Students prepare for AMSCAR 2013
Record-high registration is setting the stage for a memorable mountain getaway for first and second-year medicine students.
They'll hit the road January 31 for the tenth annual Alberta Medical Students' Conference and Retreat in Banff. UAlberta students will meet up with their Calgary cohorts for a total of 310 attendees over three days.
"Being a medical student is not easy and it will only get more difficult during residency," said UAlberta's AMSCAR President Isabelle Colmers. "We hope AMSCAR can give students skills they will use to take care of themselves for the rest of their professional careers.
"All the sessions we have at AMSCAR are geared toward every aspect of student well-being, from physical health and mental health to financial well-being and professional growth."
The event offers nearly 20 sessions such as clinical skills, dance, photography and art classes. This year, new focus is being given to mental health and well being, in particular."[There are] new sessions around addictions, mindfulness and conflict de-escalation and resolution, especially because the rates of medical student and physician burnout are quite high," said Colmers.
Organizers hope students will also gain support from new relationships with their Calgary counterparts.
"AMSCAR is a truly memorable weekend and is touted as a highlight of our first year, if not of our entire medical undergraduate experience," said Colmers.
"In fact, I had a senior resident tell me that he and his friends still talk about how much fun they had at AMSCAR.
"We are also incredibly appreciative of our sponsors and do everything we can to make the experience positive for them."
AMSCAR's new logo was a winning submission made by a UAlberta Class of 2016 student.
For more information, including bus schedules, sessions and sponsors, visit the AMSCAR website.