Student Spotlight: Crystal Liu and Mirna Matta

January 15, 2020

Crystal Liu and Mirna Matta, Medical Students, University of Calgary

Contributed by Joan Tu, Medical Student

Concern for the health and safety of patients has been the driving force behind the ongoing efforts of two courageous medical students raising awareness about interpersonal and intimate partner violence (IPV).

Mirna Matta and Crystal Liu succeeded in building a fruitful collaboration between the Federation of Medical Women of Canada, the University of Calgary medical school’s Women’s Health Obstetrics and Gynecology Interest group, and an orthopedic trauma surgeon, Dr. Prism Schneider. They organized an innovative workshop to train and equip future clinicians with the knowledge and skills needed to screen and provide care for patients at risk of IPV. 

For Mirna, this initiative was the next thing to do to move the dial in the right direction when it comes to training medical students about IPV with appropriate language to address patients and help them in the way that best serves them. Her unwavering commitment to helping these patients comes from having known people who have experienced IPV and their stories. This has sparked a passion for advocating for these patients who may find it difficult to advocate for themselves. 

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