“It’s about welcoming the Residents and creating a sense of belonging to the community and knowing that their faculty is there for them and there to work with them,” said Dr. Armand Aalamian, Associate Dean for Postgraduate Medical Education and Professional Affairs at McGill’s Faculty of Medicine while attending the Faculty’s annual orientation session for first-year Residents. “We want to demonstrate to them the excellent place that McGill is and welcome them to an environment of higher education where they can receive a great deal from McGill’s traditions but also be part of an innovative process and contribute to their residency.”
The event, held on July 30th 2014, began with formal sessions in the morning designed to provide Residents with information on a
variety of relevant issues. “I graduated from McGill Medicine a few months ago and I knew somewhat how things worked,” says Dr. Soumia Senouci who chose to do her residency in diagnostic radiology after being exposed to the field for one week during her undergraduate studies. “But I didn’t know many of the things they mentioned, like all of the resources that we can have in terms of dealing with any issues at the hospital. The young Residents talking about the wellness activities was good. Overall the sessions made you feel welcome as a Resident at McGill.”
“I want them to know that we have a program and a faculty that’s Resident-centred and that we listen to what they have to say,” said Dr. Aalamian. “We also want to make sure they get the basics that they need to start on the right foot as they embark on their journey over the next number of years.”
The formal sessions were followed by a BBQ where Residents, faculty members and staff came together in a more informal setting to interact with one another. For some this was the highlight of the day. “I find the BBQ personally very beneficial in that you can meet the Faculty and put a face to the name while forming connections that you could use later on should you need them,” said neurosurgery Resident and McGill medicine alumnus, Dr. Alex Winkler-Schwartz
Dr. Jeanne Sansfacon, who is doing her residency in psychiatry at McGill after completing her undergraduate studies at l’Université de Laval, agrees on the overall value of the day. “It was great to learn about the different opportunities we have here as Residents and the different resources we can have access to. The BBQ is also very nice because you get to meet other Residents and it’s nice to develop a sense of belonging to the Resident group.
“I’m glad I decided to come to both the BBQ and the morning meeting and encourage everyone to come next year.”