From 604 to 519 & back

Well that certainly was a massively disappointing weekend. 

Note to self: no point dwelling, big two weeks coming up. 

Privilege

This past weekend I got the chance to go to Toronto to meet with the current Members of the Legislative Assembly. It was with a contingent of medical students from the various Ontario medical schools as part of a leadership summit and provincial lobbying weekend. 

Today our group trekked to Queen’s Park and were able to interact with a number of these policy makers (from across the province and from all parties). In the afternoon, three of the University of Western Ontario reps (including myself) met with the current Minister of Health and Long Term Care, Deb Matthews. Through each of these exchanges, I was left that despite their political leanings, all of these representatives were expressing concern for filling underserved communities with health care in the province. During each of these discussions, we, the medical students, were consistently being asked for advice, opinions, and ideas for improving patient care. 

On the ride back to London, I couldn’t help by think back to the weekend and marvel about how much of a privilege it was for us to be able to meet with these representatives. In between question and debate periods, we had a party leader step impromptu to come answer any questions and just speak with us. 

It really was quite shocking how much consideration was given to the points my colleagues and I communicated to the MPPs. Yes, I have been quite familiar with the notion of the respect and leadership physicians’ advice is given in terms of personal health care, but for this to also apply to the theatre of policy making was humbling. 

After all, we’re still just medical STUDENTS, not even fully trained doctors yet. 

I guess this is what is meant in the ‘advocacy’ CanMeds roles that’s been emphasized in school. Beyond the personal health advocate role, but also extending to the broader population as well. 

So in the end, what roles do medical students have with activism, community leadership, and this privilege of being seen in a respecting light? Well that is up to the individual physician/student, but the hope is that we rise to the challenge. Make the most of this privilege, particularly in the effort to improve the wellbeing of those we serve. 

With the balmy summer weather (re: 25C highs) hitting London, finally have the chance to do a little night running. 

Almost had forgotten the feeling of running through empty streets in the darkness, accented by the warm orange glow of incandescent street lamps. 

My feet hurt. 

What a difference a year makes

Today closed the first interview weekend here at Schulich and I was fortunate enough to be a part of the process, volunteering as a tour guide for med school hopefuls. It’s my first and only experience as a interview day volunteer this year as the Saturday was filled with hockey and I won’t be around the area for the next interview weekend. That said, I was stoked and rearing to go for my shift this morning (despite 2 hours of sleep the night before due to getting caught up in our school’s rock concert Schulichpalooza). 

And by volunteering today, it’s almost been a year to the day (heck it would have been a year if we didn’t have the Leap Year business) since I walked into the hallowed hallways of the Med Sci building for my own interview. It was quite the hectic day, having just flown in via the red eye for the interview that day. I recall getting changed in the washroom, chatting to a 4th year student, snippets of my tour (mostly the lounge and the Rec Centre), meeting Lisa Nam in the info session, trying to figure out the interview video at the time, and then waiting for interview. I don’t really remember much of the panel itself, and truth be told, no single event really stood out for me. Yet, one year later, here I am, fully rocking the Purple and White.

What a difference a year makes. 

Being on the other side of the interview process has been a great treat. From the filming of the admissions video to welcoming students in, showing them my favorite parts of our school, and answering their questions, I was taken back to an area that I loved doing back at UBC: being an Orientations Leader. There were definite parallels, from providing knowledge about the program, wayfinding around the campus (I found it funny that I was given the duty of campus tour guide despite only be there for 1 year), providing reassurance, and hearing from the interviewee’s stories. I guess that despite the change of school, social network, and even geographic region of residence, you can’t take the Orientations Leader essence from me.

Speaking about inescapable items, I was pleasantly surprised by being recognized by a couple interviewees from UBC. Legacy. They were Science students and were taken aback that “The Jimmy Yan” chose to go to Schulich Med. My reply was an honest “why wouldn’t I go here,” and attempted to explain the reasoning for my decision to come here. Hopefully the celebrity status I have from UBC can carry some influence on these interviewees to choose Western for their med school in May.  

Thinking back, despite not remember the exact details of what happened at MY interview, I definitely could remember how welcoming the 2014s were and how much an effort everyone made to make sure my concerns were addressed and that I was feeling great. Now from the other side, it’s safe to say the reason that atmosphere is created is because WE LOVE our program that much, it’s a genuine attempt for us to communicate the sense of community we feel while being a student at Schulich. I feel that’s why at Schulich med you’ll see 3rd and 4th years taking the time to come out and help with interviews: last year I did not see any thing like that in any of the other schools. It may seem like a small thing, but knowing how busy the clerks are, it just speaks volumes about how much of the Schulich community they view themselves at that point. 

In conclusion, I wish more interview weekends happened. 

Can’t wait for it again next year. 

So clutch

I love how gmail catches you before you send off emails without attachments if you intended to have something attached.

Definitely saving my bacon right now as I barrel through these 60+ emails.

Hippocratic high fashion.

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”  Kurt Vonnegut

So with my clinical skills exam coming up in a few hours, my mind’s been racing a bit for it.

Remember what you studied, remember to bring your equipment, and most importantly, remember to dress for the occasion. 

Yes, I’m serious about the last one; failing to dress professionally means an automatic fail for the exam. 

Now that’s a dress code. But…seriously? 

Yes, now while this is the 21st century and we medical students are encouraged to show our unique human side and embrace our individuality, there still is no room for mohawks, studded leather, denim, or even the humble t-shirt in clinic. Apparently, it’s more than just a dress code tailored for the older (or sartorially more conservative) patient population, but by dressing to the nines for rounds, you’re more likely to hit a 10 on being a professional. 

Yeah really, I’m serious here: by simply dressing more formally, you not just seem more professional, but you are more likely to act in accordance to how you look (acting mature, conducting yourself in a more professional manner)>

Now while it’s easy to dismiss the above and say something along the line of “yeah I can be professional all the time, I don’t need to dress the part to be it.” It’s our motivations and beliefs that lead our actions (and in this case, our dress)…right? 

Well, turns out we’re wrong here: it’s the latter that becomes correct. In psychology, it’s part of a model of Self Perception Theory. Essentially people develop their motivations and attitudes by self-witnessing their actions and then attributing what attitudes they can conclude that caused it.

So I wear hemp clothing and bike everywhere? Well I must be into sustainable living. 

So I go volunteering every weekend for the past year? Well I guess I’m a compassionate and caring person to others. 

So I wear a lot of Canucks swag? Well I must be a hardcore fan (-explains the bandwagonners eh?)

There are a number of studies that go to support this theory. From having people who are forced to smile by holding a pencil between their teeth actually reporting themselves becoming “Happy” at the end, to the aforementioned teenager study where sustained community service seemed to foster more considerate and caring attitudes among the participants. 

The heart of this theory lies in the idea of cognitive dissonance and was demonstrated in the following experimental design (back in 1959). A bunch of participants were gathered and broken into two groups. Both groups performed an incredibly menial task (like blogging at 5am in the morning) for a prolonged period of time. At the end, Group A was rewarded $20 (adjusted to 2010 dollars that would be about $150) for their efforts while Group B was given only a $1 (around $7.50 in 2010 dollars). After this compensation, members from both groups were surveyed asking how much they enjoyed the task. Subjects from Group B were found to be more enthusiastic than those from Group A. It was suggested that, lacking a justifiable external reward, the subjects in Group B reflected and observed their own behavior in order to develop an attitude for why they spent an hour doing an otherwise ‘boring’ task. Group A members, given a pretty hefty reward, arrived to the attitude that they performed the task based off the desire for compensation. 

So…wear does this leave us medical students and our nice little cardigans, pant suits, ties, and wingtips? Well, based off this theory, you become your own audience. Seeing yourself in your formal attire, dressing the part of the clerk, your mind forms the belief that, “Hey, I guess I am a professional, well guess I’ll act more serious now.” Your mind cannot exactly pinpoint the direct cause for WHY you’re wearing the suit, so it tries to fill in the gaps. People who dress in these clothes typically act like ________, so I am dressed in these clothes; therefore, I should act like _______ as well. 

It’s almost like you’re a first year English Lit student thumbing back through the pages and trying to figure out the motivation of your own character. Self perception theory attributes that we subconsciously witness our Clinical Methods attire and then explain it that we do it because we are Professionals, and as a result we go on to act that way. 

In the end, that saying holds true: Clothes really do make the man.

Spoiler: I don’t have a psychology degree, this is just my personal musings and what I can remember from 1st year. 

Seems to work for birthdays too

So it turns out I can only remember locker combinations that correspond to current/past Canuck jersey numbers.

My anatomy locker? Can’t tell yah, gotta look it up on my phone. 

Gym lock: Linden - Bieska - Hansen. That easy. 

In Memory

By now, if you’re a student at UBC, or been an alumnus from sometime during the past dozen years, or even just a visitor at the school for an extended period of time, you’d have noticed Trevor Wimble (aka Chairbo). You know who I’m talking about. The old man who ‘lived’ in the SUB’s South Lounge, presiding over the chair next to the vending machines, just simply reading his newspapers while the rest of the school went about its business. 

Yes, him. 

A lot of people have different views of Mr. Wimble, and different theories about his life. The predominant one was that he was a homeless man, who just spent his days in the SUB to do his readings. There were other stories, indeed, some more plausible, others not. My personal favorite was the ‘theory’ (since I’m pretty sure I read it in the satire edition of either the Ubyssey and the 432) that he was a Soviet sleeper agent that was part of a cell sent to various Western educational institutions to perform espionage but he never received his orders to return home, so he stays to his post, continuing to gather information for instructions that will never come. 

Regardless of origin theory, Mr. Trevor Wimble became a campus icon, a part of the university mythos. And while a great deal of the appeal in his legend (yes he’s been elevated to legendary status) was the intrigue and mystery that surrounded his life, a lot of other aspects did become clear for us to see:

He was a private man. He liked to read. He was polite, humble, and found contentment in the simplicity of daily routine. And amid the ever changing physical and cultural landscape of the SUB, with the massive daily migration of students, the frequent cabinet shuffles of the AMS, changes in faces of staff members, and the constant breaking and rebuilding of walls and rooms throughout, the presence of Mr. Wimble in his South Side Lounge chair, reading his newspaper in and day out was something you could count on to expect. Like the sun rising each day. 

My personal experience with Mr. Wimble started roughly 14 years ago as a child whose parents were finishing up their PhDs at UBC. Being raised by over protective asian parents one of the token pieces of advice was to ‘not speak to strangers’. I was especially warned of staying away from the homeless people when I was spending time in the SUB, playing in the arcade. While at this point I don’t remember any incident where I actually ended up seeing or happening up Mr. Wimble, but I’m pretty sure he was the subject of their advice. 

Fast forward 8 years and it’s my turn to go to UBC. I remember on IMAGINE day, as my MUG group headed towards McInnes Field for the traditional Dominoes Pizza Lunch, our Squad Manager added a quick anecdote about ‘Chairbo’ as we passed the glass windows of the South Lounge. From then on, I would see him almost on a daily basis and ponder his life story. Working for AMS SUB Security I would see him watching Canucks games from the TV at Pi R Squared. Aside from idle small talk, I never was able to muster the boldness to strike up a full conversation with him. I’ve always imagined that the Ubyssey would conduct a full interview and I wouldn’t have to risk probing too much and offending him. Alas, that interview will never happen now. 

One sad thought that sticks with me is how the SUB is now without it’s ‘guardian angel’. An even sadder thought is that now he’ll never have a spot set in the new coming SUB. I know now that the next chapter in UBC will be without Mr. Wimble, but hopefully the mythos around him prevails (becoming somewhere around the bouncing bushes level of mythology). AMS: Just make sure his chair is bronzed and becomes a statue in the New SUB. That’s all this Alumnus asks for.