The next generation of healthcare
January 21, 2015
Volunteers inspiring minds
The picture of healthcare is changing.
“The world of healthcare is increasingly team based, which is why we convene students of the health professions to learn with, from and about one another,” says William Webster, Dean at the Faculty of Health Professions at Dalhousie University. “We are creating opportunities for students to see the importance of putting patients at the centre of the care team.”
About 1000 students poured into Rebecca Cohn Auditorium for the annual First-Year Event. They hailed from every program within the health professions, from nursing to pharmacy to social work.
Pat McDonald, Janice Peach and Anita Unruh, volunteers with Ovarian Cancer Canada, soon took to the stage. As they did, the massive crowd grew silent, tuning in with rapt attention as the women shared personal accounts of their journeys with ovarian cancer and insights they learned along the way.
Left to right: Anita Unruh, Pat McDonald, Matthew Numer, Fred McGill, Will Webster, Janice Peach, Emilie Chiasson, Anne Gaudet-Webster
“Having all the students there, listening so intently to what we were saying… I never dreamed I’d be speaking to that many people,” says Pat. “Chances are that in their professional lives they will come to know someone with ovarian cancer, and they will remember the day we shared our stories.”
Following the presentation, the audience rose to their feet for a standing ovation.
Changed perspective
Prior to the start of the event, students were asked “What word do you think of when you hear cancer?”
Their answers flashed on an overhead screen, words such as disease, pain, and chemo.
After they heard from each of the women, the question was posed again. What happened next was extraordinary.
“Their response brought me to tears. It became instantly clear that students had shifted from thinking about the disease to concentrating on the people being affected,” says Janice.
Strength. Survival. Support. Courage. These were just some of the powerful words that demonstrated the major shift that had occurred.
“When you start with a diagnosis you fear it, but when you move with your cancer and start to meet other people on similar journeys you find hope and resilience… you find a way to live meaningfully,” adds Anita. “Their response told me that they got it.”
That day, Anita, Janice and Pat helped to develop empathy among future health professionals who will go on to touch the lives of women when they receive their diagnosis, learn to live with ovarian cancer, receive treatment and follow-up care. The volunteers helped challenge the students to truly explore the meaning behind a cancer diagnosis and then to consider the impact they want to have on their patients.
If you are affiliated with a university or healthcare setting that provides educational opportunities like this one, or if you wish to share your story, please connect with the Ovarian Cancer Canada regional office in your area.