheopportunity todoEMSride-alongsduringtheblocksomakesureifyou’reinterestedyousignupearlysoyoucanhaveagreatexperience!GeriatricsandCareoftheElderlyGeriatricsandCareoftheelderlyisafour-weekrotationinfourthyear.SiteorientationisheldonthefirstmorningandclerkshiporientationisheldonthefirstacademichalfdayonTuesdayafternoon.Schedulesareindividualizedforeachstudent.Notwoschedulesarethesame.EachstudentissentawelcomeemailwiththeirindividualdetailsandthereisadditionalinformationonMedSIS.Eachstudent isassignedabasehospitalsite(UAH,RAH,MCH,GNH,GRH)wheretheyspendtwoweeksontheinpatientservice.Ontheinpatientservicestudentsparticipateinadmissions,consults,wardrounds,teammeetingsandteaching.Anothertwoweeksisspentin


thecommunitywheretheemphasisisonrehabilitationservices,clinics,CHOICEdayhospitals,HomeCareassessmentsandSeniorsAssociations.Assessmentisbypreceptorevaluation,MCQpaper, shortanswerquestionsandcompletionof logbookactivitiesand reflectivepractices.Learning resources comprise: the easy-to-read ‘Geriatric Medicine at a Glance’ textbook;Academic Half Day with notes; chapter on geriatric medicine in “Approach to InternalMedicine’;variede-learningresourcelinksprovidedinMEDSIS.MedicineSubspecialtySelectivesRotationThisthree-weekrotation infourthyearwillprovideyouwithadditionalexperience indealingwith common clinical problems in internalmedicine. You’ll be able to select fromnumeroussubspecialties, including cardiology, GI, infectious disease, nephrology, pulmonology, andrheumatology.Whileyouarenotexpectedtotakecallforthisrotation,youwillberequiredtocompleteareflectivepracticeproject(basedontheCanMEDScompetencies)thatwilldescribea clinical problem you encountered during the rotation and a summary of information yougainedreadingaroundthescenario.SpecialtySurgeryThisshouldbeafunrotationforallstudents,regardlessofwhetherornotyouareinterestedinsurgery. You’ll spend a total of four weeks in surgery during fourth year, andwill have theopportunity to participate in surgical clinics aswell as see interesting cases in theOR. Sinceyou’llhavealreadygonethroughyourcoresurgeryrotation,youshouldbemoreathome inthe operating theatre setting. Take the time to review your anatomy a bit (it’s applicable ineveryspecialty),andjustrelaxandappreciatetheincrediblyinterestingcasesyou’llgettosee.Thetypicallypopularrotationsareplastics,urology,andorthopedics.


WHO’SWHO Interested in a class council position?Want to pass an idea onto anMSA councilmember?Looking fora studentclub that caters toyour interests?The following listsprovideyouwithcontactinformationforallofthe2018/2019ClassCouncilandMSACouncilmembers,andalistoftheMSAapprovedclubs.Theyhavealsowrittenupsomeblurbsregardingwhotheyareandwhattheydo,foryoutoread;thesecanbefoundontheMSAwebsite.

CLASSOF2021COUNCIL

Position Name E-mail

ClassRepresentative JimmyKang [email protected]

VPAdministration MarcBeaudin [email protected]

Treasurer EstherLee [email protected]

AdmissionsCommitteeRepresentative PaulBarber

[email protected]

AdmissionsCommitteeRepresentativeAlternate

NicholasKinnie

[email protected]

AlumniAssociationRepresentative MeganWebb

[email protected]

AlbertaMedicalAssociation(AMA)Representative

ZohaibSiddiqi

[email protected]

ArtsandHumanitiesRepresentative CatherineDeschenes [email protected]

Audio-Visual/Information-Technology(AV/IT)Officer

JoannaYuenSecondary:KennethMilner

[email protected]:[email protected]

CareerCounsellingRepresentative ClaudiaMaki

[email protected]

CommunicationsOfficer LaurenRuttle-Soon

[email protected]

CommunityHealthRepresentatives(2) JuliaSawatzkyBrianneSt.Hillaire

[email protected]@ualberta.ca

CurriculumRepresentatives(2) AmanGillTarynWicijowski


EthicsRepresentative IrinaSimin [email protected]


FacilitiesRepresentatives(2) HarryAnzingerMarkCraig


FamilyandBalanceinMedicineRepresentatives(1Male/1Female)(2)

BrettOrrRebeccaReid


SportsRepresentatives(2Female/2Male)(4)

JesseGristMetteMadsenPatrickAlbersMichelleMillions

[email protected]@[email protected]@ualberta.ca

GraduationFundraisingRepresentatives(2)

HelenZhaoSallySong


GoldHumanismHonorSociety(GHHS)Representative

JahaanAli

[email protected]

GraduationRepresentative JoanneLam

[email protected]

StudentHealthandWellnessRepresentatives(2)

LouannClaasenGurleenBrar


HealthSciencesStudents'Association(HSSA)Representative

KalutotaSamarasinghe

[email protected]

MedNiteRepresentative TracyPham

[email protected]

MemorialRepresentative MichelleChang

[email protected]

ProfessionalismRepresentatives(2) AnnaLeeKatharineJensen

[email protected]

[email protected]

ResearchRepresentative VirginiaGoetz [email protected]

SocialCommittee(5) ErinHesseyPatrickCurryPatrickHamiltonMarissaBurnsEleanorCrawford

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

UndergraduateSurgicalEducationRepresentative

PatrickCiechanski

[email protected]

YearbookRepresentativesandArchivists(3)

AmandaCheungGenieKwonSophiaYip

[email protected]@[email protected]


2018-2019MSACOUNCIL

Position Name E-mail

[email protected] EleanorCrawford [email protected]

VicePresident,Administration InesZuna [email protected]

VicePresident,CommunityEngagement

BernadineJugdutt [email protected]

VicePresident,Education EmilyChapman [email protected]

VicePresident,External JulieLe [email protected]

VicePresident,Finance DaphneCheung [email protected]

VicePresident,StudentAffairs PaulBarber [email protected]

CouncillorsAlbertaCollegeofFamilyPhysicians(ACFP)Representative

CaitlinFinley [email protected]

AlbertaMedicalAssociation(AMA)Representative(Senior)

ZohaibSiddiqi [email protected]

AlbertaMedicalAssociation(AMA)Representative(Junior)

TBD

AlumniandFundraisingRepresentative(Senior)

MeganWebb [email protected]

AlumniandFundraisingRepresentative(Junior)

TBD

Archivists(Senior)(3) AmandaCheung,GenieKwon,SophiaYip

[email protected],[email protected],[email protected]

Archivists(Junior)(3) TBD

ClassRepresentative,Year1 TBD

ClassRepresentative,Year2 JimmyKang [email protected]

ClassRepresentative,Year3 JackZhang [email protected]

ClassRepresentative,Year4 AranYukseloglu [email protected]


CommunicationsRepresentatives(Senior)

AmbikaAgrawal,ZahraNikakhtari


CommunicationsRepresentatives(Junior)

TBD

CommunityHeathRepresentatives(Senior)

JuliaSawatkzy,BrianneSt.Hillaire

[email protected],[email protected]

CommunityHealthRepresentatives(Junior)

TBD

FacilityRepresentatives(Senior)(2) HarryAnzinger,MarkCraig

[email protected]

FacilityRepresentatives(Junior)(2) TBD

HealthSciencesStudents'Association(HSSA)Representative(Senior)

KalutotaSamarsinghe

[email protected]

HealthSciencesStudents'Association(HSSA)Representative(Junior)

TBD

GovernmentAffairsandAdvocacyCommittee(GAAC)Chair(Senior)

KaylinBechard [email protected]

GovernmentAffairsandAdvocacyCommittee(GAAC)Chair(Junior)

TBD

ProfessionalismRepresentatives(Senior)(2)

AnnaLee,KatharineJensen


ProfessionalismRepresentatives(Junior)(2)

TBD

StudentHealthandWellnessRepresentatives(Senior)(2)

LouannClaasen,GurleenBrar


StudentHealthandWellnessRepresentatives(Junior)(2)

TBD

SOCOM(Senior) PatrickCurry [email protected]

SOCOM(Junior) TBD

SportsRepresentatives(2) ChantalAllan,ThomasKellner



Officers

AMSCAROfficer CassandraNysten [email protected]

AffairoftheHeartOfficer GayathriWewala [email protected]

CFMSOfficer(Senior) JulieLe msavpext!ualberta.ca

EdmontonManualOfficer TrentSchimmel [email protected]

EnvironmentalSustainabilityOfficer AlexanderPerry [email protected]

OrientationOfficers(5) ChuYangLinDanielHeJacquelineKarathraKierstenSchwannSierraCasey

[email protected]

PastPresident AdamMullan

[email protected]


MSACLUBS If you are interested in signing up for an MSA club, you can find the contact information for the2018/2019clubleadersontheMSAwebsite.YoucanalsosignupviaanexcelsheetduringO-week! CourtyardChoir PublicHealthInterestGroup

FrenchinPractice PulmonologyClub

SyncopeJazzBand RadiologyClub

TheHeartChords RuralMedicineInterestGroup

AnesthesiaClub SpaceMedicineClub

CardiologyClub SportsMedicineClub

ClinicalNeurosciencesClub SurgeryClub

ClinicalSkillsClub UrologyClub

CriticalCareandTraumaClub WildernessMedicineClub

DermatologyClub BasketballClub

EmergencyMedicineClub BoardGameClub

FamilyMedicineInterestGroup BicycleClub

GastroenterologyInterestGroup ClimbingClub

GeriatricsClub CurlingClub

InfectiousDiseasesandTropicalMedicineClub HockeyClub

InternalMedicineClub Med/DentDanceClub

LabMedicineandPathologyClub RunClub

MedicalGeneticsClub SoccerClub

ObstetricsandGynaecologyClub SquashClub

OncologyClub BusinessinMedicine

OphthalmologyClub ChristianMedicalandDentalSociety(CMDS)

OtolaryngologyClub FriendsofMédicinsSansFrontières(MSF)

PediatricsClub FoodsandFriends

PsychiatryClub PlasticandReconstructiveSurgeryInterestGroup

Pre-ClinicalExamReviewClub PhysicalExamPracticeClub

ResearchInterestGroup LiteraryInterestGroup

WomeninMedicine&Surgery


MDPROGRAMOFFICECONTACTS

LisaBussiereAdministrator,Y3&Y4Tel:780-492-5024E:[email protected]@[email protected]

SamanthaHeesAdministrator,MDProgramTel:780-492-6350E:[email protected]

MelissaCoumontAdministrator,PhysicianshipY1MDProgram,CurriculumTel:780-248-1311E:[email protected]@ualberta.ca

Dr.TraceyHillierAssociateDeanMDProgramTel:780-492-9523E:[email protected]@ualberta.ca

MurrayDiduckProgramDirectorMDProgramTel:780-492-7967E:[email protected]

JenniferKamAdministrativeAssistantMDProgram,AssessmentTel:780-492-0279E:[email protected]

Dr.SitaGourishankarDirectorofProfessionalismTel:780-492-7338E:[email protected]

HollisLai,PhDDirector,AssessmentandEvaluationTel:780-492-8735E:[email protected]

JoannaGyeExecutiveAssistant,MDProgramTel:780-492-9535E:[email protected]

GiseleLepage-WilcoxAdministratorTel:780-492-9524E:[email protected]


SherrySweeneyAssessmentSpecialistTel:780-492-5913E:[email protected]

LaurieLoganAdministrator,PhysicianshipY2Tel:780-492-4199E:[email protected]

JodiHawthorneCoordinator,AcademicRecordsTel:780-492-9525E:[email protected]

MikusLorencsDataAnalystTel:780-492-6350E:[email protected]

NormaMaloneyAdministrator,ElectivesTel:780-492-6743E:[email protected]

AbbieMurisonAdministrator,AcademicRecordsTel:780-492-5835E:[email protected]

MartinMarshallCoordinator,CurriculumTel:780-492-6234E:[email protected]

AngelaPennyAdministrator,VisitingElectivesTel:780-492-1514E:[email protected]

JinkyPerezAdministrator,Year1Tel:780-248-1314E:[email protected]

KristinePerezAdministrator,Year2Tel:780-492-8565E:[email protected]

KimberlySchreursAdministrator,AcademicRecordsTel:780-492-6769E:[email protected]

CodySurginDataSpecialistTel:780-492-7495E:[email protected]


Canadian Medical Association

Studying to be a physician isn’t easy.

The Canadian Medical Association will help you through medical school with advocacy, tools, and advice. EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY Join your 83,000+ member-colleagues as an advocate for the highest standards of health and health care in Canada. As the future of medicine, have your voice heard on the key issues affecting medical students and the profession today (cma.ca/advocacy).

● The CMA’s in-person or videoconference advocacy training can help you learn more about the political process, and how you can become an effective advocate for the medical profession and make a difference.

● The MD–MP Contact Program connects you with your Member of Parliament so you can provide feedback on key issues for medical students, residents and physicians.

● CMA provides support for student advocacy initiatives, such as lobby days, and help to prepare to for events to ensure you meet your strategic objectives.

● The CMA also advocates on your behalf with the federal government in support of the medical profession. INFORMATION ON THE GO Access and download medical e-resources and apps through the CMA’s newest company, Joule™. Save money by using e-textbooks, complete presentations or papers using research summaries or images and access faster, better answers for patients (joule.cma.ca).

● NEW DynaMed Plus® is a current, evidence-based, reference tool designed to provide quick answers to clinical questions (cma.ca/dynamedplus).

● Free, anytime, anywhere access to ClinicalKey, a comprehensive and current collection of textbooks, journals and multimedia resources, including medical videos and images across 30+ specialities (cma.ca/clinicalkey).

● Download the RxTx mobile app, which includes the CPS (Rx) as well as a bonus subscription to Drug Choices (Tx) (cma.ca/RxTx).

● Develop personal leadership skills through Leadership begins with self-awareness, an online course designed for students and residents (cma.ca/onlineleadership).

● Sign up for daily POEMs by Essential Evidence Plus to receive concise, daily email summaries of the latest clinical studies (cma.ca/poems).

● Contact our librarians for MEDLINE searches, to ask clinical questions, to provide guidance on search strategies or for training on using our e-resources ([email protected]).

● Get original clinical research, analyses and reviews, news, practice updates and editorials with CMAJ online and on the CMAJ app (cmaj.ca).

MONEY MATTERS

● Owned by the CMA, MD Financial Management (MD) can help you get your finances on track. MD Advisors provide valuable advice about bursaries, student loans, lines of credit, managing debt, insurance and more. You will also have access to MD’s new online medical school cost calculator (md.cma.ca/physician-life-stages/students).

● Take advantage of CMA’s unique savings programs, with discounts on car rentals, travel, hotels, cellphone plans, mobile software, fitness and leisure and more (cma.ca/memberdiscounts).

These are just a few of the benefits of CMA membership. To find out more, visit cma.ca or contact the Member Service Centre at 1-888-855-2555 (weekdays, 8 am to 8 pm ET) or [email protected].

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