Just Medicine

We're back! This week's episode explores the unique mental health challenges faced by youth with chronic illnesses, focusing on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with expert Dr. Astrid Williams.

Adolescence and young adulthood are already full of psychosocial and physical changes. Add to this a lifelong illness, and it can lead to feelings of hopelessness and isolation. Listen in on an important conversation on body image struggles, how to navigate a smooth transition from paediatric to adult healthcare, and healthy coping strategies that are youth-friendly.

All resources discussed in the episode are linked below!

1. Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/mental-health?origin=navigation

2. Crohn's & Colitis Canada: https://crohnsandcolitis.ca

3. Crohn's & Colitis Canada Youth Wellness Series: https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/Support-for-You/Youth-Education-Series

We’re back again with another episode! This week, dive into the world of genetic testing and the genomic divide with expert guest speakers Dr. Wyeth Wasserman and Dr. Anna Lehman:

Did you know that when it comes to genetic testing, you can’t simply use the same reference data for everybody? Different populations of people share different background variations in their genes, so we need good reference data from diverse populations in order for genetic testing to be applicable and useful for each individual. As you may have guessed, this has some pretty big implications for diagnosis and treatment when it comes to those who are poorly represented in large genetic databases. 

Listen in on my conversation with not one, but TWO amazing guest speakers who are doing some pretty game-changing work on the Silent Genomes Project, which aims to reduce healthcare disparities and improve diagnostic success for children with genetic diseases from Indigenous populations. 

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Tribesty Nguyen who is a public health resident physician. He has many years of experience in social justice, health equity, health policy, and political advocacy, particularly with 2SLGBTQ+, refugee, and racialized communities. He is here with us to share about the nuances of providing care for GBTQ+ men and how to take a sexual history for this population.

If you have any questions, want to suggest a topic for us to cover, or know of any experts in a particular field, please email us at [email protected]

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Alec Yu who is an internal medicine resident physician working at St Paul's Hospital in inner city downtown Vancouver. He shares us his insights working on the frontlines and resources we can directly connect our patients to.

If you have any questions, want to suggest a topic for us to cover, or know of any experts in a particular field, please email us at [email protected]

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Fraser Black and Ashley Mollison who are

For details on PORT, refer to:

For details on research about PORT as well as the ways

If you have any questions, want to suggest a topic for us to cover, or know of any experts in a particular field, please email us at [email protected]

In this second episode, I provide a primer on the medical aspects of pediatric gender affirming care. I provide you with the context of taking a history, treatment plans offered, considerations when providing this type of care and the transition from pediatric to adult settings.

In this first solo episode, I introduce you to the concept of pediatric gender affirming care. I cover the services offered for youth in British Columbia, which providers provide this care, and the steps required to access this type of care for patients.

Many Canadians may not realize that the apples in their fruit basket or the flowers brought home to family may be there because of the contributions of a migrant farm worker (MFW) to the nation. Despite having such a significant impact on the Canadian agricultural landscape, MFWs face inequities in health care access and delivery across the country. In this two-part series, Sebastian Lopez Steven, (UBC MSI 2) engages with healthcare workers that provide care to these individuals in British Columbia. Join us for enlightening conversations regarding the major health issues for MFWs and how to bring care to these individuals in a culturally competent manner.

Episode 2 features a chat with Dr. Mary Kozial, a family doctor in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland who provides care for MFWs. We start off with a bit of background on Sebastian’s more informal thoughts on working with this population and then jump into the chat with our physician expert. While continuing to centre MFWs in this discussion, this episode also uses the topic as a jumping off point to chat more about broader equity practices in medicine – come for chats about MFW rights and health and stay to learn about the roles of cultural competent care and myoactivation (now that’s a name)!

Resources for the listener:

1. For information about cultural brokers: Brar-Josan, N., & Yohani, S. C. (2019). Cultural brokers’ role in facilitating informal and formal mental health supports for refugee youth in school and community context: a Canadian case study. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 47(4), 512–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2017.1403010

2.    For information about anti-oppression as an emerging competency within the Royal College: Thoma, B., Snell, L., Anderson, R., Frank, J., Tourian, L., Fowler, N., Gomez Garibello, C., Hall, A. K., Constantin, E., Atkinson, A., Chan, T. M., Giuliani, M., Waters, H., Labine, N., Samson, L., Karwowska, A., & Van Melle, E. (2023). Emerging concepts in the CanMEDS physician competency framework . Canadian Medical Education Journal, 14(1), 4–12. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.75591

3.    For information about myoactivation: Lauder, G., West, N., & Siren, G. (2019). myoActivation: A Structured Process for Chronic Pain Resolution. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.84377

Many Canadians may not realize that the apples in their fruit basket or the flowers brought home to family may be there because of the contributions of a migrant farm worker (MFW) to the nation. Despite having such a significant impact on the Canadian agricultural landscape, MFWs face inequities in health care access and delivery across the country. In this two part series, Sebastian Lopez Steven, (UBC MSI 2) engages with healthcare workers that provide care to these individuals in British Columbia. Join us for enlightening conversations regarding the major health issues for MFWs and how to bring care to these individuals in a culturally competent manner.

Episode 1 focuses on a chat with Christelle Kuenzig, a nurse practitioner who provides care for MFWs in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. We chat with Christelle about a general approach to healthcare provision in this population and what needs to change to ensure equity for MFWs across the province and the country.

Resources for the listener

1. Overview of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) as part of the temporary foreign worker framework in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/agricultural/seasonal-agricultural.html

2. Salami, B., Meharali, S., & Salami, A. (2015). The health of temporary foreign workers in Canada: A scoping review. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 106(8), e546–e554. https://doi.org/10.17269/CJPH.106.5182

3. Istiko, S. N., Durham, J., & Elliott, L. (2022). (Not

We’re back baby! For part three of our Reproductive Health series, I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Sheila Curran on the complexities of rural pregnancy care. 

While pregnancy itself isn’t exactly a “walk in the park,” navigating pregnancy for those who live in rural locations comes with its own particular challenges. In this episode, we address both the practical (ex. financial) implications of rural pregnancy, as well as more nuanced topics such as the cultural implications of travelling for healthcare.

If you have any questions, want to suggest a topic for us to cover, or know of any experts in a particular field, please email us at [email protected]