Resources

The Office of Advocacy & Wellbeing (OAW) in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta looks after issues about the health and well-being of learners. It is separate from the Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) office as it does not share information with those making academic decisions without your permission. 

The OAW will help students with any issues or problems they face during their time as students in the FOMD. This section of the webpage provides a brief overview of the OAW- for more information, please visit the OAW's webpage. 

Contact oawadmin@ualberta.ca or 780-492-3150 to get in touch. 

Who we are?

• Dr. Cheryl Goldstein, Associate Dean, cgoldste@ualberta.ca. 

• Dr. Sarah Burton-MacLeod, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, smb5@ualberta.ca. 

When to get in touch?

Contact the OAW when you are experiencing any problem that you feel is interfering with your studies- there is no issue that is too insignificant or small. Examples include questions about the program, obtaining funding, academic appeals, obtaining accommodations, career advice, legal trouble, illness, conflict resolution, substance abuse, family crises, and many other problems. If the OAW cannot help, they will refer you to someone who can. 

The MSA Peer Support Program provides confidential one-on-one support from fellow medical students. Through informal peer meetings, it aims to bridge the gap between recognizing the need for support and contacting professional services. Volunteer medical students trained in supportive listening and various topics such as suicide, interpersonal issues, and addictions are dedicated to creating a supportive learning environment for their peers. For more information, view the Peer Support Program webpage. 

The AMA's Physician and Family Support Program offers confidential support to help physicians, residents, and medical students address personal health issues. These healthcare professionals must be able to seek help voluntarily, knowing their privacy is protected. Engaging with the AMA's program can help identify and address issues before they escalate into crises or impact patient safety. Every 12 months, the PFSP provides up to six hours of counselling for a physician, resident, or medical student and an additional six hours for immediate family, with the condition that counselling is pre-arranged through the PFSP assistance line.

The PFSP will also connect all physicians, residents and medical students with a family physician. 

To contact the PFSP, call 403-228-2880 or 1-877-262-7377, or email pfsp@albertadoctors.org. 

For 24/7 assistance, dial 1-877-767-4637. 

Students can access health services on campus in Edmonton at the University Health Centre or at the College and Community Health Centre in Grande Prairie on campus at NWP. Please visit the websites for complete information for each health resource. Call 9-1-1 or go immediately to your nearest hospital Emergency Department if you or someone requires immediate medical attention. 

The MD Program Academic Affairs team actively monitors student performance and seeks input from course coordinators to identify and address academic challenges. Students facing difficulties can schedule one-on-one meetings with the team to explore strategies and resources for overcoming obstacles and achieving success. 

For more information, check out the Academic Supports page for the MD Program or contact MDAcademics@ualberta.ca to get in touch. 

Who We Are

• Dr. Matthew Curran, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs,

• Dr. Rebecca (Becci) Mitchell, Director, Learner Support

• Dr. Alexis Armour, Assistant Director, Learner Support

• Jodi Hawthorne, Coordinator, Admissions and Academic Records

• Kim Tupper, Administrator, Admissions and Academic Records 

• Claudia Buffone, Administrator, Academic Records

• Farell Stadnick, Advisor, Admissions and Academic Affairs

• Contact information for the team

When to get in touch

• Accommodations: The University of Alberta is dedicated to creating an inclusive learning community that values equity and diversity. If you face challenges or restrictions that impact your university activities, accommodation support is available to help remove these barriers. To register for accommodations, contact the Academic Success Centre using the information at this link. After receiving approval for accommodations from the Academics Success Centre, contact the MD Program Academic Affairs Team for further assistance in ensuring their accommodations remain active. 

• Long-term Absences: Contact the MD Programs Academic Affairs Team at mdacademics@ualberta.ca if you require a long-term absence for a medical, personal, educational, or other extended leave.

• Academic difficulty: Medical school, mainly writing major assessments, can be challenging. Many students may fail a major exam during the year. If this happens, the MD Program Academic Affairs team will support and guide you through the rewrite process to achieve competency. This includes meeting with the course coordinator to discuss areas for improvement or how the assessment will be remediated; meeting with the MD Academics team to discuss resources, mentorship, and exam strategies; and finally, a discussion at the Academic Standings Committee at the end of the year. The Academic Standings Committee is the body of course coordinators that reviews student performance and decides whether a student advances in the program. While you go through this process, you will continue through the program with your peers. Should a student fail two or more major assessments in one year, it will be recommended to the Academic Standings Committee that the student repeat the year. A student can appeal the recommendations of the Academic Standings Committee. 

• Learning supports and strategies 

• Registration, personal information updates, immunizations, enrolment letters, transcripts, awards, etc.

The MD Mentorship for Academics Program (MeDMAP) pairs you with a faculty physician to guide you through the first two years of medical school. The program is designed to support students by connecting them with mentors who are experienced, approachable, and committed to student success. Watch your email for information about MeDMAP early in the academic year.

Aquifer

Aquifer is an online learning resource with simulated patient cases that provides opportunities for students to practice clinical reasoning skills (diagnosis, clinical decision-making). These cases also reinforce links between the clinical presentations and the foundational scientific concepts behind them. A full subscription to this platform is available to all University of Alberta MD students.

In some clinical rotations, course coordinators in pre-clerkship and Clerkship coordinators will specify whether any suggested or required Aquifer modules must be completed within each specific course or rotation.

University of Alberta Library

The MD program has no required textbooks, but many courses may have suggested materials. Many of these will be available in electronic format from the library.

Additional library guides have been developed for Health Sciences, with a more specific guide for Medicine. Our expert librarians curate these and can be valuable resources for you.