"Arctic Realities" week March 12-16, and call to participate in a research study on medical students' perspectives

[Lucy Manchester]

1. Arctic Realities: Inuit Perspectives on Change, March 12-16
2. Participate in a study on medical students' experiences and
perspectives on culture

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1. McGill University’s Aboriginal Sustainability Project, Aboriginal
Health Interest Group, Aboriginal Law Students’ Association, KANATA
and the Inter-Tribal Youth Centre of Montreal is proud to announce
that we will be hosting:

‘Arctic Realities: Inuit Perspectives on Change’

In a fast paced changing world, in the Canadian arctic how are the
people able to adapt to these rapid changes in regard to essential
services; health; education; and social. How has previous government
been able to adapt to the changes, and what is the current climate.
The week will focus on Inuit perspectives through the lenses of law,
health, education, environment, and government.

For more information on the events, please visit our Facebook Event
Page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/283449648391695/

OR McGill’s Event Page:

http://www.mcgill.ca/channels/events/item/?item_id=215074

March 12 to 16, 2012

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

In conjunction with this week of events, AHIG is honoured to host
Minnie Grey to speak on "Challenges and opportunities in Inuit health"
March 13, 5:30 pm
Thomson House, 3650 rue McTavish

Description:
Inuit populations face similar health challenges as many of Canada's
indigenous groups -- unacceptably high rates of both acute and chronic
disease, including respiratory infections, diabetes, and suicide. Yet
Inuit culture, as well as the climate and geography of the Arctic
environment, add particular complexity to medical care and health
promotion for this population.

Minnie Grey is one of the foremost Inuit leaders in the world – a
champion for Inuit self-government, and community and economic
development, and former Executive Director of the Nunavik Regional
Board of Health and Social Services among many other prominent
positions. In this session she will share her perspectives on the
state of health among Inuit -- including the realities of health care
and social services, and the interplay of cultural, political and
economic factors in determining health status and quality of life for
Inuit people."

Please join us for a dynamic discussion! Light refreshments will be
served.

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2. Participate in a study on medical students' experiences and
perspectives on culture

To the Aboriginal Health Interest Group (McGill University),

My name is Andrea Brown, and I am a sociology student at Concordia
University currently enrolled in the honours research seminar,
supervised by Dr. Marc Lafrance. This brief letter is an invitation to
participate in a research project, tentatively titled “ Providers' and
Medical Students’ Experiences and Perspectives on Culture,” which will
center on the professional and academic experiences of physicians-in-
training. I am currently seeking interview participants and hoped your
organization may be willing to spread word among your members to help
contact interested students. I will briefly outline the spirit of the
research and what involvement would entail.



I am looking to conduct in-depth interviews with medical students in
the Montreal region. Participation in this study is voluntary and will
remain confidential. Any information potentially leading to the
identification of participants will be removed, and participants are
free to withdraw their consent at any time. Furthermore, the
interviewee may decline to answer any questions he or she does not
wish to address.


The composition of the Canadian population is becoming increasingly
diverse, but medical school student bodies do not reflect these
changes. Furthermore, research suggests that instruction on culture
is absent or unstandardized among Canadian medical schools. This is
significant given the variety of individuals physicians are expected
to serve.

Interviews will require approximately one hour and will take place by
phone or in-person at a mutually agreed upon location. The interviews
will be audio-recorded, if permitted, and transcribed for analysis.
Participants will have access to the transcripts, to ensure accuracy,
and the ability to withdraw. A pseudonym will be used in the research
to protect participants’ identity, but quotations may be used. Only
the researcher will have access to these records, and if so desired,
records will be destroyed upon completion of the research. There are
no foreseen risks to participation in this study. This research has
been reviewed and approved by the ethics committee of Concordia
University’s Sociology and Anthropology Department. Attached is a more
detailed overview of the existing scholarship in this area.


If you would be interested in participating or would be willing to
recommend a colleague who may be interested, you co-operation would be
greatly appreciated. Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions
or concerns regarding participation by phone at
514-776-8445 or by e-mail at a_br...@live.com. You are also
free to contact my supervisor, Dr. Marc Lafrance, by phone
at 514-848-2424 (ext. 2124) or by email at
mlaf...@alcor.concordia.ca.

I hope this study will provide information valuable to medical schools
and healthcare professionals in the area of cultural competency, as
well as add to the existing body of research.



Thank you for your time and interest in this project. I will follow up
with you within the week.

Sincerely,
Andrea Brown