Alberta Medical Students’ Conference & Retreat

AMSCAR 2013

April 18, 2013

 

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First and second year medical students from across the province gathered at The Banff Centre for the ninth annual Alberta Medical Students’ Conference and Retreat (AMSCAR) from January 18 to 20. Well known among students as one of the highlights of the pre-clinical years, AMSCAR brings future physicians from the University of Alberta (U of A) and University of Calgary (U of C) together for a weekend filled with sessions, activities and events aimed at promoting health and wellness during training and into their careers.

Each year, AMSCAR strives to strengthen the future of health care in Alberta. By encouraging students to focus on their wellness, the conference arms them with skills to be healthy medical students and thus to develop into healthy physicians equipped to serve their patients with vigor. By building networks among medical students in Alberta, this may also be the beginning of career-long peer support or of critical health care conversations. Students engaged in a provincial network may more strongly consider remaining in Alberta for residency and beyond.

Organized entirely by a volunteer student committee with members from both medical schools, AMSCAR 2013 brought together nearly 300 medical students, 88% of which were in their first year of study. Representation was strong from both schools, with 55% from U of A and 45% from U of C. Approximately 50 speakers, presenters, booth moderators and sponsor organization representatives were also in attendance.

Throughout the weekend, attendees participated in a large variety of sessions including clinical skills, extremity splinting in the back country, ethics and professionalism, hip-hop dance and fitness classes. Students also came together to hear guest speakers and to attend social events during mealtimes and evenings.

One highlight of the weekend was a keynote address from Alberta Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr. R. Michael Giuffre. Dr. Giuffre spoke to students about the nature of the medical profession, shared insight about how the drive to advocate for and provide services to patients is linked to a strong sense of community and family, and emphasized the importance of each person finding their dynamic personal balance within this.

Other keynote speakers included Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti, President, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and President-Elect, Canadian Medical Association, urging students to be passionate about improving health care delivery, and Dr. James A. Talbot, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, emphasizing the importance of caring for oneself to truly enable improved care of others. Certainly, students left AMSCAR 2013 with excitement about their future as health professionals in Alberta, a strengthened network of peers, and many other tools to care for themselves, each other and their patients.

AMSCAR 2013 President, Mara Tietzen, said “The AMSCAR Committee left Banff feeling very excited about how well the many aspects of AMSCAR 2013 came together to successfully promote the importance of professionalism, collegiality, personal health and wellness. Balancing these dimensions will undeniably be critical to the lifelong success of future physicians, and it truly is a unique and special opportunity to have a weekend dedicated to this awareness. I have been receiving incredibly positive feedback from sponsors, presenters and attendees alike, and would like to send a massive thank you to all the sponsors, individuals and faculty who supported AMSCAR and truly made this weekend possible.”

Attendees were impressed by the scale, organization and quality of AMSCAR. Feedback from the weekend was overwhelmingly positive and plans are already underway for the 10th anniversary of the event from January 31 to February 2, 2014. AMSCAR continues to be a success due to the support of many important sponsors, including the AMA, without which the conference would not be possible.

The opinions expressed in Alberta Doctors’ Digest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the Alberta Medical Association or its Board of Directors. The association reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor. The Alberta Medical Association assumes no responsibility or liability for damages arising from any error or omission or from the use of any information or advice contained in Alberta Doctors’ Digest. Advertisements included in Alberta Doctors’ Digest are not necessarily endorsed by the Alberta Medical Association.