A few questions about U of A

[ballofnerves]

Hey everybody, I just had a few questions about med at U of A:

 

1) What sort of emphasis is placed on clinical skills? Do clinical skills start early?

2) What opportunities are there for observorships? Are there opportunities to become involved in rural medicine?

3) What research opportunities are there for med students (during summer, etc.)?

4) What do you think are the biggest strengths of the med program at U of A?

 

Thanks for your responses!

[Icebox]

1) What sort of emphasis is placed on clinical skills? Do clinical skills start early?

 

You start learning to take a history right away on a weekly basis and it's drilled into you. The clinical skills program (Gilbert Scholar's) may begin as early as by the 3rd month of school or so, depending on how your group preceptor has set up the schedule. There are 10 of these sessions in the year overall (15 in 2nd year). Each one is scheduled to be 2 hours long, and over the year, you learn - typically in conjunction with the appropriate block - how to do a physical exam for a particular system.

 

In first year, there are (I believe 2) required shadowing mornings/afternoons with a family physician. During each block, you usually get 1 or 2 half days in clinical skills where residents & physicians teach you various aspects of the history/physical directly relating to that block. Additionally, in each year, you are required to do a 12 hour shadowing elective in any specialty & with any preceptor of your choice.

 

Keep in mind that these are only the mandatory sessions. As mentioned in the next question, you can choose to take your clinical experiences to whatever level you wish at UofA.

 

2) What opportunities are there for observorships? Are there opportunities to become involved in rural medicine?

 

As a medical student (anywhere), you're given the privilege to shadow whoever, whenever so long as the physician is able to accomodate you (ie. their clinic times and your flex times match up, and they don't have to many residents/clerks/other students with them already). Any & every specialty is fair game in Edmonton, as the University Hospital is a large tertiary hospital that houses essentially all specialties. There are also numerous other hospitals around the city (Royal Alex, Mis, Grey Nuns, Sturgeon) where you can choose to shadow as well. You have two half days per week, as well as random flex [free] mornings and afternoons to do what you'd like as well.

 

With regards to rural shadowing, the same applies as above - go wherever, do whatever. I'm not big on rural myself so I'm not sure of all the sites, but there are a ton around Edmonton where you can shadow, usually during the weekends so you get enough exposure. The organization RPAP is who you schedule this through (same with UofC med) and through them, you can basically shadow anywhere in Alberta.

 

At UofA, some clubs will set up schedules to accomodate student shadowing - this includes the ER club (Emerg), Psych and Anesthesia. For the most part, you set up shadowing independently, typically by contacting profs/docs directly (through meeting them in lectures, finding them online, by meeting them during clinical skills, etc..) and laying down dates and times.

 

3) What research opportunities are there for med students (during summer, etc.)?

 

Through the class email server, profs and residents send out opportunities to get on board with a project during the school year (which obviously aren't heavy on the workload - they realize our schedule) so you can partake on projects in conjunction with classes. The same method is also used to let us know about summer research opportunities. It works much in the same way as shadowing though, in that you can usually find a project/supervisor on your own.

 

UofA is huge on research & has a pretty big academic reputation. There's a heart center, a diabetes center, and research is going on in all fields, all the time.

 

4) What do you think are the biggest strengths of the med program at U of A?

 

- The first few blocks are not too heavy and allow for a nice transition into med. This is a great time to adapt (new program, new city possibly) and to get to know your class very well. Social events, intramurals and get-togethers go on weekly, sometimes multiple times per week for the first half of the year. You form a great class dynamic and can find good supports as a result.

 

- Good mix of different learning styles: lecture, PBL, clinical skills, patient centered learning, anatomy labs, ethics, site visits, it's all there and in optimal doses of each (though some people learn through only 1 style and prefer that 1 style only; nevertheless, this format caters to all)

 

- Facilities - the hospital has pretty much everything you'd want from the OR to the ER; the lecture theater is huge, spacious, almost luxurious; multiple small group rooms for studying and whatnot, each one equipped with a big screen plasma; the anatomy lab is 24/7, you can go whenever and learn whatever you need via atlases and cadavers (and students get to do all of the dissecting); and the campus itself provides a great college atmosphere.. tons of clubs and social on-goings.

 

- Faculty - The anatomy profs are like no one I've ever been taught by; they amaze me every time. The undergrad medical office has always been good to me, and Edmonton is home to some big shots that live up to their names.

 

- Break times - We get an extended Thanksgiving weekend, a 2-3 week Christmas break, a reading week, a 4 month summer after first year, and a 2.5 month summer after second year. Plenty of time to do whatever you'd like, whether it be travel, research, or vacation. Also, due to the long summers, many students participate in an exchange program where they do either research or clinical electives during summer all over the world (I believe this year includes people going to Brazil, India, Hungary, Germany, China, and a few other places).

 

Hope this helps.

[ballofnerves]

Thanks very much for your response. I would appreciate any input from others!

[Jochi1543]

I understand that people might not be very eager to answer this under their regular screenname....but what do you NOT like about U of A?

[juicyprunes]

These are fairly minor complaints coming from a jaded, burnt-out 3rd year. So take them with a grain of salt.

 

- Student advisors/career advisors aren't always helpful; whole class career talks are minimal and often more intimidating rather than not

- LINK block could definitely prepare you better for clerkship

- amount of anatomy material taught is slowly shrinking

- too much "DL"/PBL time (at least it feels like it for certain blocks)

- pharmacology is not well taught (or somewhat underemphasized given what we need to know for clerkship)

- though we technically get quite a lot of pre-CaRMS elective time, it's totally track dependent

- sometimes it feels like there are too many learners (i.e. medical students, nursing students, residents, etc.) - this is not unique to U of A, of course

 

Anyways, these aren't really good reasons to not choose U of A though!

[Jochi1543]

These are fairly minor complaints coming from a jaded, burnt-out 3rd year. So take them with a grain of salt.

 

- LINK block could definitely prepare you better for clerkship

 

What's the LINK block? Judging by the name, I assume it's your last pre-clerkship block? What does it entail?

 

- though we technically get quite a lot of pre-CaRMS elective time, it's totally track dependent

What kind of tracks are available? And how do you end up on 1 track vs. other?

- sometimes it feels like there are too many learners (i.e. medical students, nursing students, residents, etc.) - this is not unique to U of A, of course

 

I'm assuming you're referring to clerkship experiences?

 

 

 

Thanks!

[juicyprunes]

You answered most of your own questions

 

LINK involves a combination of lectures and hands on sessions designed to prepare you for clerkship including: SOAP notes, writing scripts, starting IVs, insertion of NG tubes, etc., etc. etc.

 

There are about 5 main tracks available (with subtracks for each) - each track has a different sequence of your core rotations and electives. Students rank the "tracks" and then a computer program puts them into tracks while maximizing the number of people getting their first choices. This applies to 3rd and 4th year. In the end, your experience won't be better or worse than anyone elses no matter what track your in.

[ELA]

i think the clerkship system at u of a is actually one of our main strenghts. For one we still have overnight call for our core rotations, it is hard work but you learn so much more at night when you're alone and and making decisions. It seems like some schools are phasing out the overnights for "evening call" which is call till 10pm. This is a watered down version of call without the post call day the next day.

 

the length of the clerkship is good and bad...it lasts 19months which is a good deal longer than other schools, but you end up with loads of elective time to see and do things you'd probably never get to see or do again. on the down side it is a long time.

 

i'm not sure if its for sure yet but i've heard that starting this year, all the core rotations will be held in third year and all the elective time will be shifted to 4th year. this'll be a good thing when it comes to having plenty of elective time before your CaRMS reference letters need to be in at the end of november.

 

oh and another downside of u of a....no set time off during CaRMS interview period!! schools with 13 months of clerkship time get a few weeks off and we get nothing off having 19 months of clerkship...doesn't make sense to me.