Medical Education

Groundbreaking research into ME/CFS a pandemic ‘silver lining’

ME/CFS is a misunderstood complex chronic illness affecting more than 600,000 Canadians. For decades ME/CFS patients have been left without proper medical support. But now, with the wave of new post-viral illnesses from the COVID-19 pandemic, ME/CFS patients might finally see some answers.

Why social impact matters: Reflections from a nursing leader

Investing in social impact is something organizations in the health-care field are uniquely positioned to do. We need to remind people of the “why” behind what we do and consider ways we can use our considerable economic and social power to be a force for good.

What are we waiting for? Nurse Practitioners can fill gaps in our ailing health-care system

Nov. 13 to 19 marks Nurse Practitioner (NP) Week in Ontario. NP's are a key, underused resource that have the potential to alleviate many challenges currently facing the health-care system.

The ABCs of combating ageism

We all need to rethink aging. Not only do our beliefs about aging play an essential role in the aging process, but changing these beliefs is not as hard as we might think.

Who is monitoring the gatekeepers? The Royal College an impenetrable fortress

Yes, I failed the Specialty Examination of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. But that does not preclude me from expressing what I consider to be wrong.

Take the survey: What are your priorities for primary care?

What trade-offs are acceptable to you? Do you currently have a family doctor or nurse practitioner? How important is it that every person living in Canada has a relationship with a family doctor? These are some of the questions we ask in the OurCare/NosSoins nation-wide survey.

Let’s talk about part-time: Finding work-life balance in residency

Life doesn’t stop in residency. Marriage and babies happen. Grief and illness and losses happen. Burnout happens. Therapy happens. And with some flexibility, life can happen while we remain present – more present for life and more present for all the work that comes with it.

Episode 43 – Clinical Education and Healthcare Delivery in the CTU with Dr. Brandon Tang

International fellows in the shadows: The other side of post-graduate medical education

International clinical fellows have been the unsung heroes throughout the pandemic. Yet, we still haven’t been able to guarantee some of the basic workplace provisions for them that their Canadian colleagues take for granted.

Episode 41 – Module Madness

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.

‘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.

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.

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.