Health Systems Policy & Management Club

The Health System Policy & Management Club aims to introduce students to what it means to be a health system administrator/ manager who can lead health care organizations at all levels - from health care programs and clinics, to provincial and federal governments. The role of a medical doctor can and does extend far beyond the patient-physician interaction, to one where they are responsible for advising on clinical practice guidelines, shaping institutional and government health policy, overseeing the administration and management of hospitals and the healthcare system as a whole, and a lot more. This club offers to provide medical students with opportunities to learn more about this expanded role, and to gain some of the skills and experiences that are necessary to be effective stewards of the healthcare system.

Key Objectives:

• Introduce students to what it means to be a health system policy maker/ administrator/ manager, by providing an overview of concepts like hospital administration, performance management, health system financing, and health policy development and implementation

• Explore the basics of health system leadership

• Examine how health care organizations and the provincial health system as a whole are designed, financed, and managed

• Explore the process of institutional and system policy development, implementation, and evaluation

• Expose students to health system administrators/ managers and provide opportunities for students to explore those roles as a potential career option, through shadowing and other experiential learning opportunities