Date: Monday, February 9th

Time: 12:00pm - 12:50pm

Location: KATZ 1-080

The explosion of human knowledge in the 18th century led to a rapid increase in surgical procedures, often with deadly consequences. Starting at the beginning of the 19th century, Dr. Harold Chyczij will explore the 150-year journey it took for surgery to evolve into modern operating practices.

RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchKY32i2Fti-zPJGtYq-0i43LhLStkthJniI1aF9Z4K7QyDg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Contact: apoholka@ualberta.ca 

Date: Monday, February 9th

Time: 12:00pm - 12:50pm

Location: KHRA 2-430 (formerly ECHA 2-430)

Zoom link: https://ualberta-ca.zoom.us/j/95422669372?pwd=S0e15BuLR00X9eLFHmLaFIpJFeeadq.1 

The Palliative Care Club will be hosting Dr. Sandip Gandham, the AHS Provincial Medical Lead for MAID, to provide students with an introduction to MAID and foster open and respectful dialogue on the subject.

Contact: ebang@ualberta.ca

Valentine's Day is around the corner and 🪉💘 love 💘🪉 is in the air... what better a time to spend money on supporting YOUR Med Formal! SOCOM28 is excited to bring you...

💘 Medicine Matchomatics ($4) – Answer a mix of serious and funny questions, and we’ll match you with your most compatible classmates from BOTH med classes! Whether it’s your future study buddy or a totally unexpected match, it’s all about fun, friendship, and a little Matchomatics magic 💓

🍬 Candygrams ($2 each) – Spread some love and support by sending a note 💌 and sweet treat to a friend, your favorite classmate, or anyone who needs a little sugar in their life 🍭

Here is the form to take the Matchomatics quiz and order Candygrams! It closes Tuesday Feb 10 at 11:59pm. 🌹https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5tOJqaw7SLJzMNjHdxHhBdp54Ej0rUeGYAs2lAgVbftdwUQ/viewform?usp=header 

All proceeds go toward Med Formal💃🕺, so you’ll be supporting a good cause while making someone’s day a little brighter. 🥰 Candygram pickup will be on Friday Feb 13 at lunch in the Katz atrium. 

lots of luv muah 😘,

SOCOM28 (sean + emma + dan w + ion + cale)

Contact: ckooyman@ualberta.ca 

The FoMD Alumni-Student Resource Network connects FoMD student groups with a global community of over 16,000 alumni who are eager to support student initiatives. Alumni can contribute in many ways, including speaking at events, sharing career advice, participating in mentorship activities, serving as alumni representatives, offering industry connections, and engaging in networking opportunities.

Through this initiative, supported by the FoMD Alumni Advisory Council (AAC), student groups may request:

• Help identifying and recruiting suitable alumni volunteers or attendees

• Small grants of up to $500 to support activities that connect alumni and students

• Recognition of alumni volunteer contributions, including thank-you notes to encourage continued engagement

Priority is given to activities that clearly benefit FoMD students, define meaningful roles for alumni, leverage alumni expertise, and foster genuine interaction between alumni and students.

Student groups seeking support should complete the Request Support Form for upcoming activities. Requests must be submitted between August 15 and March 15, with funding decisions finalized by March 31 each academic year. Early submissions are encouraged to maximize support and alumni involvement, even during early planning stages.

Access form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxvv3ELf1Z0ymGThGYb4KWhrIIo-zrl3OjOEYt6nFVm_DHqQ/viewform 

Pre-clinical and first-year clerkship medical students are invited to answer a short questionnaire about the place of genetics in their curriculum and future medical practice.

This study is part of the C-MOnGene: When technological and organizational innovation goes together: A collaborative model to make oncogenetic more agile, accessible and efficient project by Professors Hermann Nabi and Michel Dorval of Laval University. The Research Ethics Committee of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval approved this study (2025-7692).

Link to the questionnaire: https://redcap.chudequebec.ca/surveys/?s=789XWLRCKE 

As compensation for the time spent completing the questionnaire, participants will have the opportunity to enter a giveaway to win one of 20 $50 Pharmaprix/Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards. Once they have completed the questionnaire, participants will have access to a link directing them to a form they can fill out if they wish to enter the giveaway. The form will only ask for their first name and e-mail address.

If you have any questions, please contact me. 

Contact: Hermann.Nabi@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca

Date: March 11th - 14th, 2026

Location: Sutherland Curling Club, Saskatoon

The Curling Club is excited to invite you to the interprovincial medical bonspiel happening March 11-14th in Saskatoon with the opportunity to play for free! 🥌

The Edmonton Doctor's Curling League and Saskatoon Doctors Curling League are generously sponsoring TWO teams of 4 medical students/residents to play at the 2026 Interprovincial Medical Curling Bonspiel in Saskatoon held at the Sutherland Curling Club. This is a competition between doctors and medical students/residents from across Western and Central Canada. There will be networking, CME lunch talks, and we have the chance to win the best student team trophy! 🏆 

Sponsored players will have registration, Thursday night social activity, and the Gala night on Saturday covered, along with accommodation costs. (For reference, in previous years it cost about $425 per person ($1700/team) to register). As this event requires out of province travel, you must be available to attend the entire event. Carpool transportation will be arranged among players to Saskatoon, with departure planned for the morning of March 11th and return on March 15th.

Students selected to play will be instructed on how to receive the approved absence. A lottery will be conducted if sign-ups exceed capacity, prioritizing those who have joined us to curl this season. The sign-up form will remain open until January 26th at 11:59pm, and selected individuals will be contacted by January 30th.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/T2XMCTj7bHuyAkPk7 

Deadline: January 26th at 11:59pm

Contact: shelaine@ualberta.ca, dalrimaw@ualberta.ca

We are inviting medical students to complete a short anonymous survey about how restraint use is taught in Canadian undergraduate medical programs. Restraints are complex and ethically sensitive interventions, and education on this topic varies widely across schools. Your input will help identify gaps and support future improvements in medical curricula.

Participants are invited to complete an anonymous and confidential online survey, which takes approximately 10 minutes, about their exposure to restraint related teaching (formal and informal) and their perspectives on this topic.

Survey links:

    English: https://survey.toh.on.ca/limesurvey/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=654292&lang=en

    French: https://survey.toh.on.ca/limesurvey/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=435131&lang=fr

At the end of the survey, participants may enter a draw to win a one hundred dollar gift card (Amazon or Chapters).

This study has been approved by the Ottawa Health Science Network Research Ethics Board (Protocol ID number 20250391 01H).

Contact: yfara062@uottawa.ca

The Health Sciences Students' Association (HSSA) is launching its first college-wide survey to assess the barriers and concerns that students face in their clinical placements. This anonymous 9-12 minute survey aims to collect data from health sciences' students about their clinical placement experiences.

How will the results be used?

- They will be shared in a progress report with the Deans of the faculties of the College of Health Sciences to ensure leadership is aware of the issues and can act on them.

- They will be presented to the Office of Dean of Students to support meaningful action on the courses raised.

- They will be presented to the University of Alberta Students' Union Council to explore advocacy opportunities beyond campus.

- A public report will also be released for students to view. 

Upon completion of the survey, you can choose to enter a giveaway for various gift cards! Your responses to this first survey will remain completely anonymous and separate from the draw.

Fill out the survey here: https://ualbertauw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_abLFwPDv2Z9ugCy 

Contact: hssa@ualberta.ca

The Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) has opened applications for the 2026 summer research funding cycle, including the Alberta Innovates Student Research Studentship (SRS) for undergraduate MD students conducting health- or medical-related research. Priority areas include Applied Health Research, Sustainable Health Systems, Digital Health, and One Health.

Students now submit ONE application through AwardsHub to be considered for all eligible URI-administered awards.

Deadlines:

• Feb 2, 2026 – Student application deadline

• Feb 9, 2026 – Supervisor submission deadline

• Late March – Decision notifications

More details are available on the Alberta Innovates Summer Studentships webpage. Students may also book advising support via campusBRIDGE.

Looking for a fun way to spend your Wednesday evenings? Join the Curling Club!

The Edmonton Doctor's Curling League has graciously welcomed us to join their weekly curling league free of charge.

Curling takes place every Wednesday evening starting at 7:15pm at the Granite Curling Club (8620 107 St NW). Every week a sign-up sheet will be sent out for that weeks' game, so there is absolutely no commitment to come every week!

Whether you've been curling for years or this is your first time curling, players of all levels are more than welcome! This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with peers, try out a new skill, and network with doctors in the community.

If you still need more convincing, check out this article featuring one of the EDCL presidents, who is also a UofA medical school alumna: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/medicine/news/2025/09/doctors-curling-league.html

Please sign up for our mailing list here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MoSv7i19oeqvWQZj1cNnQfcdDuWTPUzWuZQBt_X-YOg/edit?gid=0#gid=0

See you on the ice!

Contact: shelaine@ualberta.ca, dalrimaw@ualberta.ca

Date: Monday, February 23rd

Time: 12:00pm - 12:50pm

Location: HSERC

2 hour interdisciplinary simulation focused on responding to a mass trauma incident in a rural emergency. 

This simulation is being run by 8 medical students with healthcare backgrounds such as nursing, pharmacy, paramedicine, and military paramedicine.  Healthcare education is generally siloed, and a student's first exposure to interdisciplinary teamwork is often post graduation when they are working with real patients.  Our goal with this simulation is to provide a psychologically safe environment for disciplines to work together on a clinical team, so they may learn "with, from, and about" each other (WHO, 2010) before the stress of real clinical care.

Contact: interdisciplinaryhealthclub@gmail.com 

Date: Tuesday, March 10

Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Location: Katz 1080

The Medicine up North panel brings together physicians and locums with firsthand experience practicing in Canada’s northern territories. Topics that will be addressed include clinical scope, lifestyle, career pathways, and locum work. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Contact: ejarai@ualberta.ca

BFC is a student-led project celebrating creativity & comfort food at med school! Share your favorite recipe to help fill the Brain Food Cookbook with warmth, flavor & community this fall: https://forms.gle/c4EbWnZ7v8zfb9U47 

Contact: Kelsey O'Rourke (klorourk@ualberta.ca)

Pre-clinical and first-year clerkship medical students are invited to answer a short questionnaire about the place of genetics in their curriculum and future medical practice.

This study is part of the C-MOnGene: When technological and organizational innovation goes together: A collaborative model to make oncogenetic more agile, accessible and efficient project by Professors Hermann Nabi and Michel Dorval of Laval University. The Research Ethics Committee of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval approved this study (2025-7692).

Link to the questionnaire: https://redcap.chudequebec.ca/surveys/?s=789XWLRCKE 

As compensation for the time spent completing the questionnaire, participants will have the opportunity to enter a giveaway to win one of 20 $50 Pharmaprix/Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards. Once they have completed the questionnaire, participants will have access to a link directing them to a form they can fill out if they wish to enter the giveaway. The form will only ask for their first name and e-mail address.

Contact: Hermann.Nabi@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca 

The Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities (CAPD) Mentorship Program is designed to connect Canadian medical students with medical trainees (medical students or residents) who have shared experiences of disability, chronic illness (physical or mental), neurodivergence, and/or requiring academic accommodations. If you identify as a trainee with a disability and would like to provide or receive confidential support through this program, sign up using the link below!

Mentor Registration Form (2nd year medical students and above, residents) 

Mentee Registration Form (medical students of all years welcome to apply!) 

Website: https://www.capd.ca/mentorship
Contact: capdmentorship@gmail.com

Cultivate mindful awareness through meditation, movement, and breathwork in this weekly free drop-in yoga class. Students of all skill levels are welcome to join this free activity led by Yoga Instructor Dr. Steve Knish. No sign-up is necessary.

This is completely free for UofA students! 

Mondays (weekly: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.) and Thursdays (weekly: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.) | Interfaith Centre, Room 3-02, Students’ Union Building, North Campus

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/events/dean-of-students/ccs-winter/yoga-monday.html 

Contact: msavpwel@ualberta.ca 

The Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities (CAPD) is a national organization advocating for and providing support to physicians with disabilities. The mission of CAPD is to:

• To provide a national forum for discussion of issues of mutual interest and concern to physicians with disabilities.

• To open avenues for exchange of ideas and information, particularly as these apply toclinical practice.

• To foster common bonds and lend support to each other.

• To strive together to improve the quality of care and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.

• To take a leadership role in influencing clinical education and research in matters pertaining to both patients and physicians with disabilities.

• To act as a vehicle to inform and educate the public at large regarding the many facets of disabilities.

• To be proactive in effectively influencing policies and laws affecting all people with

• disabilities.

Since December 2020, the CAPD has had a very active Trainee Group that includes medical students and resident physicians from across the country who live with disabilities and are advocating for improvements in medical education. We host events and have a number of ongoing projects related to medical education and disability. We have monthly meetings and new members are always welcome!

Membership is free. Sign up here: https://www.capd.ca/?page_id=106 

The goal of this program is to foster leadership among students, as we recognize that they play a vital role in shaping the future of healthcare practices.

Funding Program Details:

• As part of this funding program, CADeN will be supporting student-led activities (e.g. a presentation, an interactive activity or a journal club) that raise awareness and deepen understanding of medication appropriateness and deprescribing among medical students.

• Selected students or student teams will receive up to $500 CAD to support their activity. Activities must take place between October 1st, 2025 and March 31st, 2026.

• Interested students are invited to learn more about the initiative and submit their proposed activity by September 30th, 2025, at our website: https://www.deprescribingnetwork.ca/student-funding. Any questions can also be sent to aylin.mansimova@rimuhc.ca 

I am reaching out to invite you to share and/or participate in a research study on the educational and career pathways of OB/GYN residents, being conducted by a doctoral student in the Health Sciences program at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. The purpose of this study is to better understand the factors that contribute to educational and career pathway decision making of OB/GYN students following the 2022 Dobbs decision.

Your participation in this study will provide important feedback to help OB/GYN residency programs in the United States better understand how to support current and future residents to deliver the best educational opportunities possible.

The voluntary and anonymous survey will take about five minutes and consists of a 25-item multiple choice survey with the optional opportunity to provide additional information in a confidential interview. Participation is limited to individuals who are currently engaged in matching with an OB/GYN residency, enrolled, or completed residency since 2022.

Please share the OB/GYN Resident and Early Career Survey with any colleagues who may also match the participation criteria; the more responses we are able to capture, the more accurate and representative our results will be.

Thank you for your time and consideration, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Contact: BTray@live.esu.edu 

A first year medical student at McMaster recently started an initiative called ‘Doc Days’ which is a collection of ‘day-in-the-life’ physician experiences geared towards helping medical students in their choice of specialty. Attached are direct links to the website: 

• Doc Days 

• Doc Days - Meet the Physicians

Need funding for student held events? Request support from the FoMD Alumni Advisory Council for activities that connect students and alumni.

We will:

• Help student groups find alumni volunteers for their activities!

• Provide up to $500 to support activities that connect alumni and students!

If you are interested, please visit: https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/alumni/resources.html.

Funding is just one click away!

Contact: fomdalum@ualberta.ca. Or one of our alumni association students reps at: maggie1@ualberta.ca, pineau@ualberta.ca

On behalf of our research team, we are seeking volunteer research assistants to participate in a study evaluating AI Scribe technology. If interested, please contact Dr. Amira Aissiou at amira@aimss.ca with the subject line "AI SCRIBE - volunteer research assistant" and a copy of your resume. 

On behalf of our research team, we are seeking volunteer research assistants to participate in an exciting study evaluating the use of Health Canada approved and PIPEDA-compliant AI Scribe technology. The study, titled "Evaluating the Use of Artificial Intelligence Scribe Tools in Decreasing Physician’s Perception of Administrative Burden and Increasing Patient Satisfaction" (REB study ID: Pro00139738), aims to explore how AI scribe tools can reduce administrative workloads and enhance patient care quality.

As a junior research assistant, your responsibilities will include liaising with physician participants, visiting clinics in person, and coordinating with Medical Office Assistants (MOAs) and clinic managers. This is a great opportunity to contribute to AI in healthcare research that could improve healthcare practices and reduce physician burnout. 

Contact: Amira Aissiou (amira@aimss.ca)