Students who lead: Student voices unite to strengthen health system

Sana Samadi. Photo supplied.

When Sana Samadi was in her first year of medical school at the University of Alberta, she became the junior provincial governance representative on the board of the Alberta Medical Association. During the first meeting she attended, she was pleasantly surprised to see how much the group, under the direction of president Paul Parks, made use of social media as an outreach tool. Parks had been very proactive in using the medium to advocate for Alberta doctors — but he believed more could be done.

So did Samadi. “I immediately thought, ‘Medical students are the perfect workforce to assist with that!’” she recalls. While at the time, hers was the only student role on the board, she had been fielding questions from fellow students about how they could get involved. This felt like an opportune time for her to facilitate that, so she approached the medical student liaison with a plan and once Parks also signed off, the Medical Student Advocacy Committee was born. Their mandate was to share with the public and, hopefully, with policymakers and government, the perspectives of Alberta medical students on current issues in health care.

How it started

Samadi grew up dreaming of a career in the health professions but it wasn’t until the end of her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia that she chose medical school. She knew being a physician would best tap into her analytical nature, her love of science and problem-solving and her desire to work closely with people. Being able to participate in the AMA also tapped into her passion for advocacy and leadership. But nothing has pulled all of that together as much as her current role as president of the committee she founded.

When it launched, Samadi set to work building the MSAC from the ground up, starting with an Instagram account to share advocacy efforts. Over time, she added a website component, designing it herself with AMA approval, and later expanded the team to include an executive structure that oversees both the social media and website branches of the committee. This evolution has resulted in a thriving platform for medical students to collaborate and advocate for health-care improvements.

Students from both the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta make up the committee. Because the two programs follow different schedules — the U of C has a three-year program, while the U of A’s is four years, and classes and clinicals occur at completely different times — it’s challenging to get the group together. But, says Samadi, “It is important that we co-ordinate our advocacy efforts, because we are all going to be working in the same health-care system with the same regulations.”

How it’s going now

“It has been so nice for those of us from the U of A to get to know our future colleagues from the U of C,” says Samadi. “All the students involved really care about the work of the committee. We all want what's best for the health-care system and for the greater good.” The committee meets regularly to determine a monthly theme, which to date has included the physician shortage, rural health and women’s health, to name a few. Members post on social media and invite students from across the health professions to submit relevant writing to their website. “Interdisciplinary work is very important in health care,” stresses Samadi. “So we want to hear the voices of med students but also other people.” 

At the heart of everything the committee does is a desire to demonstrate their deep commitment to health care in this province and to making the system more sustainable for everyone — health professionals and patients alike. “I think it’s very important to spread to the public that we care,” says Samadi. Participating in the committee helps the students feel connected to the communities they will eventually serve, she says. It also gives them valuable access to informal early-career leadership training and helps them see themselves as part of the solution to the issues they discuss. 

Looking to the future

As a member of the MD Class of 2027, Samadi knows her time on the committee she started will not last forever. So she has worked hard to lay a foundation that can be built upon once she’s moved on. “This is something I'm very passionate about, but I want to be sure the next person is able to keep up this work,” she says. She also looks forward to seeing the long-term impact as the current cohort of students enters the workforce. “We've gotten them involved and that means they'll be more likely to get involved in further advocacy when they become physicians,” she says. 

With a laugh, Samadi thinks of all the times as a student when she has felt like she was just getting in the way. “You go into these clinical spaces and you are asking, ‘Can I put in the catheter? Can I put in the IV?’ And of course, we’re surrounded by people who can do it all faster and better.” This committee, she says, is one small way students can give back a little to the community of health professionals who have invested so much time and patience in their training. She is grateful for the trust of the AMA board in empowering them to thrive. And she’s thankful for the lessons she’s learned through the process. “I did have to advocate a lot, but slowly one opportunity created another. It's really kind of fun to see what you're able to do if you simply ask,” she says.