By: Brent Young, Dalhousie Medical School

The Johnson Scholarship Foundation recently provided me with a bursary that allowed me to present my research at the Canadian Conference on Medical Education in Niagara Falls, Ontario. With the help of the JSF Conference Bursary, I was able to share the results of my study, which focuses on the lived-experience of Indigenous medical students from across Canada. I also had the privilege of learning from world-renowned experts in the field of medical education.

Some of the initiatives that I learned about include the work that is being done by a group out of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. This group is working to promote meaningful care for trans/non-binary folks using critical pedagogy. Their work highlighted the value of healthcare professionals being able to work through moments of discomfort during their training, extending beyond the traditional model of simply learning about the characteristics of marginalized patient populations. I hope to incorporate these concepts in my own teaching style as a resident and beyond.

I also had the opportunity to reconnect with Indigenous healthcare providers from across the country. These relationships have played an integral role in my professional development as a soon-to-be Indigenous physician, especially with the limited number of Indigenous healthcare providers in the Maritimes.

With that, I would like to extend another thank you to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation. None of this would have been made possible without your support.

More information on Indigenous initiatives in Dalhousie Medicine please visit our Indigenous Health in Medicine webpage as well as our Johnson Scholarship Bursary opportunities.