By Mari-Len De Guzman
Close to 100 first-year medical students from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University gathered at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre (ARHCC) on September 19 for the annual National Future Physicians Forum (NFPF).
Now in its fourth year, the NFPF provides first-year medical students with early, hands-on introduction to medical practice. This full-day education event takes participants through the various aspects of a hospital setting, including obstetrics, oncology, pathology, pediatrics, emergency medicine and the operating room. They also gained insights about family medicine, pursuing a specialty, and achieving a well-balanced practice during an interactive Q&A panel discussion.
The primary objective is to provide students with a practical foundation upon which to build their knowledge as they journey through medical school, according to NFPF co-medical directors and Abbotsford family physicians Dr. Holden Chow and Dr. Lorenzo Smith.
“Each session is designed to give you visual, behind-the-scenes exposure so that when you encounter these topics in your studies and clinical training, you’ll already have some context and understanding,” Chow and Smith told students in their welcome remarks. “Some of these sessions may even be unique opportunities that you won’t encounter again in your entire medical career.”
Throughout the day, the students rotated through specialized, experiential learning stations. In the introduction to the OR session, students had an opportunity to explore the workings of an operating room. With guidance from anesthesiologist Dr. Hari Ankireddy, the students received practical instructions on patient intubation.
In the suturing workshop, plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Liss and resident doctor Anmol Sharma guided students through the basics of suturing and knot-tying.
In addition to the practical rotations, students participated in an interactive physician panel discussion, where they were given an opportunity to pose some of their pressing questions to a panel of physicians, which included emergency physician Dr. Monika Wojtera, pediatrics specialist Dr. Bik Grewal, and family practice resident Dr. Ken Xing.
The NFPF is produced in partnership with the Abbotsford Division of Family Practice and the ARHCC Medical Staff Association.
“It has been incredible to watch this event grow over the last four years into a landmark education event for first-year medical students in British Columbia,” said Sheri Josephson, executive director of the Abbotsford Division of Family Practice.
Beyond medical student engagement, the NFPF is also one of the meaningful ways the Abbotsford Division is strengthening connections between community family physicians and hospital specialists, Josephson added.
“Seeing our local family physicians, specialists, residents, nurse practitioners and health-care leaders come together to inspire and mentor these students so early in their medical journey speaks to the extraordinary strength and dedication of our health care community.”
