CFMS Podcasts

Hey, it's our first (real) episode, where host Rachel sits down and has a conversation with the Dean of Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine, Dr. David Anderson.

They chat about life as Dean, the Maritimes, family, Dr. Anderson's days as a tennis phenom, and more. Guess you'll have to listen to find out more.

In Who (Health) Cares, we will be getting to know physicians across Canada and across specialties. We will talk a bit of medicine, and a lot about who they are. Stay tuned for more guests to come, and stay connected on social media, @cfmspodcast on Instagram.

Credits:

Host: Rachel Tooth

Producers: Rachel Tooth, Erin Lin, Kieran Chalmers

Editor: Kieran Chalmers

Social Media and Cover Art: Adela Gottardi

Music: Slade Lake, Alex Baldassare

In this episode, Megan Lowe of CFMS Research in Medicine interviews Dr. Shawn Aaron, a distinguished respirologist and senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa. Dr. Aaron shares insights from his journey as a clinician-scientist, offering valuable guidance on navigating the balance between research and clinical practice. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship and imparts key life lessons, highlighting perseverance and persistence as essential qualities for success in research endeavors.

Hey! Welcome to our new series, Who (Health) Cares. This is our Meet and Greet episode, where we meet our 3 new hosts, Kieran, Erin and Rachel. We talk a bit about ourselves, a bit about why we are doing this and a bit about what you can expect throughout the series.

In Who (Health) Cares, we will be getting to know physicians from across Canada and across specialties. We won't only be talking about medicine, but also about who they are. Stay tuned for more episodes to come, and follow us on social media, @cfmspodcast on Instagram.

Credits:

Hosts: Erin Lin, Rachel Tooth, Kieran Chalmers

Editor: Kieran Chalmers

Social Media and Cover Art: Adela Gottardi

Music: Slade Lake, Alex Baldassare

This month, Farhad Ghaseminejad and Maggie Chopra of the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast interviews Dr. Michael Rauh, an associate professor at Queen’s University in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine. Dr. Rauh completed an MD/PhD degree from UBC and his residency in hematological pathology at UofT. His research focuses on myeloid pathologies, specifically the genetic and immune pathogenesis of myeloid cancers. In this episode, we discuss what motivated Dr. Rauh to pursue hematopathology, the life of a clinician-scientist, advice for students wanting to pursue research in medical school, and more.

In this episode, Margaret Sun of the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast interviews Dr. Victoria Luong to discuss her transition from clinical medicine to medical education research. Currently, Dr. Luong is a PhD student at Dalhousie University after attaining her MD from the Université de Sherbrooke in 2015. Her interest in qualitative research sparked a shift from pursuing a residency to undertaking a Master’s in Health Profession Education, steering her towards a career in medical education research. Notably, her graduate work concentrates on exploring the role of personality in medical education and understanding the experiences of medical trainees encountering struggle and underperformance.

This month the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast interviews Dr. Paul Young. Dr. Paul Young is a gynecologist and research director at the BC Women's Center for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis. Dr. Young completed a combined MD PhD degree and a residency in obstetrics and gynecology, followed by a clinical fellowship in endometriosis, pelvic pain and advanced laparoscopy in 2012 at the University of British Columbia. In this episode, let's discover the topic of Endometriosis and Pelvic Pains with us!

This month the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast series presents a special edition entitled, Collaboration of Practitioners & Researchers. In this episode, a medical student and biomedical graduate student showcase how clinical practice and medical research are different sides of the same coin. During this seminar you will hear Kevin Zhao of McMaster and Christie Costello of MUN discuss the topic of arthritis.

This month the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast interviews Dr. Agnes Wong. Dr. Wong is a Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Psychology at the University of Toronto, and an active staff ophthalmologist at the Hospital for Sick Children. In this episode, she reveals her secrets to successful grant writing; her opinion regarding the optimal timing of when to pursue a PhD; advice for medical students on career exploration & wellness; and more!

This month the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast interviews Dr. Elizabeth Finger. Dr. Finger is a Professor of Neurology at Western University. In this episode we talk about her research on empathy in frontotemporal dementia and her pathway to becoming a clinician-scientist.

In episode 12 of the LDTB series, the 7 co-hosts reflect on the experiences they’ve had, lessons they’ve learned and memories they’ve made over the past year.

This month the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast interviews Dr. Ana Wing. Dr. Wing is a Professor of Neurology at Queen’s University. In this episode we talk about her journey across the globe from medical school to becoming a new faculty member in 2020.

In episode 11 of the LDTB series, Karine and Lucas discuss their definitions of professionalism. They explore the ways that notions of professionalism play out in clinical settings and on social media. Lastly, the co-hosts delve into how cultural differences and the hospital hierarchy can make professionalism challenging to navigate.

Reference letters (aka letters of reference) are another component to the CaRMS R1 Application. This component is of particular interest because it's not something you can start a week before the application is due...or even when the application opens. The foundation for good letters of reference come throughout your clerkship rotation, so tune into this episode to hear what should start thinking about now. In this episode, we interview Dr. Melanie Lewis, associate Dean of Learner Advocacy & Wellness at the University of Alberta. She chats about the best way to ask for letters, who you should ask/from what specialties, how to gently remind physicians who haven't submitted your letter when the deadline approaches, and much more. 

This month the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast series interviews Dr. Proton Rahman. Dr. Rahman is a distinguished physician and researcher in the discipline of Rheumatology at Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine. His many accomplishments include over 300 published research articles and being recognized in Canada’s top 40 under 40.

In this episode, we explore his path to research and how he got into the field of genomics during its infancy. Dr. Rahman explains why he conducted a research fellowship and how he has continued to educate himself throughout his career. Finally, he offers advice to budding medical researchers and his opinion on emerging fields of research.

In episode 10 of the LDTB series, Audrey and Brittany discuss the experiences they’ve had as women going through medical school. They explore how gender roles affect them, both within formal learning settings and clinical settings. They then discuss how these gender roles can affect notions of professionalism and specialty choice.

In episode 9 of the LDTB series, Peter and Kassandra discuss the competitive nature of medical school. They discuss the competition that they encountered when applying to medicine and how this evolved once they were accepted. The co-hosts then address the topic of residency matching and explore how competition can persist throughout a medical career.

This month the CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast series interviews Dr. Leigh Ann Newhook. Dr. Newhook is a Pediatrician at the Janeway Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University. In this episode we talk about her broad approach to research in pediatrics and giving back as a member of team Broken Earth in Haiti. Dr. Newhook also gives insight into how you can apply research to real problems you encounter in the clinic.

RIM= Research in Medicine series

In episode 8 of the LDTB series, Lucas, Brittany and Karine each explore their unique familial backgrounds. They describe the support that they’ve received from their families and address how medical training has influenced these relationships.

Medical "Pimping": it's so much more than simply getting a question right or wrong. A student's reaction and response in "pimping" scenarios speaks volumes. So tune into this interview with Dr. Stephanie Smith to learn more about the practice of "medical pimping" to prepare yourself and learn how to become a better student and leave the best impression possible on your preceptors and peers.

Please note: we refer to this practice as "pimping" as it is a commonly used term in medicine. However, the CFMS does not endorse perpetuation of the word. Instead, we would like to flip the narrative and refer to this practice as "medical knowledge exploration and growth". 

CC= CFMS Connection Podcast

In episode 7 of the LDTB series, Karine, Peter and Audrey discuss the benefits of maintaining relationships outside of medicine. They consider the ways that medicine has affected these relationships and how it has made them at times, extremely challenging. The three hosts then compare these to the relationships that they typically have with their medical colleagues. Finally, to conclude the episode, they reflect on how maintaining relationships outside of medicine will help them become better future physicians.

In this episode of LDTB, Dakoda, Kassandra, and Peter have a candid discussion about the reality of long-distance relationships as a medical student. They share how they’ve stayed in touch with their partners, some of the challenges they’ve faced, and tips for keeping the relationship thriving from afar! Also addressed is planning for an uncertain future with CaRMS matching.

In this episode, we interview Canadian medicine social media guru and Emergency Physician, Dr. Teresa Chan. We chat about how to use social media for patient advocacy, to connect for professional development, to build a brand/identity as a medical professional, to share research and educate the public, and to help you connect with CaRMS programs across the country. 

Links:

Dr. Chan’s Twitter: @TChanMD & website: https://www.tchanmd.com/about-me

MacEmerg Podcast: https://sites.google.com/medportal.ca/macemerg-cpd/podcast

CC= CFMS Connection Podcast

The CFMS Research in Medicine Podcast Series interviews Dr. Woodmass from @UM_RadyFHS this month! We talk with him about “outcomes research” in orthopaedic surgery and the importance of teamwork in research. Are you hesitant about doing research? He can tell you why it’s worth a try.

In this second part of their discussion on marriage and family planning, Kassandra, Lucas and Dakoda invite their partners to share their perspectives on how their relationships have been affected by medical school. Their partners discuss the challenges that they face as the spouses of medical students and the strategies that they’ve used to overcome these obstacles together.

In this episode of LDTB, Kassandra, Lucas and Dakoda have a casual and very personal conversation about what it’s like to be married during medical school. The three of them discuss the ways in which their partners help to keep them well and how medical school presents unique challenges in their relationships. Lastly, they address the topic of family planning during medical school and the way this influences their career choices.

The personal letter is one of several requirements in your CaRMs application for residency. The CaRMs website describes personal letters as “how you introduce yourself to programs and to express interest in a specific program and/or discipline”. Evidently, they’re an important piece to the residency matching puzzle. But what really is a personal letter? What’s required in the letter? How do you go about writing one? The answer to those questions and more, right here in this podcast episode from Dr. Lorne Weisenfeld, a former program director for over 10 years for Emergency Medicine at Ottawa. He gives great advice about writing personal letters and insight from a program director point of view. 

Dr. Paul Bergl’s funny robot personal letter tweet: https://twitter.com/paulberglmd/status/1070362210776612864?lang=en

Acronyms:

CC= CFMS Connection Podcast

AFMC- The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC)

ARMC- The AFMC Resident Matching Committee

CaRMS- Canadian Resident Matching Service

CMG- Canadian Medical Graduate

IMG- International Medical Graduate

On this first episode of the LDTB’s “relationships in medicine” mini series, Audrey and Brittany talk about their experiences with dating during medical school (including their lack thereof)! Starting new relationships or keeping old ones is sometimes a real challenge for medical students and it is challenging to make time for it when school takes up so much of our time and energy.  Tune in to hear what they have to say in this casual discussion on dating while in medicine! As always, if you ever have any feedback or suggestions, please reach out to us at ldtbpodcastcommittee@gmail.com.

In this Research in Medicine Podcast Series episode, we hear from family doctor Dr. Alex Singer. He gives advice on mentorship, collaboration, and deciding whether research is right for you. We also discuss research on electronic medical records, resource stewardship, and COVID-19.

On LDTB’s second episode, co-hosts Brittany, Lucas, and Kassandra talk about what wellness means to them and explore the environment of wellness in medical school. “Wellness” is certainly a buzzword that gets used frequently in medical school culture, but what does it really mean? How do medical students truly feel about their own wellness needs while navigating the challenging road of medicine? Tune in and find out more! Reach out to us at ldtbpodcastcommittee@gmail.com!

The CFMS, the Canadian Federation of Medical Students, is the national voice of Canadian Medical Students. This is our brand new podcast. It is a collection of three separate series - Research in Medicine, Life as a Doctor to be and the CFMS Connection podcast series.