Education

Gender segregation, pay inequity. Understanding the ‘pink-collar’ tier in medicine

Understanding the history of health care’s gender segregation, the basis for today’s “pink collar” tier of female-dominated specialties, could help current efforts to improve pay equity in medicine.

Medical council considering alternatives to ‘outdated’ licensing exam

The MCCQE II, a Medical Council of Canada licensing exam, is considered by some critics to be an outdated and unnecessary burden. Temporarily paused by the pandemic, the MCC will soon decide whether and how the exam will return - and what role it will play in the changing world of medical education.

Call the ‘brown doctor’: A case for language-sensitive delivery of health care

In a multicultural city like Toronto, it only makes ethical and financial sense to provide language-sensitive care in hospitals. Without it, culturally sensitive communication is incomplete.

Overdiagnosis: Good intentions gone bad

Overdiagnosis is a problem that's been recognized for decades, but in the last 10 years research has proven that early detection does not always mean better outcomes. Overdiagnosis can sometimes cause physical, psychological or financial harm. But there are things that both physicians and patients can do to help prevent it.

Omicron and medical conferences – a balancing of risks

Large, in-person medical conferences can be risky in the Omicron era. Yet, proponents say these risks can be mitigated, and resuming in-person learning and networking are necessary to advance medicine and support a profession at its breaking point.

‘Data is powerful’: Demographic questionnaire adds transparency to Match Day

This year, the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) with the support of Dalhousie University, rolled out its pilot questionnaire to collect much-needed demographic data on residency placements across the country. Information gathered on race and Indigeneity, immigration, ability, gender, sexual orientation and household income of students could go a long way in ensuring equity among med students.

Why would anyone want to be a family doctor?

Let’s face it – fewer and fewer medical graduates want to be family doctors. But why? Finances, respect in the field and the challenges of family medicine could all play a part.

The unraveling of personality in MS patients and why is it so challenging to treat

Many behavioural changes in Multiple Sclerosis patients have been directly linked to the disease itself. But medical professionals tend to overlook depression and focus instead on the physical disabilities that hinder daily life.

‘Chipping away at barriers’: Nurse practitioners filling primary-care gap

Nurse practitioners are steadily solidifying their place in primary care. However, with 5 million Canadians without a primary care provider, experts say there's still more untapped potential for nurse practitioners to improve access and quality of care.

‘A very different experience for our class’: Medical students and the virtual world

Pre-pandemic, 3,000 fourth-year medical students flew across Canada every January for interviews to secure residency positions. Now, for the second year in a row, students are embarking on these high-stake interviews by Zoom.

‘Lives are at stake’: Burnout, staff shortages raise spectre of harmful events in hospital

The combined pandemic toll of a nursing shortage, an exhausted and increasingly inexperienced hospital workforce and a lack of hospital presence for family and friend patient advocates may be a precursor to increased risk of harm while in hospital.

‘We will not hide out of fear’: Open letter speaks out against harassment

Physicians and other health-care workers have been subject to harassment and intimidation for doing their day-to-day work during the pandemic explains Dr. Kaplan-Myrth, who recently penned an open letter asserting why health professionals should not hide out of fear of violence from hate-fueled convoys.

Let evidence be our guide: Misinformation most insidious when it comes from health-care professionals

Misinformation comes in many forms, but perhaps it is most harmful when it is produced by a health-care professional and published in a respected national newspaper.

Enough with the harassment: How to deal with anti-vax cults

The anti-vaxxers who protested outside of my own home because I'm a medical officer of health demonstrate cultish behaviour. Here's how we counter them.

Family member’s undiagnosed illness gives physician new patient perspective

When patients have strange, unidentified illnesses, physicians often focus more on finding a diagnosis than managing symptoms. When a close family member struggled with such an illness, I saw the importance of addressing patient suffering earlier on.

‘Focus on the tooth and the person’: The movement for trauma-informed dentistry

People joke that they don't like going to the dentist, but for some, a trip to the dentist can actually trigger past traumas. The trauma-informed dentistry movement is trying to make dentists' offices places where vulnerable patients feel safe.

Despite (or because of?) pandemic, students are flocking to nursing

Despite pandemic-induced grueling work schedules and stressful work environments, nursing programs have never been as popular. In Ontario alone, applications to registered nursing (RN) programs rose 17.6 per cent from 2020 to 2021.

Granola bars, gift cards and phone chargers: The little extras nurses carry to get colleagues and patients through tough times

Nurses hold the health-care system together, even as many are suffering from burnout and leaving the profession. In this photo-essay, nurses speak about the little things they carry with them to stay motivated and connect with patients and colleagues.

Shortage of physicians, support systems puts health care in northern Ontario in jeopardy

The holistic style of community care that is the backbone of health care in rural northern Ontario is in jeopardy. If we care about equity, those in northern Ontario must have equitable access to the opportunity to live and die well in their communities.

Ontario’s position on midwifery puts rural and Indigenous communities at risk

For the Ford government, midwives' demands for equitable pay are unacceptable. But instead of using tax dollars to fight midwives in court, Ford should recognize gender-based inequities, address the pay gap and invest in rural and northern midwifery programs.