Medical Mentorship Part 2: Student Perspective

January 11, 2021 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Mercedes Stemm, Program Assistant, Indigenous Health in Medicine, Dalhousie BSc in Neuroscience/Indigenous Studies Student

In our series on Medical Mentorship programs for Indigenous students we had the opportunity to speak with Allison Macintyre, a 2nd year Biomedical Science student at the University of Ottawa. Allison joined Ottawa’s mentorship program as a mentee upon the creation of the program in the Fall of 2019, and she was eager to meet with me this Fall to speak about the program.

Allison Macintyre

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your academic path to medicine

“I’m mixed race (my father is First Nations and my mother is from Germany) and I’m a member of the Moose Cree First Nation. I didn’t grow up on my reserve (Moose Factory, ON), but in Chesterville, a small town about an hour’s drive south of Ottawa. Throughout my childhood and high school years, I was involved in some aspects of Indigenous culture, like going to pow-wows and participating in the Indigenous student leadership program offered by my school board. However, I haven’t been as connected to my own First Nations culture as I would like. My grandmother attended residential school and because of the trauma she endured there, she didn’t pass her culture or language down to my father. I hope to learn my native language, Moose Cree, someday and to learn more about my culture. I am involved with the University of Ottawa’s Indigenous Resource Centre, so I’m connected to Indigenous people at the university. I started out doing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, but I might switch to a different program that better fulfills the medical school prerequisites.”

Why were you interested in participating in the University of Ottawa’s mentorship program?

“I was interested in participating in the mentorship program because I was curious about hearing what medical school was like. Also, applying to medical school is very intimidating so I thought that it would be helpful to get advice from people who’ve already done it and succeeded.”

How has the mentorship program impacted you?

The mentorship program has definitely made getting into medical school seem more tangible and probable to me. When I research medical school and getting accepted into medical school, it’s often very discouraging. I’ve read stories about people with lots of volunteer and extracurricular experience with a high GPA applying to medical school and getting rejected every time. This mentorship program helps take away some of the dread and lack of hope when trying to apply to medical school.

What are your takeaways from the mentorship program and how will it impact your future studies?

Some key points that I’ve learned from the mentorship program are that the best way to strengthen my application for medical school is to pursue things that I’m interested in, like with volunteering. I’ll be more passionate during the interview if I actually enjoyed what I did. Thus, it’s encouraged me to pursue studies that I’m interested in and to do volunteering and research that I’m interested in.

What are your thoughts on Dalhousie University having a mentorship program similar to the one in which you have participated?

“I think that it’s great and that more universities should have programs like this to encourage I\Indigenous students to go into medicine.”

Mentorship Program at Dalhousie

In September 2020, a pilot mentorship program was established in collaboration with the Bachelor of Medical Sciences led in partnership by the Indigenous Health in Medicine (IHIM) program and Promoting Leadership in health in African Nova Scotians (PLANS). The funding for this program is part of a collaboration with the Johnson Scholarship Foundation.

The main purpose of this program is to reduce/eliminate barriers to underrepresented students exploring their full potential as learners. The Faculty of Medicine is responsible for organizing the mentorship match between student/mentee and mentor. Student mentees who are matched with a mentor are then encouraged to take leadership in the relationship to ensure that they are able to get the most value from their experience.

The pilot program consists of 10 undergraduate Bachelor of Medical Sciences (and general science) students in their first or second year of study (5 who identify as African Nova Scotian and 5 who identify as Indigenous). In addition, they were matched with 10 mentors who may be third- or fourth-year undergraduate students, medical students, or graduate students in health programs.

In the next blog of this series, I will discuss the creation of our mentorship program in detail, including how and why the program was created. Additionally, the series will include blog posts with interviews from both a mentee and mentor in our pilot program.

Medical Mentorship Part 1: Ottawa Supports Indigenous Student Success

Learn more about the Indigenous Health in Medicine Program

Global Health Photo Contest 2020

November 9, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

The Global Health Office, Dalhousie University

We can all agree that this year has been like no other. Hopefully, a positive outcome for many has been the opportunity to evaluate and prioritize what is truly important to us on an individual level but also as a society. Recent global events have certainly highlighted the need to address global health issues. Many people hear global health and think of global as a geographic boundary such as international health or better yet developing health. While that can be true it detracts from the need for focus on health systems and supports right here at home. We offer an alternative view of the term Global Health, which is global in terms of all the factors that impact our health. By considering nutrition, income, housing, employment, addiction, education, environment and access to healthcare we create a more holistic view of health.

If we consider health at the centre and all factors surrounding it, like a bubble, many people experience breaks in their bubble, allowing external forces to negatively impact their health. Our office works to reveal those cracks in the hopes of creating awareness around their importance and the impact to health of individuals and our society. It is difficult to ensure long term health of a population when we miss factors repeatedly contributing to the lack of health.

The Global Health Photo Contest has always encouraged and celebrated participants to take this holistic view of health and the images that are submitted do not disappoint. We are so excited that 2020 celebrates 10 years of this initiative. We are so proud of our colleagues and partners who incorporate global health into their professional practice and grateful that they share their beautiful images with us each year.

The winners of the 2020 Global Health Photo Contest are:

1st place: Bikes in the City by Danielle Shin

2nd place: Tea Fields by Victoria Landry

I would encourage you to visit our Photo Contest page to see previous submissions and winners and most definitely encourage you to submit to the 2021 contest! Global Health is all around us.

Global Health Photo Contest

2020 Award for Student Leadership in Global Health

October 26, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Rachel Ollivier, PhD Candidate in the School of Nursing

The Dr. Ronald Stewart Award for Student Leadership in Global Health was established in 2006 and is presented, annually, to a student of Dalhousie Medical School or in the faculties of Health or Dentistry, who has demonstrated leadership in global health and a commitment to improving the health of marginalized communities during their time at Dalhousie. This award honours Dr. Stewart’s personal, professional and educational support and dedication to global health, and the advancement of social capital worldwide. Dr. Stewart, a former provincial Minister of Health and Order of Canada recipient, has been enriching students’ experiences at Dalhousie Medical School for many years as a popular and accomplished educator, past director of the Medical Humanities program and a key champion for global health education.

This year’s recipient, Ms. Rachel Ollivier, is a PhD Candidate in the School of Nursing and a Registered Nurse on the Adult Surgery Unit (Women’s Health) and in the COVID-19 Primary Assessment Clinic at the IWK Health Centre. She has worked in various nursing capacities across Canada, as well as in Zambia (2016) and Tanzania (2018). Her doctoral research aims to explore postpartum sexual health in Nova Scotia using a feminist poststructural lens.

Rachel’s passion for global health became apparent early on in her undergraduate degree, which she completed at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna, B.C. from 2012-2016. With regards to research in global health, Rachel has contributed to national and institutional care policies, as well as situational analyses, in Zambia and Jamaica through her role as a Research Assistant for the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Planning & Research and UBC’s Aging & Health Lab.

Rachel Ollivier at the GHO’s annual Global Health Day in October 2019

While at Dalhousie, Rachel has been involved with several global health initiatives. In 2018, Rachel spent 3 months living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania as part of her placement at the Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences (MUHAS) as a Queen Elizabeth Scholar. Through this opportunity, she worked to strengthen the existing partnerships between Tanzanian and Canadian nurse scholars and collaborated with the MUHAS team on maternal health research projects. She also lectured in the Master of Science in Nursing (Midwifery) and Master of Science in Nursing (Critical Care & Trauma) programs and regularly participated in clinical rounds with graduate students on the maternal, paediatric, and neonatal intensive care units at Muhimbili National Hospital. In Spring 2019, she competed in the international final of the World’s Challenge Challenge, an interdisciplinary competition aimed at addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, alongside teammates Justine Dol and Brianna Richardson. There, they presented their innovation titled “Essential Coaching for Every Mother”. The innovation, led by Justine Dol, aims to address the severe lack of services and support for new and expecting mothers in Canada and Tanzania through a daily text message platform that provides support and information.

Rachel acts as a member of numerous councils, student groups, and committees at both Dalhousie and the IWK. Her dedication to women’s health, nursing, and global health leadership has been recognized in receiving awards such as the CAPWHN Emerging Leader Award, Rising Star Awards from both NSCN and CARNA, and in being featured as a ‘Nurse to Know’ by Canadian Nurse magazine. In October 2020, she was named an Emerging Leader on the 2020 Canadian Women in Global Health List.

Meet some of your Dal Global Health team

October 13, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Jen LeBlanc, Outreach Coordinator, Global Health Office

As part of our commitment to Serving and Engaging Societies, our programs have grown to reflect the priority concerns of the communities in which we live, work and study. As we begin a new academic year, we want to introduce you to part of the team leading the programs through the Global Health Office. Our team brings together a wide range of skills and experience creating inclusive, engaging and dynamic programs for students, faculty and the community.

Sarah Peddle
Manager, Service Learning
Sarah.Peddle@dal.ca

As a second-year medical student, you can engage in the Service Learning Program at Dalhousie Medicine. Students are matched with local community-based not-for-profit organizations who work with marginalized and under-served populations. The experience includes preparation, critical reflections and a project relevant for the community partner and their clients.

More Info on Service Learning

Angela Day
Manager, Global Health Education &
Francophone Health Program
Angela.Day@dal.ca

Our international collaborations based on authentic partnerships with faculty, community organizations and research initiatives. Our programs expose you to global health systems, ethical considerations of health equity, and what it means in your professional work locally and globally.

The Francophone health program collaborates with Riseau Santé and Université Sainte-Anne with a focus on increasing francophone representation in medicine through education, community collaborations and recruitment.

More Info on Global Health Education

Hannah Asprey
Manager, Indigenous Health in Medicine
Hannah.Asprey@dal.ca

The Indigenous Health in Medicine (IHIM) Program seeks to increase representation of Indigenous students in medicine through recruitment, community collaboration and partnerships. The IHIM Program focuses on creating mentoring and outreach opportunities; provides support for the academic success and graduation of indigenous learners; and creates opportunities for curriculum development focusing on the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.

More Info on Indigenous Health in Medicine

Sarah-Ann Upshaw
Manager, PLANS
Sarah.Upshaw@dal.ca

PLANS supports African Nova Scotians in their journey to becoming a health professional by providing mentorship and advising to current and prospective students, and student-led organizations to create a community of learning centered around Black health, career development and community engagement. PLANS hosts Health Science Summer Camps and a Prep Institute that provides Black youth with the opportunity to learn about health as a future career option and prepare for postsecondary education.

More Info on PLANS

Chris Yeats
Coordinator, International Students
Chris.Yeats@dal.ca

With over 25 years of collaboration with the International Medical University of Malaysia (IMU), Chris supports the four month Link program that prepares IMU students to start clerkship at Dalhousie. In addition, he works with International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to enter clerkship at Dalhousie Medicine.

More Info on International Students

Learn more about Dal Global Health

Stay tuned for more office updates.

Indigenous Conference Bursary: Creating opportunities for students

September 14, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Nicole Blinn, Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University

The Johnson Scholarship Foundation recently provided me with a bursary that allowed me to present my research at the World Indigenous Cancer Conference (WICC) in Calgary, Alberta, from September 16th to September 19th, 2019. With the financial assistance provided by the JSF Conference Bursary, I was able to present my project proposal, “The experiences of indigenous and children and youth: A scoping review”. I received feedback and questions from other researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and community members, which helps inform my work as I move forward. Moreover, I got to hear about other people’s indigenous cancer research, which was an incredible opportunity for learning and networking. It allowed me to critically reflect on my work to improve it, as well provide feedback and questions to others. Attending this conference has helped me navigate the scope of indigenous cancer research occurring internationally, and will strengthen my own work as I progress. Notably, my co-presenter Leah Carrier and I were the only presenters focusing on indigenous children and youth, which highlights the importance of doing work for and with this population.

As an undergraduate student, it was really significant for me to have the chance to present at an international conference so early in my research career. I even got to see one of my greatest heroes and role models, Dr. Nadine Caron— the first indigenous woman to become a surgeon in Canada— speak about genomics and indigenous peoples, which was absolutely incredible and further inspires me to pursue my dream to become a physician-scientist. I am grateful for the support of the Global Health Office and from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation.

Indigenous Health in Medicine

For more information on these bursary opportunities for Indigenous students

My experience travelling to the motherland

August 31, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Kyiaisha Benton, BSc in Recreation, BSW, Dalhousie University Alumni

                  My name is Kyiaisha Benton and I was selected to represent Nova Scotia and attend the African Youth Governance Conference in Accra, Ghana. The 2019 theme of the AYGC conference is – Partnerships for Youth Development: Key to Building Africa beyond Aid.  This year, Ghana is commemorating the 400-year anniversary of the first enslaved Africans to North America. Connecting to the continent of Africa is an emotional, symbolic, transformation and life changing experience resulting in new pride of heritage, culture and sense of oneself for every person of African diaspora visiting for the first time. 

Picture with the Chief of Cape Coast Osabrima Kwesi Atta II

                  From the moment we landed in Accra we were immediately greeted by the organizers of the conference, which was great. The first thing I noticed was how there was a large population of individuals of African descent which was something I was not very used to back in Nova Scotia. I felt comfortable being around individuals who looked like me given it was my first time ever in Accra and I was not very familiar with the unique cultural practices that were used. Furthermore, the Ghanaians were very open to welcoming us into their culture and way of living. They showed us this by explaining their history, introducing us to their wonderful food and were excited to learn more about the African culture back home in Nova Scotia.

Elimina Castle

                  I chose to enroll in the committee of health during the conference, because it related to my goals within my future social work practice. Each committee was comprised of individuals of African descent who had different cultural backgrounds, cultural beliefs and educational backgrounds; which made the group dynamic interesting. Our role as delegates was to brainstorm problems and solutions related to the synopsis that was presented to us at the beginning of the conference. We were also asked to conduct extensive research on or individual topics and needed to be ready to debate with our fellow delegates during a General Assembly where the delegates would vote for each motion within the ten committees that would be held on the last day of the conference. After all of our hard work it was amazing to find out that our motion was passed into a resolution.  

Makola Market

I am so glad I got the opportunity to travel to Ghana. I feel that ten days was not enough to see all of the cities and historical sites in Ghana. Although I struggled at the beginning of the conference, I have learned so much about myself personally, which I will be able to take with me as I start practicing as a social worker in the fall. I loved the atmosphere and how welcoming the Ghanaians were to us as we were experiencing their culture and way of living for the first time. In the future I hope to not only travel back to Ghana, but explore other countries within Africa in the future. I urge you all to try and take a trip to Ghana, because it is an experience you will never forget!

These experiences are made possible through the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and Dalhousie University’s PLANS (Promoting Leadership in health for African Nova Scotians) Program.

Conference Diversity Bursary for Indigenous and African Nova Scotians

Looking to attend a conference or other professional development opportunity?

As a part of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation (2016-2021) funding the Dalhousie’s Indigenous and African Nova Scotia Conference bursary program is designed as an initiative for Indigenous students (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis) and African Nova Scotians at Dalhousie University. The goal of the program is to enable students to attend extracurricular programming such as conferences as part of their professional development (does not include courses)

For more information please visit our website.

World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2019

August 17, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Leah Carrier, BScN, RN, PhD Student – Dalhousie School of Nursing

In September 2019, I had the opportunity to attend and present at the World Indigenous Cancer Conference, which was held in Calgary, Alberta. This conference provides an opportunity for health researchers, elders, knowledge holders, and community members to gather to discuss cancer research and the implementation of Indigenous cancer strategies globally. Previously this conference was held in Australia and the next one will be in Aotearoa (New Zealand), so I am very grateful to have been able to go while it was held in a more accessible location! With the generous support of the Global Health Office and the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, I was able to attend the meeting to present a research proposal and enhance my knowledge development as an Indigenous doctoral student and registered nurse.

Globally, Indigenous peoples face a higher cancer burden that non-Indigenous peoples, which is evident even among children and youth. In workshops, we learned that Indigenous children face massive survival inequities when compared with their peers. One of the key learning points from the conference was that as health practitioners and researchers, we cannot try to make Western paradigms fit Indigenous communities and expect the same outcomes. By employing Indigenous research methods and strategies, we can find what works for Indigenous communities in terms of cancer care and implement strategies to improve outcomes. This reminded me of a talk I heard by Dr. Nadine Caron earlier this year, where she urged child health clinicians to stop trying to get Indigenous children to meet Western benchmarks for health and rather, to exceed these benchmarks by facilitating communities to define their own health pathways. There are innate strengths in our cultures and communities and health professionals and researchers can build on these strengths when designing strategies for Indigenous cancer patients and their families.

One of my favourite parts of the conference was presenting a poster with my friend and colleague Nicole Blinn, a fourth-year undergraduate Health Promotion student. We were accepted to present a poster entitled “The Experiences of Indigenous Children and Youth in the Cancer Care System: A Scoping Review Proposal”. By co-presenting at this conference, we receive feedback on our proposal from experts in the field of cancer research. The feedback we received from knowledge holders, elders, and community members will inform the design of our review project and future directions for our research in this area.

Thank you to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and the Global Health Office for giving me the opportunity to attend this event – I am looking forward to implementing the knowledge I gleaned from this event in my research and clinical practice!

For more information on these bursary opportunities for Indigenous students please visit the Global Health Office website.

Expanding Pharmacy through a Diversity Lens

August 4, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Kem Ogoti, Dalhousie University College of Pharmacy student

This winter semester started off with the opportunity for me to attend the Professional Development Week (PDW) Conference in Montreal. I loved the experience I gained from PDW 2020. I heard different topics from speakers and I participated in Canada’s Next Top Pharmacist representing Dalhousie University.

Dr. Stanley Vollant was one of the keynote speakers and my favorite from the whole conference who spoke about his first-hand experience as the first Innu person in Quebec to become a surgeon in 1994. He shared his teachings on traditional medicines and his work with community. I learned that it does not matter where you are from or even the difficulties you may face through your journey. The key is to have a goal and work hard towards it. The end result is all that matters. I also learned from another speaker about antibiotic stewardship and what role a pharmacist can play to make a contribution to the management of antibiotics around me and have an impact in the big scheme of things.

I was also privileged to compete in Canada’s Next Top Pharmacist and won 3rd place for Dalhousie University. I recited a poem that is dear to my heart entitled “Strong Black Woman.” It was important for me to share my truth with the conference and have everyone appreciate it.

Answering the judges question with the rest of the candidates on stage

Reciting my poem “Strong Black Woman” during the talent portion of Canada’s Next top pharmacist

PDW is a great conference to attend as you get to meet future colleagues and possible employers from all over Canada. It was also great to have the career fair and begin to start thinking about where I would like to work in the future. Montreal was also a great location to have it as we got to explore the city and immerse with the French culture.

Competing in Canada’s Next top pharmacist representing Dalhousie University showcasing my traditional Kenyan outfit with my white coat on during the white coat strut walk.

I would like to thank the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and the Global Health Office for making this experience possible for me and express my extreme gratitude for the opportunity. For more information on these opportunities please visit the Global Health Office Diversity website.

A permanent commitment to African Nova Scotians at Dalhousie

July 6, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

We are thrilled to announce that the PLANS program manager position has become permanent and Sarah Upshaw will be continuing in the role beyond the current contract. This strengthens Dalhousie’s commitment to this program and the priorities for healthcare in the region.

In Sarah’s own words:

I am excited to continue the work of PLANS and look forward to many of the upcoming projects and collaborations PLANS has planned in the future. The past few months have drastically changed how the world, and PLANS, operates. I look forward to the continued opportunities for growth and rethinking the way that our programs are delivered that this change has brought. My passion has always centered around providing opportunities to African Nova Scotian youth in rural areas and my continued goal is to identify additional and innovative ways that PLANS can work to make that happen.

More on everything Sarah brings to this role can be found in our introductory post.

Welcome our new PLANS manager, Sarah Upshaw

For more information on the PLANS program please visit our website.

PLANS: Embracing Innovation and Exploring Opportunity

May 25, 2020 Jennifer LeBlanc Leave a Comment

By: Yolanda Watungwa, Dalhousie Health Promotion Student

Promoting Leadership in health for African Nova Scotians (PLANS) works to support African Nova Scotian students pursue professions in the field of health. Amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, our efforts to offer support continue with innovation and compassion.

COVID-19 has presented PLANS with both challenges and opportunities in the way in which we support students. In previous years, the summer months have been a time where we offer camps for youth interested in learning more about health professions at various post-secondary institutions across Nova Scotia. Like many organizations, PLANS has adjusted our work in order to respect public health and safety measures. As such, our summer camps will not be taking place in the way that they have in the past.

We are exploring alternative strategies as we navigate these challenges and we are researching virtual opportunities for students and the community. Youth engagement continues to be a priority for PLANS, and we are working hard to optimize the accessibility of our programs.

We would also like to offer support to other members of the community. We are exploring strategies to effectively engage parents, caregivers, and family members who want to learn about health professions at Dalhousie University.

We will be updating information about our summer offerings in the coming weeks through our website and social media (links are below). Until then, please reach out to our program manager with questions and ideas about engaging with PLANS. Sarah Upshaw can be reached at sarah.upshaw@dal.ca.

Although the past few months may not have been the spring we had anticipated, we plan to continue to navigate the challenges we face with creativity and compassion. With diligence we continue to explore and embrace innovation and new opportunities.

Our Website

Social Media

Facebook: PLANS.DAL
Instagram: plans_ns
Twitter: PLANS_DAL

Category: Bursaries