Indigenous Health Program

Location: Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta.

Dates: This program is currently active and ongoing.

Project description:

The Indigenous Health Program is committed to supporting Indigenous learners and confronting the issues faced by Indigenous people both in the healthcare system and in our own institution. The program seeks to address the under representation of Indigenous people within the profession of medicine and promote health service quality improvements for all Indigenous people through professional education.

Program objectives include: 

  • Supporting the development of a pool of qualified potential Indigenous applicants for medical training.
  • Supporting Indigenous applicants during the admissions process.
  • Providing support and professional development initiatives for Indigenous medical students.
  • Providing effective training opportunities regarding Indigenous health for ALL CSM learners.

 

To support objectives and goals, the Indigenous Health program includes initiatives such as:

“Lunch and Learns” with Indigenous Health Topics

The IHP has recently created a speaker series focused on Indigenous Health topics.

Indigenous Student Mentorship Program

Mentorship opportunities exist for current and prospective students. Each first year student can choose to be paired with an upper year Indigenous student while clerks are paired with residents or physicians working in their areas of interest. Prospective students can request to be connected with the Coordinator and current students who can help guide them and navigate the admissions process.

New Student Welcome Events and Graduation Celebrations

Incoming Indigenous medical students are invited to attend a welcome dinner alongside other Indigenous medical trainees, staff, and Faculty. The Indigenous Health Program often co-sponsors these events with the Alberta Indigenous Mentorship in Health Innovation (AIM-HI) Network. The IHP also organizes a luncheon and celebration in honour of Indigenous graduates, who are gifted a Pendleton blanket.

Career Development Opportunities

Each year, two Indigenous medical students are sent to the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) Annual General Meeting. This is an incredible networking opportunity for our students, who have connected with other Indigenous students and MDs from across Canada at these meetings. One of our current students is on the IPAC board.

 

Key contacts:

 

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