First-of-its-kind medical field course offers hands-on learning through international collaboration
A new University of Guelph field course is taking students to the Caribbean to provide them with a unique introduction to medical school.
Principles to Practice Summer Clinical Program (P2P) is a four-week immersive course designed to reflect the structure of a medical school learning environment. Students travel to the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) in Saint Kitts to explore human health through the lens of tropical medicine, clinical anatomy and physiology.
The goal of the course, designed in partnership with Memorial University of Newfoundland, is to bridge the gap between undergraduate life sciences and the practice of clinical medicine.
“This is a unique opportunity for Canadian students to learn a different health care system,” says Dr. Justine Tishinsky, instructor in the Department of Human Health Sciences (HHS) in the College of Biological Science (CBS).
Medicine in a global context
Tishinsky and fellow HHS professor Dr. Lorraine Jadeski developed the curriculum to model the first-year medical student experience.
The course covers anatomy, biochemistry, clinical genetics, clinical medicine, histology, immunology, lifestyle medicine, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology and physiology. A capstone project puts students to work in clinical teams to present a medical case in an oral presentation, defending their clinical reasoning of diagnoses, therapeutics and potential patient outcomes.
“I believe very strongly in this program and what it can do for our students,” Tishinsky says.
Its collaborative nature brought U of G and Memorial students together to learn alongside UMHS medical students and international medical faculty in a well-credentialed international medical facility.
“There are so many things we take for granted living and working and learning in Canada. P2P allows students to think broadly about what medicine is in a global context and consider the different social determinants of health in a community like Saint Kitts,” Tishinsky says.
Because students live, learn and socialize together, the experience closely resembles life as a med school student, she adds. “Few students knew one another beforehand, and they left having formed really meaningful connections.”
Experiential learning sets students up for future
Open to anyone enrolled in U of G’s Bachelor of Science, the first cohort drew students studying biological science, biomedical science, human kinetics and neuroscience.
Upon completion of the course, each student receives one credit and a formal letter of recommendation to support future medical school applications.
“P2P is a great way to figure out if medical school is for you,” says Jamie Adams, a fifth-year neuroscience student. Adams wanted to experience medicine in a different culture and was especially interested in the course because it is the first medical field course U of G has offered.
To experience medical school as an undergraduate is unheard of, he adds.
WATCH: A Student Perspective on the P2P Summer Clinical Program
Throughout the course, Adams gained hands-on experience in a range of medical settings. He explored human anatomy in the cadaver lab, practised clinical skills such as spirometry and ECG testing in a simulation lab, and connected with real patients at a community health fair. For Adams, the opportunity to apply what he was learning while giving back to the Saint Kitts community made the experience especially rewarding.
“Exploring medicine in a new culture and connecting with folks who have different perspectives of medicine was an amazing experience that really strengthened my passion for it,” he says.
Adams knew one other student when he left Guelph. “I came home with 25 new friends,” he says. “I definitely feel more confident about my future because of this experience.”
For more information on the Principles to Practice Summer Clinical Program, visit the program page.