Student Life at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

Engagement and Outreach

As future health-care professionals, students in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry are engaged in the community and are honoured to have the chance to work with various outreach programs like youth-centred summer camps, including the Asclepius Medical Camp for high-school students, and Rockin' Docs Summer Camp for youth. They also have the chance to get involved with the student-run dental clinic, the SHINE Youth Clinic, at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre.

Other outreach programs include the smoking-cessesation ButtOut Program and SMILE Initiative which allows medical and dental hygiene students to visit different educational institutions to promote anti-tobacco campaigns and oral-health practices.

Global Health

Students always enjoy the events, which include the Rich Man, Poor Man Dinner, which raises funds for global health initiatives; fairs and photo exhibits that showcase the contributions from medical students who travel the world to volunteer; sexual and reproductive-health initiatives like World Aids Day and the Vagina Monologues; advocacy campaigns for immigrant and refugee health care, and weekly rounds that bring in health-care professionals who share their experiences from global medical community settings.This is a multifaceted program that aims to engage and educate students in areas of clinical outreach, health inequities and under-served populations, while fostering leadership and advocacy skills.

Clinically, electives and exchanges are recommended for students who wish to engage in various communities during their summers.

Polical Advocacy

As engaged citizens who will be serving the population, students in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry take an active role in raising issues that pertain to their current education, training and health-care system by meeting with multiple stakeholders. Annually, medical students from across the province partake in the Political Advocacy Committee-hosted Provincial Lobby Day at the Alberta Legislature, while some delegates also get to represent UAlberta at the Parliament Hill in Ottawa during the Canadian Federation of Medical Students-hosted Federal Lobby Day. One of the current focuses of the students is on the need for physicians who are able to relate to and effectively serve the significant and growing Aboriginal populations in urban and rural Alberta.

Health and Wellness

Let the competition heat up! Sports are a big part of the faculty, with a variety of inter-school and inter-class competitions, intramurals and fundraising events. The year is kicked off with the wildly popular Icebowl, which pits all western medical schools against each other for a chance to hoist the tournament cup; that's followed by the inter-class hockey competition Winter Classic.

The annual Medicine Cup Charity Tournament is a fun event that sees medicine and dentistry students take on allied health professionals in a 4-on-4 outdoor hockey tournament which raises funds for the Stollery Children's Hospital. Other recreational activities include yoga sessions, running and climbing clubs, ski trips, handball and dodgeball tournaments, and soccer and basketball intramurals.

Formals and Concerts

Students never miss an opportunity to dress up, perform and relax for an evening. There are several formals in the year for all students, which showcase a multitude of talents in the Courtyard Choir, Syncope Jazz Band, class bands, Orchestra and individual performances. These events include the Orientation week concert night, Winter Concert, Dentoween and Med Nite.

Health and Wellness