Convocation Spotlight Series | Ian Stefanuk
LGBTQ advocate. Future psychiatrist. Musician. Ian Stefanuk is inspired to help those in vulnerable positions in his future practice.
What advice would you give to new students?
University is a formative time for many people, don't be afraid to fully embrace this. Take classes or join groups in areas you've never heard of before; explore ideas that challenge your worldview. There are few equivalent places where you can literally sit for hours and think about topics and ideas. Use this to your advantage during your degree. Also, don't be afraid to express yourself and do your thing (whatever that may be!). The university (and most intro classes) are huge, and no one is paying attention to you. Be you!
How did you engage with student life on campus?
I've always loved being involved with something, so I quickly found causes and student groups that lined up with what I was passionate about. I helped out with causes such as blood donation and visual health, and also kept active in community music initiatives. Later, I started a language club, taught physical exam techniques, and advocated for LGBTQ issues. Remember that no one cares anymore if you're a "keener," being driven and involved is totally in.
What was your most memorable UAlberta experience?
I have now been at the U of A for two separate undergraduate degrees, so my experiences at this university have been numerous. My most memorable was definitely the first couple days on the ward during the clerkship portion of medical school. There is nothing quite like being actively involved during such meaningful moments as a life-altering diagnosis, a birth, or a death. The mixture of emotions and intense human experience, especially in my first few days exposed to this, was very memorable. The intensity of such scenarios continue to this day.
What was your favourite class during your program?
My favourite class during medical school was psychiatry, but I'm a bit biased since that is the field I am going into. Besides psychiatry, cardiology was the most surprising class for me. The heart is complicated and a frequent source of pathology, yet everyone has a basic understanding it. Learning about the things that make this pump function better or worse was a blast. The class exceeded my expectations and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.
Who was your mentor or favourite professor?
Dr. Trevor Day has been a tremendous mentor to me during my time in medical school. I had the opportunity to participate in a four-year long discussion group with him and a few classmates, and also completed a two week clinical elective with him. Dr. Day shows that being a grounded, thoughtful, and caring doctor results in a huge amount of respect from patients and colleagues alike.
What's next for you?
The path to becoming a psychiatrist is long. I've done eight years of university, and will now complete five years of residency training here at the U of A. Ideally, I will eventually work within the young adult patient demographic, having a specific focus on early psychosis. The emerging field of gender psychiatry is currently an underserved area, but Edmonton is now prioritizing these patients, and I hope to incorporate LGBTQ mental health into my future outpatient practice. Outside of my career, I hope to continue exploring other countries, attempting new recipes, and trying to be a positive influence on those around me.
Convocation Spotlight Series | Amarjot Padda
Patient care advocate. Future pediatrician. Optimist. Amarjot Padda is inspired to provide help to those in difficult circumstances.
What advice would you give to new students?
Your university career will be full of challenges, achievements and accomplishments. I think the best advice that I can give to new students is keep an open mind, and take advantage of any opportunities that come your way. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and seek out unique experiences. Balancing academics with other commitments will inevitably be challenging; make sure you find a balance that works for you and remember to take care of yourself. Most importantly, enjoy the journey!
How did you engage with student life on campus?
At the University of Alberta, there are many ways to get involved both on campus and in the community. Likewise, the Faculty of Medicine supports many student initiatives. During medical school, I had the opportunity to get involved with PedsCases, a student-led initiative that provides online open-access medical education resources to students both at the University of Alberta, and worldwide. One of best parts of working with PedsCases was the ability to work with numerous colleagues in various stages of their training. I also had the opportunity get involved with advocacy during medical school, as a member of the Political Advocacy Committee. This joint venture between medical students at both the University of Alberta and University of Calgary, plans an annual provincial lobby day where concerns about patient care and preventative medicine are brought to the attention of MLAs in Alberta.
What was your most memorable UAlberta experience?
I've been at the University of Alberta for 8 years now, and thus have had many great experiences. One of my most memorable moments during medical school was my involvement in Rockin' Docs, a summer camp hosted by the Faculty of Medicine. Rockin' Docs is a health-focused summer camp for elementary school aged children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Along with some of my classmates, I helped organize and run this camp in my second year of medical school. Seeing the excitement, curiosity and eagerness of our young campers, for many of whom this was a first summer camp experience, was extremely rewarding and memorable.
What was your favourite class during your program?
Medical school is structured differently than many other programs. The first two years of the program is classroom-based. The second half of the program, clerkship, is entirely practical, based in clinics and hospitals. Although it is not a traditional class, clerkship was my favourite part of the program. Being directly involved in patient care affirmed my passion for medicine and the reason for pursuing it as a career.
Who was your mentor or favourite professor?
I have been lucky enough to have numerous mentors and amazing professors throughout medical school. If I had to pick one, it would be Dr. Melanie Lewis. Dr. Lewis is a pediatrician at the Stollery Children's hospital, and the associate dean of the Learner Advocacy and Wellness Office. In addition to her commitment to medical student wellness, Dr. Lewis is an incredible patient advocate. She is very passionate about pediatrics, and this becomes evident very quickly when you spend time working with her in clinic. Working with Dr. Lewis peaked my interest in pediatrics early in medical school!
What's next for you?
I will be continuing my training in Pediatrics at the University of Manitoba starting in July. Having done all of my post-secondary at the University of Alberta, I look forward to new experiences in Winnipeg!
Convocation Spotlight Series | Jeremy Christensen
Indigenous health advocate. Search and Rescue volunteer. Future family physician. Jeremy Christensen will be starting residency training in family medicine in Victoria, BC.
What advice would you give to new students?
Medical school is demanding, but taking care of yourself is essential. There is always another thing to do or something else to read up on, making it easy to forget to look after yourself. Make sure you take time each day to do something fun like go the gym, read a book or phone a friend. In the end, a few extra hours studying did not make or break an exam for me and things have a way of working out.
How did you engage with student life on campus?
I engaged in student life on campus as the Medical Student Association's Indigenous health liaison. As a part of this role, I led an elective course in Indigenous health for fellow medical students and worked with our incredibly supportive faculty to strengthen the Indigenous health curriculum within the MD program.
What was your most memorable UAlberta experience?
The relationships developed with my classmates and time spent together were the most memorable part of my UAlberta experience. Dinners in between studying and hanging out on call at 2 am in the intern lounge helped to get me through the program. It is the people of the U of A that make it excellent.
What was your favourite class during your program?
My favourite class during medicine was Physicianship. In this course, we learned about the art of medicine including things like communication, physical exam, and ethics. It was in the physical exam sessions that I first felt like a true medical student.
Who was your mentor or favourite professor?
I have been lucky to have many mentors in clerkship. This includes Dr. Marissa Dry, a family physician in Wabasca on the traditional territory of the Bigstone Cree Nation. Dr. Dry is outstanding clinician and truly embraces the full scope of family medicine. In one day she could be caring for her admitted patients, running a busy clinic, attending to a labouring patient and staffing the emergency department.
What's next for you?
I am excited to be heading back to my hometown, Victoria BC, to start residency training in family medicine. The broad scope of practice, meaningful relationships developed with patients, and community need are among the many reasons why I chose a career in family medicine. In particular, I plan to focus my practice in the areas of Indigenous health and palliative care. As well, I hope to return to doing marine search and rescue with the coast guard, my passion outside of medicine.