Education

Pandemic highlights need for more public health education

Some consider teaching public health in medical school a “waste of time," but better understanding the social determinants of health can help physicians better care for their patients.

Health Care in Hues: Confusion remains a pandemic threat

Mixed messaging has been rampant throughout the pandemic and continues today. This has threatened public confidence in political and scientific leadership.

Clinician-teachers undervalued and absent from key university and hospital leadership roles

Clinician-teachers are under-represented in leadership positions in hospitals and universities. It's time that changed.

Virtual simulation in nursing education: Balancing care for the ‘failing heart’ and the ‘breaking heart’

COVID-19 has increased the use of virtual simulations in nursing schools across Canada. But how big of a role should they play in nursing education after the pandemic?

In praise of nurses – and Grammy

In hospice settings, nurses wet the mouths of patients as they take their last breaths. Sometimes, they simply sit with them so that no one dies alone. As a physician, I could not do my job without them.

Saying Goodbye on FaceTime

Nurses have been using platforms like FaceTime to host visits between patients critically ill with COVID-19 and their loved ones. It's contributing to burnout – but also sometimes providing them with beautiful moments of human connection.

Social media behaviour ‘a thermometer’ of mental health

As social media increasingly dominates day-to-day life, it’s not uncommon to see a sudden shift in a friend or family member’s online behaviour. The change in attitude may be an indicator of an emerging or reoccurring mental health issue.

YouTuber ViolinMD explains why she’s demystifying health care online

Siobhan Deshauer is a fourth-year rheumatology resident who makes videos about health care. We interviewed her about training to be a doctor, her channel, and more.

Ontario’s registered practical nurses deserve ‘fair compensation’

From day one of this pandemic, everyone has applauded nurses as front-line heroes. But our nurses need more than just accolades. They need fair compensation.

Leading by example: Nurses launch vaccination campaign

Canada’s largest nurses’ organization is launching a national campaign to encourage vaccination against COVID-19 and dispel mistrust and misinformation about vaccines.

Broad-brush criticisms ignore benefits of integrative medicine

Dear critics of integrative medicine, some of your critiques do have merit. But we do not support demonizing an evolving field of health care that could significantly improve patient outcomes.

One Solution to the Long-Term Care Crisis: Nurse Practitioners

The pandemic has brutally exposed vulnerabilities in long-term care homes, but one solution is hiding in plain sight: nurse practitioners.

An open letter to Alternative Medicine

Please, Alternative Medicine, stop using untrue assertions to justify your existence. You can’t fix the problems of the conventional system with unproven therapies and misinformation.

Proposed guidelines on alternative medicine must be enforced to stem the tide of misinformation

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario doesn't go far enough in updates it is making to its policy about doctors' use of alternative medicine.

Celebrating the richness of plural identities

A South Asian woman reflects on how "a coalition of young Brown women" and Black neighbours helped her grow into herself while studying for her master's of public health in Harlem.

Teaching and learning to trust: the essence of medicine

The practice of medicine is predicated on trust. Our patients trust that we will do what is in their best interest. But how should we trust those we are teaching to be doctors?

‘Painful and difficult’: A BIPOC woman’s journey in medicine

Navigating the medical profession has been a painful and difficult journey. How far have we come in ensuring that women can thrive within the system?

Media’s portrayal of ECT is dangerous

There is a clear mismatch between media portrayals of electroconvulsive therapy and its current practice.

‘Foolproof’ exam software creating barriers for students with disabilities

To make sure students aren’t tempted to cheat when writing exams at home, professors have been using proctoring software, but it doesn’t account for those with mental or physical disabilities.

Residents warn of burnout as COVID-19, medical exams clash

Many internist residents are frustrated that the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has refused their requests to modify the timing of their exams to accommodate for the pandemic.