MMHS Spring Newsletter

McMaster Medicine and Health Society

MMHS Newsletter Cover & Layout Design

by Zani Zartashah

Greetings What a year it has been! The McMaster Medicine and Health Society (MMHS) sincerely hopes that everyone has had the chance to visit, study, or even aimlessly walk on campus. We also hope that everyone is continuing to stay safe and healthy.

MMHS is thrilled to announce that we are now 30 years old! On behalf of the entire executive team, we are honoured to carry on our organization’s mission in serving as a resource for ambitious McMaster students interested in healthcare professions.

I am pleased to present the sixth issue of the MMHS Newsletter, an

Issue 06 | March 2022

update on the MMHS initiatives that I shared in November. This newsletter series continues to be an essential platform to connect the McMaster student body with the MMHS executive team. This newsletter will focus on highlighting Fall 2021 events as well as upcoming events for the Winter 2022 semester!

We appreciate all the support we have received on our revamped website. We have incorporated your feedback and will continue to update our website with new student opportunities in both volunteering and research. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding MMHS in general, please feel free to contact us through Facebook (/MacMMHS), Instagram (@mac.mhs) or our website (www.macmhs.com).

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I would like to personally thank my fellow MMHS executives for their tireless efforts and the MMHS general members who continue to actively participate in MMHS initiatives. I finally would like to thank our guest speakers who collaborate with us to offer informative events.

I am thrilled to see each of you in our 2022 events!

CHEERS DAVID NASRI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MMHS VP of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

MMHS Team

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by Zani Zartashah

2021-2022 Executive Board Here is the dynamic executive team that works to organize MMHS initiatives!

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Follow the MMHS on our social media mac.mhs

mmhs@mcmaster.ca

macmhs.com

@MacMMHS

Gurleen Chahal Co-President Honours Life Sciences, IV McMaster University

David Mikhail Co-President Arts & Science, III McMaster University

Zani Zartashah Graphics Director Honours Life Sciences, IV McMaster University

Ronnie Du VP Communications Health Sciences, II McMaster University

David Nasri VP External Affairs iBioMed (HESE), II McMaster University

Abhiraj Minhas Research Coordinator Honours Life Sciences, IV McMaster University

Pranshu Maini Research Coordinator Health Sciences, II McMaster University

Ted Zhou VP Events Health Sciences, III McMaster University

Emma/YB VP Events Health Sciences, IV McMaster University

Heba Hanif Junior Event Coordinator Life Sciences Gateway, I McMaster University

Asim Shaikh VP Admin Health Sciences, II McMaster University

Vishal Mokashi VP Finance Honours Life Sciences, IV McMaster University

Kate Rokoss Research Coordinator Health Sciences, IV McMaster University

Harmil Kalia Junior Event Coordinator Arts & Science, I McMaster University

Want To Learn More?

To learn more about the MMHS executive team, check out our website! While you’re there, stay updated and connected with our social media platforms. | www.macmhs.com

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by Zani Zartashah

Winter Events

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Let's Talk Research: Surgery

Volunteer Symposium

Interested in research? Looking to learn directly from health research professionals?

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Interested in working with local organizations?

We are thrilled to continue the tradition of hosting our annual Let’s Talk Research (LTR) Conference, where students are invited to listen, first-hand, to academic insights from health research professionals. Past LTR events delved deep into topics regarding Psychiatry & Mental Health, Organ Transplantation, The Opioid Crisis, and Geriatric Populations.

The Events Coordinators at MMHS were ecstatic to organize our annual Volunteer Symposium that took place on MARCH 8, 2022 at 7:00-8:00 PM EST! At the virtual event, students enjoyed the countless opportunities to learn more about organizations that are currently seeking volunteers.

The Volunteer Symposium allowed students to network with various volunteer coordinators who were eager to meet potential volunteers.

The theme for the 2022 LTR Conference is surgery, where researchers have expertise in fields such as plastic surgery, robotic surgery, and much more! The Research Coordinators at MMHS are working tirelessly to make the virtual event more engaging than ever before!

In previous years, the Volunteer Symposium had a significant impact on motivating students to pursue volunteer work in Hamilton and abroad! Some organizations that have attended in previous years consisted of the Canadian Red Cross, Hamilton Health Sciences, Mission Services, and the Ronald McDonald House. This year, students listened to local representatives from Pathways to Education, St. John Ambulance, Green Venture and St Joseph’s Villa. Students also spoke with representatives from McMaster initiatives including CANFAR, The Meducator, Humanity First, Pride Community Center, and The Student Wellness Center. We are grateful for the representatives who took time out of their day to join this event and make it one to remember! We hope to see you all at next year’s Volunteer Symposium!

The 2022 LTR Conference will take place on TUESDAY, MARCH 29 at 6:00-8:00 PM EST, via Zoom. Be sure to register through our Instagram (@mac.mhs)!

Your Feedback!

We would love to hear some of your own insight! Feel free to fill out this form to share your requests for both the Medical School Symposium and So You Want To Be A Doctor? events! https://forms.gle/mN2Z3m79xb8bHp1R6

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by Zani Zartashah

Winter Events

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Podcast Series | MMMS:30

Bioethics Discussion

To celebrate three decades of MMHS, we created a new initiative: MMHS:30. We are hosting a miniseries of 30-minute podcast episodes, interviewing members of the McMaster community!

I was honoured to work closely with well-renowned physician, professor, and ethicist, Dr. Philip Hébert, to host the annual MMHS Bioethics Discussion for our general members in January.

Our first episode is already out – our hosts Zani Zartashah and Emma Zhang were fortunate to speak with Zoha Salam, a Ph.D. candidate at McMaster University’s Global Health Program, who shared her personal and academic journey to global health and her research focuses.

Be sure to listen to our first episode! We are currently in the works with our next interview where we are interviewing MMHS alumni who are happy to update you on their lives after MMHS! Dr. Hébert is the author of Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians, a popular read among undergraduate, nursing, and medical students interested in developing their views on bioethics.

Link: MMHS: 30 | Podcast on Spotify

Workshops The executive team plans on offering another round of MMHS Workshops! In the past, we have collaborated with other McMaster organizations such as the McMaster Emergency First Response Team (EFRT) and their affiliations with the Canadian Red Cross to offer The First Aid Basics Workshop. In the Winter 2021 initiative, MMHS members learned life-saving first aid skills and how to react to choking, life-threatening bleeding, breathing emergencies, wound care and much more!

For this semester, MMHS plans to continue offering informative workshops in collaboration with other McMaster organizations! Keep an eye out!

Participants were fortunate to discuss ethical scenarios in the context of medicine. The format of the initiative was similar to how medical schools currently conduct ethical teachings, where students discuss in groups and later report their findings to the entire cohort.

We are always happy to hear your feedback as we continue to work with Dr. Hébert to make the event more interactive.

So You Want to Be a Doctor?

On November 18, 2021, MMHS was thrilled to host So You Want To Be A Doctor?, a virtual panel of Canadian medical school students over Zoom where students could learn more about medical school advice!

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by Zani Zartashah

Winter Events

So You Want to Be a Doctor?

We were pleased to invite the following students to voice their experiences in medical school: Andrew D’Elia, University of Toronto Emma Huang, University of Ottawa Molly Cowls, Queen's University Dhruv Gupte, University of Western Ontario Rebecca Hu, University of Alberta Clare Fiala, McMaster University So You Want To Be A Doctor? serves as a safe space to listen and inquire about the unique journeys taken by current medical school students.

The event provides an interactive discussion to aid students in making better-informed decisions about their own career paths. The MMHS team was thrilled to see you gain insightful perspectives from medical school students. Let us know what other medical schools you want to hear personal experiences from!

Medical School Symposium Since 2018, MMHS has created the Medical School Symposium for students interested in learning about medical admissions directly from medical schools.

Your Feedback!

What experts do you want to hear from? Let us know via this form! https://forms.gle/Ht7yQ6uET2oa5f8S6

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On November 11, 2021, MMHS hosted the virtual event, welcoming admissions officers from the University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, and McMaster University. Each medical school offered specialized information that revolved around admissions for their respective programs. We hosted a Q+A session where attendees asked and listened to unanswered questions. We are always looking for your feedback! Let us know what other health-related graduate programs and schools interest you!

The Medical School Symposium is an excellent opportunity to learn more about admissions to medical schools, in real time. We hope to see you all at next year’s event!

The Princeton Review (TPR) We are pleased to be sponsored by The Princeton Review® – a test preparation company, offering individuals test preparation for standardized tests, tutoring, and admission resources. In particular, The Princeton Review® offers preparation for graduate programs, including courses and tutoring for the MCAT®. All general members who sign up through this form are eligible to receive a $400 discount on the MCAT prep course from The Princeton Review® Visit www. princetonreview.com for more information.

Final Remarks

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by Zani Zartashah

Final Remarks Well, that’s a wrap!

We hope that you had the chance to take advantage of the various opportunities offered by MMHS. Each year, the MMHS team works diligently to provide new and updated resources to keep you wellinformed throughout your journey towards a healthcare career. The McMaster Medicine and Health Society strives to ensure that information is inclusive and accessible for all students regardless of their background. We greatly value hearing your feedback on our initiatives as they play an integral role in planning future events. Feel free to send us an email or contact us via our social media pages – your voice matters. We hope to see you at future events this year.

Here’s to thirty years of MMHS and many more!

Editorial Board David Nasri Editor-In-Chief MMHS Executive 2021/22

Gurleen Chahal MMHS Co-President 2021/22

Zani Zartashah Graphics Director MMHS Executive 2021/22

David Mikhail MMHS Co-President 2021/22

Follow the MMHS on our social media mac.mhs

mmhs@mcmaster.ca

macmhs.com

@MacMMHS

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