A Glimpse into the Unique Role of Occupational Therapy in Patient Care

This week, we had the opportunity to talk to Sikin Samanani, an

occupational therapist with experience working in the long term care

setting and for Indigenous populations in Alberta. Sikin tells us about how

she landed on her journey in occupational therapy while elucidating the

uniqueness of this discipline and the privilege it affords in making

connections with patients. We also get to hear Sikin’s perspectives on the

importance of empathy, patience, and advocacy in patient centered care and

the areas of the system that merit more attention. Finally, we get to hear

the advice she has for students who may be interested in pursuing a career

in occupational therapy; advice which is also applicable to those who are

interested in pursuing a career in other healthcare fields.

Healthcare and Health System Perspectives From the Side of Public Health

and Recreational Therapy

This week, we sat down with Samantha Perrotta, a PhD student in the

Department of Health, Aging, and Society at McMaster University who has

experience working as a recreational therapist and has completed her

Master’s in Public Health. Sam discusses her educational and career journey

and we learn that the journey to choosing a career is not necessarily

always simple but may be influenced through life experiences and mentors.

She also eloquently explains the approach recreational therapists take

towards patient care and how she used her experiences to influence her

approach to learning about healthcare and health inequities during her

Masters of Public Health Program. We are then able to continue to gain more

insight into the importance of considering the social determinants of

health in individual health outcomes and the importance of

interdisciplinary approaches and teamwork in patient care from a public

health and recreational therapy perspective. Sam also shares some great

advice for students considering a field in healthcare!

Looking at the Importance of Community Health Centers in Patient Care and

Health Promotion Including Efforts to Consider Food Security in Health

This week, we sat down with Andrew Sweetnam, a PhD student in the Social

Gerontology Program at McMaster University in the Health and Aging

Department and a community development worker at Compass Community Health

Center in Hamilton, ON. In both his research and career pursuits, he has a

strong interest in food security and the social determinants of health. He

tells us about his unique educational and career journey which started in

kinesiology and led to a passion for enhancing food security while bringing

in his perspectives on health systems. Listeners also get the opportunity

to learn about the important approach community health centers take in

patient care while emphasizing the role of interdisciplinarity in this line

of work. Andrew also provides thought provoking insights for students to

consider.

A Look into the Unique Role of Geographical Information Systems in our

Health Systems

This week, we had the privilege to sit down with Patrick Deluca, an expert

in geographical information systems (GIS) with interests in air quality

monitoring, modeling and mapping, regional variations in health quality and

healthcare, and more. Patrick is also an instructor at McMaster University.

He tells us about his journey on choosing GIS as a career path while

sharing valuable lessons on what he learnt along the way. Listeners also

get an opportunity to learn about the unique and important relation of GIS

with population health and how professionals in this field work

collaboratively with other health professionals. We then touch on how GIS

helps elucidate the importance of considering the social determinants of

health and increasing awareness of health inequities

A Look into the Unique Pursuit of Health Law and the Profession’s Role in

Healthcare

This week, we sit down with Farah, a lawyer working in the field of Health

Law. In this podcast, Farah tells us about the process behind her decision

to pursue law after obtaining a Bachelor’s of Health Sciences degree. Farah

also speaks about what it’s like to practice law within the healthcare

sector, including the intersection of her work with healthcare workers and

patients. We also hear her interesting take on what students can do when

exploring career choices during and after undergraduate studies.

A Brief Look into Forensic Nursing

In this week’s podcast, we sit down with Athani, a recent graduate from the

Nursing Program at McMaster University, presently working as a Registered

Nurse in the Forensics Unit at her hospital. Athani shares with us the

experiences that led her to pursue a career in nursing, including her

mother’s influence as a personal support care worker. Additionally, we hear

insights Athani has about the healthcare system from a nurse perspective.

Finally, Athani provides thoughtful advice for students interested in

working in a healthcare field.

Following Kyle’s unique journey from Physiotherapy to Research

Kyle Vader is a physiotherapist in an interprofessional chronic pain

program at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and PhD candidate in

Rehabilitation Science at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He

completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) with a Minor in

Psychology from McMaster University and a Master of Science in Physical

Therapy from the University of Toronto. In this podcast, Kyle shares his

unique journey that led him to where he is today. He also provides us with

some insight on the healthcare system from a physiotherapist’s perspective,

including the role of allied healthcare professionals in the provision of

interprofessional care as well as areas of improvement in our health

system. Lastly, Kyle provides thoughtful advice on students who are at the

early point of their career journey.

The Role of Clinical and Health Sciences Librarians in Health Information

Literacy and Dissemination

In this week’s podcast we get the opportunity to interview Denise Smith, a

Health Sciences Librarian at McMaster University, and a sessional course

instructor in the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program. In this podcast,

Denise shares the role of health sciences librarians, clinical librarians

and more, in promoting health information literacy and conducting

informative research within the health sciences. She discusses how

librarians work with physicians, researchers and other allied health

professionals within the field of evidence-based research and patient and

student information education. Denise also shares advice for prospective

healthcare students in regard to critically appraising the literature and

data sources they are exposed to.

In this episode, we have the chance to talk with Dr. Debbie Nifakis, Psychologist and Associate Director in Counselling at the Student Wellness Centre and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. In this podcast, Debbie shares her unique career path that led her to psychology. We also gain insight regarding the challenges and rewards of working as a psychologist along with what good inter-professional teamwork in the field of mental health may look like. This includes learning how psychologists and counsellors work alongside medical physicians to enhance patient care. Lastly, we hear Debbie’s advice for prospective healthcare students.

Today we sit down with Dr. Arig al Shaibah, an associated vice-president of equity and inclusion at McMaster University as well as an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Sociology. In this podcast, Dr. al Shaibah discusses her work on equity and inclusion at McMaster and explores the barriers that racialized individuals face at both the individual and systematic level. We also gain insight on how these barriers can be improved and what students can do to recognize their personal sense of agency, power, and privilege to contribute to equity and inclusion within their own circle of influence.