Learner showcase

As an integral feature of the conference, we curate a Learner Showcase Presentation. This is a poster presentation opportunity for students to share their experiences and contributions to grassroots EDID initiatives. It's an opportunity to showcase and share the valuable work and insights stemming from their involvement. We welcome applications from collectives across Canada, with a particular emphasis on those not formally affiliated with working groups. You are welcome to apply individually or with a group.

Application Link: https://forms.gle/vfKpiRenCPZjsZKX6

Previous Presentations

Schulich Inclusive Medicine Initiative (SIMI): Emily Sodhi, Gabrielle Pundaky, Mila Huhtala

Project Description: As three students at the Schulich School of Medicine, we recognized a need for increased awareness and education regarding the care of individuals with developmental, medical, and/or complex physical needs. The goal of the Schulich Inclusive Medicine Initiative (SIMI) is to advance medical school curriculum by creating initiatives that shape the next generation of physicians into better advocates and care providers for vulnerable populations.

We have been collaborating with the Open Minds Open Doors committee, a group of individuals advocating for those with developmental, medical, and/or complex physical needs in London and surrounding areas. We have collaborated with the committee to develop an addition to the Schulich curriculum involving a small group session for pre-clerks. This session explores the unique challenges, misconceptions, and biases faced by these individuals in our healthcare system and how we, as the next generation of physicians, can improve their healthcare experience. 

Further expanding this goal, we will be collaborating with Schulich Accessible Medical Interviews, an organization that seeks to help medical students feel more comfortable interviewing patients facing communication barriers in a safe and informed manner. On May 7, 2024, we will invite pre-clerks to the Schulich Clinical Skills facility to undergo a mock OSCE including ~4 stations that will be facilitated by individuals with IDDs and their respective social workers.These stations will provide students with a low-stakes environment where they will learn about these individuals’ experiences navigating our healthcare system, barriers they face, and advice for medical students to ensure they are prepared to handle encounters with patients who have IDDs in an empowering and safe manner. The social worker and individual with an IDD will volunteer information regarding how to adapt physical exams and history taking for individuals who have physical limitations and/or may be non-verbal, and students may be given an opportunity to conduct medical interviews/examinations.

The impact of medical student-developed educational workshop on enhancing skin health literacy among elementary school student: Miranda Branyiczky,  Ally Carmona, Shahnawaz Towheed, Tara Behroozian, Iryna Savinova

Project Description: Skin disease affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, and skin health is vital for both mental and physical well-being. As the incidence of skin cancer continues to rise each year, implementing primary prevention measures for skin disease from a young age becomes increasingly important. However, studies have demonstrated that elementary school students have limited knowledge on skin health and seldom engage in skin protective behaviours/habits. Furthermore, conversations surrounding skin health are often stigmatized and under-discussed in the existing elementary school curriculum within Ontario. Previous health initiatives in elementary schools have shown success in increasing knowledge and promoting protective behaviours. Skin health initiatives can therefore help to bridge the existing gap in curricula. This prospective longitudinal study aims to evaluate the impact of a McMaster medical student-developed educational workshop on enhancing skin health literacy among elementary school students, with the ultimate goal of promoting long-lasting impacts on skin health habits.
       

Our study population includes elementary school students from grades 5-7 within the Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo region. From April to June 2024, classes will be recruited to participate in this study. Students will complete a baseline questionnaire, consisting of 12 true/false and multiple choice questions designed to test their knowledge of skin health-related topics. An educational workshop intervention (approved by Dr. Mohannad Abu-Hilal) will then be delivered. This workshop is an age-appropriate, evidence-based interactive presentation facilitated by McMaster medical students and adapted from educational modules created by the American Academy of Dermatology. The workshop aims to address topics on skin health and protective behaviours including sun safety, skin cancer, acne and eczema. One week after the workshop, students will be asked to complete the same questionnaire to evaluate their knowledge of skin health post-intervention. Scores from the pre- and post-questionnaires will be compared to assess the efficacy of the intervention. Qualitative feedback will also be collected from both students and teachers through short answer questions.

Mentoring practices available to Black Medical Students: Julia Kemzang, BHSc, Gaelle Bekolo, MD, Sarvesh Jaunky, Johanne Mathieu, MD, Hérold Constant, Julianah Oguntala, BSc, Malek Rahmani, BSc, Michael Christopher Louismé, BHSc, Natalia Medina, BSc, Claire E. Kendall, MD, PhD, Simpson Ewurabena, MDCM, MPH, FRCPC, Daniel Hubert, MBA, Marie-Cécile Domecq, MBSI, Salomon Fotsing, MD., MAEd

Project Description: 

Purpose
Despite numerous mentoring strategies to promote academic success and eligibility in medicine, Black students remain disproportionately underrepresented in medical school. The authors therefore conducted a scoping review to identify the mentoring practices available to Black medical education students, specifically the mentoring strategies used, their application, and their evaluation.

Method
Between May 2023 and October 2023, the authors searched Medline, Embase, Cinhal, Psychinfo, Eric and Education Source. Studies that described a mentoring strategy applied among black learners were eligible for inclusion, and all years of publication were included. Two reviewers screened each article using the Covidence tool, and conflicts were resolved by a third author. All reviewers extracted the data to summarize the various mentoring practices available to black learners. 

Results
After screening all 6292 articles, 42 articles met the criteria for full review. Of these, 14 studies were ultimately included in the study. Mentoring practices for Black students included peer mentoring, dyad mentoring, and group mentoring. Mentoring was typically offered through discussion groups, educational internships, and didactic activities. According to these articles, evaluation of a mentoring program took into account (1) pass rates on medical exams (e.g., MCAT, Casper), (2) receipt of an invitation to a medical school admissions interview, (3) successful match to a competitive residency program, and (4) a mentee's report of the overall experience and effectiveness of the program.

Conclusion
This review is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to focus on the various mentoring strategies implemented among black learners in medicine. Our results will serve to inform the best mentoring strategies adapted for Black learners and will therefore help address the underrepresentation of Black students in medicine. 

Muslim Mental Health Initiative: Lobna Abdel-Dayem, Tafheem-Un Nisa, Sabyah Azhar, Ammar Mohamed

Project Description: At the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, a student-led initiative is organized to address the gaps in medical education related to immigrant health, Muslim health, mental health, and global health. This will be the second annual Ramadan event at NOSMU.

In this student-led initiative, medical students at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine are given the opportunity to have an immersive experience about Muslim health in order to provide them with exposure and resources about the subject. 
During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, students are invited to participate in a Ramadan Iftar (break-fast). Students could optionally fast and join Muslim peers in breaking their fast after sunset in order to better understand and experience the religious customs of Muslim patients. 

Presentations from healthcare professionals, particularly those specializing in immigrant health, Muslim health, and global health, will be a key feature. These professionals will provide insights and summaries of relevant literature to enhance students' understanding of diverse health considerations.

Integral to the initiative is the promotion of open dialogues among students and healthcare professionals. These discussions will delve into the challenges faced by minority groups in the healthcare system. 

NOSM University’s Cultural Immersion Model: Impact on Student Cultural Competency: Lobna Abdel-Dayem

Project Description: NOSM University’s Cultural Immersion Model: Impact on Student Cultural Competency is a project intended to evaluate aspects of NOSM University’s medical education curriculum as it relates to cultural competency.
The focus of the project is the CBM 106 ICE placement in which first year students engage in a culturally immersive placement to become educated about Indigenous culture and health. The project aims to evaluate how this placement impacts student cultural competency. 

This project is funded by a NOSMU Research Award in Medical Education and is under the supervision of NOSMU faculty.
To assess changes in cultural competency before and after the placement, standardized survey tools are being used to evaluate student cultural competence pre and post placement.

Tracing Avicenna's contributions to medical education over time: Nazanin Soghrati

Project Description: When giving a lecture at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, John Urquhart, professor at the University of California at San Francisco, contrasted Ibn Sina’s famous work, Canon of Medicine (c. 1012) with William Osler’s Principles and Practice of Medicine (1892). He went further to state that if he were ever marooned and in need of a medical guide, he would choose Ibn Sina’s Canon over Osler’s work because of its integration of medicine and surgery, its practicality, and its open-minded view on intervention. This bold claim highlights the relevance of Ibn Sina’s book despite being written a millennium earlier and is a testament to his achievement. In fact, Sir William Osler himself remarked on the Canon as “the most famous medical textbook ever written; a medical bible for a longer time than any other work.”
Ibn Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, was a Persian physician and philosopher whose role in medical education has undergone profound changes throughout the centuries. Despite his expansive contributions to medical knowledge and literature, he remains relatively unknown and seldom talked about in modern Western medical school curricula. While the Cannon used to be the main medical textbook in several European universities between the eleventh to seventeenth centuries, it no longer plays a role. This project aims to investigate the medical contributions of Avicenna beyond the middle east. By exploring several resources in greater detail, I aim to answer several questions: What is Avicenna’s role in the history of medicine? How did Canon of Medicine influence Western medical education? How did it influence medical practices? Finally, I hope to trace the influence of Avicenna’s literature in Western medicine over time into the twenty-first century and determine whether there is a relevance to studying Canon in modern medical school curricula. By examining Avicenna’s Canon and comparing it with medical literature produced after him, as well as other influential medical textbooks, such as Osler’s Principles and Practice of Medicine, I plan to study the relevance of Avicenna and his books that used to be the holy grail of medicine.

Expanding the Clerkship Travel Program: Stephanie Pye, Taylor Hammond

Project Description: Our project is about advocating to expand the Clerkship Travel Program (CTP) as offered by Health Force Ontario. The CTP provides funding for students to do visiting electives within Ontario, however there are a number of limitations on the funding such as requiring students to complete their rotation at specified Academic Centres, all of which are in urban areas. We are part of the NORM subcommittee of OMSA and our project is to write a position paper to advocate for expanded funding that can be used for rural electives. Our proposal for the position paper was accepted and now we are hard at work researching and editing our position paper to submit to OMSA for more feedback.

QI Curriculum for Queens Family Medicine Residents: Sustainable Asthma Inhaler Prescribing: Nikita Chopra

Project Description: The Canadian healthcare system is responsible for 4.6% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions, a value greater than contributions from aviation and shipping.1 Making Canada one of the worst health care polluters per capita in the world,1 emphasizing the dynamic relationship between healthcare and the environment and the importance of sustainability moving forward. Ergo, pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) are the current most widely prescribed treatment option for respiratory conditions including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However pMDIs use and emit hydrofluorocarbons as a propellent, resulting in a high climate impact of 18,000 ktCO2-eq in 2018.2 Conversely, dry powder inhalers (DPIs) deliver powdered medication and do not require propellant use, having a climate impact that is 10 times less that of pMDIs.2 DPIs are also technically and economically feasible,2 and can be considered an equal alternative for many patient populations. Alongside making the switch from pMDIs to DPIs, carbon emissions can be reduced by reducing the amount of unnecessary inhaler prescriptions. A study from 2017 found 33% of patients diagnosed with asthma in the last 5 years did not have objective evidence of asthma on lung function tests.3 As a result, focusing on sustainable inhaler prescribing practices can reduce the healthcare carbon footprint. The focus of my research group aims to embed quality improvement (QI) curriculum into the Queen’s Family Medicine Residency program to reduce the environmental impact of the healthcare team and improve the attitude and engagement of residents towards QI in curriculum. Our methods are inspired by the Model of Improvement by the Institute of Health Improvement and the primary objective is to reduce pMDI prescription rates by 50% across 6 teaching sites between June 2022 to June 2024. While also observing statistically significant improvements in attitude, engagement, knowledge, and confidence of residents towards QI with pre and post surveys with completion of an educational workshop. The project adds value to knowledge of sustainable healthcare systems and improvement of medical education by blending evidence-based care and QI. References 1. A net-zero emissions health system. Canadian Medical Association. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://www.cma.ca/our-focus/net-zero-emissions-health-system 2. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer: 2018 Report of the medical technical options committee [Internet]. Nairobi, Kenya. 3. Aaron SD, Vandemheen KL, FitzGerald JM, et al. Reevaluation of Diagnosis in Adults With Physician-Diagnosed Asthma. JAMA. 2017;317(3):269-279. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.19627

Development and Implementation of a Longitudinal Wellness Curriculum for Medical Students at the University of Ottawa: Brianna Abboud

Project Description: It is no secret that medical students face a tremendous amount of stress which can alter different aspects of their state of wellness. Although medical schools recognize this and offer many support programs for students including counselling services as well as peer support initiatives, there remains a lack of longitudinal wellness curriculums in medical programs. Medical training is an extensive journey, from pre-clerkship to clerkship, each year presents itself with new challenges hence the importance of implementing a longitudinal wellness curriculum to assist medical students in facing these challenges progressively along their journey in order to foster long term wellness amongst medical students. 

The objective of this scoping review is to identify key elements of a wellness curriculum to then propose the implementation of a longitudinal wellness curriculum at the university of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. With the development and implementation of a longitudinal wellness curriculum, medical students will be provided with the support needed along their academic journey to maintain all aspects of their wellness whether it be mental, physical, spiritual or financial. 

To date, a wide range of research has been conducted pertaining to wellness challenges medical students face, but it remains a grey area when it comes to wellness curriculum implementation. Medical students aren’t provided with progressive and longitudinal support leading to gaps when it comes to maintaining the student wellness environment. 

The scoping review will lead to the recommendation of a longitudinal wellness curriculum at the university of Ottawa for undergraduate medical students. The future implementation of such a program will foster a healthier learning environment for medical students which will be reflected in their quality of care towards future patients. 

Incorporating Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into the Education and Assessment of Professionalism for Healthcare Professionals and Trainees: Nima Behravan, Darsh Shah, Nujud Al-Jabouri, Dr. Matthew Sibbald

Project Description: 

Introduction:
Current definitions of professionalism for healthcare trainees often do not incorporate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into the expectations and assessment of professionalism. While professionalism teaching is incorporated in health professionals’ training, equity-deserving groups still experience discrimination and health inequities. This necessitates interventions to reframe expectations of professionalism from learners. This scoping review systematically searches the literature to understand how EDI, cultural humility, and advocacy are incorporated in healthcare trainees' education and assessment of professionalism.

Methods:
MEDLINE, Embase & PsychINFO were searched up to March 16, 2023, with query terms related to health professionals, professionalism, EDI, cultural humility, and advocacy. Titles and abstracts (n=3870) and full-texts (n= 140) were independently screened by two reviewers. Articles meeting the following criteria were included: (1) focused on EDI, cultural humility, or advocacy among healthcare students/trainees, and (2) had outcomes related to professionalism. No restrictions were placed on study designs. Articles lacking formal discussion of professionalism as an outcome were excluded. Primary outcomes were independently extracted and themes were generated by mutual discussion. Disagreements at any stage were resolved by a third reviewer or consensus-based discussion. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cote and MERSQI tools.

Results:
47 articles were included in the final thematic analysis. Three predominant themes emerged from the literature: (1) EDI-associated interventions improve professionalism (n=21). (2) Trainee definitions and perceptions of professionalism revealed themes of EDI and cultural competency (n=12). (3) Current standards of professionalism are perceived as non-inclusive towards historically-marginalized populations (n=14).

Conclusion:
The improvement in professionalism due to EDI interventions, the presence of EDI in student perceptions of professionalism, and the non-inclusivity of current professionalism standards creates a strong impetus to incorporate the EDI lens within professionalism frameworks healthcare education curricula.

Social Medicine in Canadian Medical School: Rachel Fagan

Project Description: 
Background/Purpose: Social medicine (SM) concepts including public and population health, as well as the social determinants of health, are integral to undergraduate medical education (UGME). Although important, University of Ottawa students express dissatisfaction with current teaching methods. The lack of literature on effective SM instruction in Canadian medical schools motivated this study, which aimed to explore innovative pedagogical approaches.

Methods: We contacted SM faculty in all Canadian medical schools through the Social Accountability Network of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada. Each school was invited to participate in a virtual semi-structured interview or complete an electronic survey questionnaire examining SM structure, content, and assessment methods.

Results: Out of 17 medical schools, 11 participated, revealing common themes. All mandated SM education, predominantly during preclerkship. Reported student perceptions of SM varied from positive to negative and was perceived as distinct from traditional biomedical content. Faculty collectively found it difficult to assess students on their SM knowledge. Schools unanimously reported SM as a high priority and recognized the need for continuous curriculum adaptation. Notable differences included curriculum structure (block versus spiral) and SM integration with biomedical content (distinct versus fully immersed).

Discussion: The findings will inform the redesign and enhancement of the SM curriculum at the University of Ottawa and other institutions. While most Canadian medical schools contributed data, the study design did not allow for the determination of the most effective approaches. Nevertheless, this study advances understanding about SM education, facilitating alignment with evolving societal needs and the cultivation of more engaged, socially accountable, and patient-centered physicians on a national scale.
 

Zachary Chuang (presenting), Nessika Karsenti (presenting), Yoni Levin, Laura O'Gorman, Jordan Shapiro, Alex Sylvester, Anastasia Liu and Lyndsay Donovan

Project Description: First research project of its kind in Canada - looking at student and faculty perspectives on LGBT2SQ+ medical education content and is delivered and assessed to our future doctors. Qualitative research study featuring semi structured interviews and student surveys. Currently, on US and single-center Canadian studies exist. Preliminary results available now with >200 medical student respondents and growing and abstract prepared. The goal of this project is to capture the current landscape of LGBTQ2S+ med ed in Canada as there is currently no national picture. We have heard anecdotally that some schools have great programs while others severely lack. We hope to be able to make concrete recommendations to programs in order to improve their delivery of this content and help reduced health disparities for LGBTQ2S+ Canadians (roughly 3million people).

Chan Hwi (Matthew) Cho, Lunan Zhao

Project Description: During the last ten years, medical learners at the University of Toronto have designed a Companion Curriculum (CC) for weekly case-based learning seminars. This involved finding a short humanities piece and creating two discussion questions to add to the end of each week’s patient case. This component remained optional over the years. The aim of the original CC was to elicit critical reflection on the personal and professional relationships that medical students will build in the future, and to help them contemplate a patient’s lived experience.

Recent research conducted by University of Toronto medical students has indicated that the CC is not well integrated into core student learning, and that student and faculty engagement is low. Students have advocated for an opportunity to integrate one mandatory humanities question into each CBL case, which will ultimately be discussed in these small-group seminars to elicit dialogue. We aim to apply these questions not only to foster empathy in medical learners, but also to encourage them to develop critical reflection, such as considering how power relations, social norms and structural inequities may influence their interactions with patients, as well as critical reflexivity on the illness experiences of marginalized members in our community. We believe that the critical humanities can help achieve our goal, for it is a medium that weaves a patient’s voice into medical cases and humanizes them. Whether a video, poem, short story, or historical excerpt, the humanities is an entry point for students to begin critically evaluating oppressive social structures, who may otherwise find CBL simply a matter of breaking down a hypothetical patient into medical jargon.  

In addition to developing questions, the task will also involve drafting an accompanying tutor guide for physician facilitators who may be less familiar with the humanities or social justice. The aim is to ultimately redesign the “companion” curriculum to emphasize that humanities is a central component of the curriculum rather than a secondary piece. Three CBL cases will be presented to faculty in the late springtime. More cases will be developed over the upcoming year. 

Jamie Thompson

Project Description: The Beadwork Auction for Grassy Narrows was a fundraising project that took place in April 2021. Beadwork organ art pieces by Métis artist Jamie Thompson (Birch & Beads Designs) were showcased via a website and silent auctioned off to raise money for Free Grassy, a grassroots initiative to demand justice for Grassy Narrows First Nation, which has been affected by industry mercury poisoning to their waterways. 

The idea of the organ art pieces was to encourage medical professionals to buy the pieces and support the cause, as well wear the pieces in clinical settings as a sign of support and allyship towards Indigenous patients and communities. The pieces also are intended to start a conversation with non-Indigenous clientele about Indigenous issues and what’s happening to the community of Grassy Narrows. In total, the initiative raised $3,335.00 CAD for Free Grassy.

Eric Zhang*, Iku Nwosu, Aquila Akingbade

Project Description: Queens Medicine aims to prepare medical students to practice nationally and internationally, to care for diverse populations. However, students identified a lack of diversity in visual representations of skin tones throughout their pre-clerkship curriculum with respect to cutaneous presentations. 

A student-led group of 120 student volunteers reviewed all 909 learning events in the pre-clerkship curriculum to itemize which events included skin presentations, and which had equitable representation of skin colour. When cutaneous presentations were included, images of white skin tones as well as darker skin ranges were noted.  169 learning events included skin presentations, and 158 had images of white skin only. This issue affected numerous units: Cardiology, Endocrinology, Dermatology, and others.

Prior to this process, there was a significant lack of racial diversity in skin images in the pre-clerkship. Students are often first to notice the gaps in their learning. This initiative highlights the importance of student-led equity work and the need to incorporate insights from students who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) in efforts to improve medical education. While this review was supported by the Curriculum committee, it is recommended that institutions must find ways to support BIPOC students through academic opportunities and appropriate funding to continue improving inclusivity in medical education.The second phase of the project includes students assisting faculty in finding racially diverse images and finding sustainable measures to address the inequity within lecture materials.

Cate Giffin, Yael Ripstein

Project Description: Our project involves three main components: first, a student educational exposure initiative designed to link students with faculty members developing new curricular content; this has the the goals of facilitating collaboration from students, enhanced learning of pre-clinical material, and an opportunity for students to be recognized formally for their curriculum development work through medical student performance report (MSPR)/Dean's Letter recognition. Second, we will describe the identification of gaps in our pre-clinical curriculum - specifically in LGBTQ+ representation - and how the student educational exposure initiative was leveraged to ensure students were being recognized for EDI related curriculum development work. Finally, we will describe how EDI curriculum development was formally scaled-up through the implementation of an EDI rep and 4 curriculum working groups (Sex and Gender, 2SLGBT+, Race and Ethnicity, and Indigenous Health) to expand on this framework for curriculum development and ensure that medical students are being recognized for their unpaid work in curriculum development and EDI.

Kimya Manouchehri (presenting), Anastasia Liu, Divya Santhanam, Rini IIangomaran

Project Description: This project is a thorough curriculum review of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry pre-clerkship and clerkship medical education curriculum. This project began in the 2020-2021 school year and involved gathering interest and subsequently putting together a large group of medical students across all four years of the program who were interested in reviewing the curriculum and providing recommendations on ways to make it more centered from an equity-lens. 

This project has involved leading a large group of around 50 students who meticulously went through the many avenues of our curriculum, from large-group sessions to asynchronous learning modules and analyzing the ways in which the material was lacking in EDID focus while also providing ways in which faculty members may improve for the future. We also focused on highlighting student feedback that we made sure was sought out many times during the past year and a half. Student feedback has helped us make sure that the EDID curriculum committee was transparent and had inputs from many students and their different identities and viewpoints. Our project contributes to curriculum reform by providing to our administration a concrete and thorough document outlining the ways in which our school can improve their handling of EDID issues, ways that they can make the curriculum more equity-focused, and ways in which they may have been short sighted in the past and where mistakes have been made. Every aspect of the curriculum has been analyzed in this report, and the concrete recommendations we have compiled are a strength that the group who has been working on this report really values. Ensuring accountability from our Undergraduate Medical Education administration was a huge goal for us, and we believe that this report will work towards making sure that changes are truly made at Western.

Jenna Simpson

Project Description: The Dean's Lecture Series is a student-lead initiative to provide educational sessions to students and faculty outside of formal curriculum under the umbrella of EDI. We host an annual session on a topic of importance chosen by our students in collaboration with our Dean, Dr. Sarita Verma. Last year, we hosted a panel to discuss racism in medicine and just last week we held an afternoon discussion on environmental sustainability and accountability in medicine. While we are currently operating outside of curriculum, one of the valuable roles of our initiative is that in collaboration with our Dean, faculty have been more participatory and have, as a result, really seen the importance of the topics that we are covering. 

Our project is unique because it operates counter to most medical education models. Many times, it is the students driving change in the realm of EDI because of personal experiences, exposure, and general awareness about the importance of the principles of EDI. Unfortunately, most curriculum change is in the hands of the administration, who may be lagging behind. By partnering with our Dean and her office, there is inherent value to the information being provided at the Dean's Lecture Series, and these sessions serve as educational material for the staff and faculty at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, alongside students. Rather than having students advocate for curriculum changes, these sessions present the information to the drivers of curriculum change themselves, inviting them to see the importance, the gravity, and magnitude of issues such as racism in medicine and planetary health. This model positions them alongside students to advocate changes in our curriculum.