With the end of MCAT and the trip to Toronto, we have now officially entered a new phase of our short-term study in Ottawa. After three relaxing and unforgettable days in Toronto, September 5th is our last chance of refreshing and readjusting. The idea of studying with foreign students for the first time still doesn’t cease to intrigue us, even after a year of getting used to medical school and studying under foreign professors.

Time has been fleeting. Before we know, we have spent more than a month in this country. It seems not long ago were we struggling to fit in this place and now, when this city is finally growing on us, it’s almost time to say goodbye.

【9.6 Welcome session】

Today is the first day of school. A welcome ceremony was held in TOH Royal Room by University of Ottawa with all the students present. During the ceremony, every teacher and student was well-dressed in formal clothes to listen the inspiring speeches given by leaders from both University of Ottawa (uOttawa) and Ottawa-Shanghai Joint School of Medicine (OSJSM). Dr. Jacques Bradwejn is dean of University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine. He extended his warm welcome to all students from OSJSM and stated the foundation of OSJSM, which then raised a round of applause. After that, Dr. Melissa Forgie congratulated every enrolled student and expressed her hope on the bright future of OSJSM. Dr ZHENG Qing, Assistant Dean of OSJSM, also gave a speech on the great process OSJSM teachers have made to found the joint school. At the end of the ceremony, all OSJSM students and teachers took a group photo to mark the occasion. A backpack was given to every OSJSM student when the ceremony ended.

【9.7 First day of school】

Wednesday was the first formal day in the Faculty of Medicine. School started at 8:30, and everyone arrived ahead of time to find their “hidden” classroom, 2149 (Amph. E), where we were going to spend most of our time. The first lecture was about professional use of social media in medical education, which is extremely beneficial these days when technology is well developed and patients can easily follow their physicians on the Internet. Self-protection was emphasized. It focused on the significance of confidentiality and privacy on posting messages with many serious lawsuits explained as examples. After a short break came the introduction of case-based learning (CBL) and self-learning module (SLM). These are two important parts of studying medicine in uOttawa and good ways to help student put what learnt into practice. We then got to know more about details in the afternoon separated into groups with MD2020 students.

The greatest thing of the day turns out to be the talent show held by the Student Federation. Students gathered together to enjoy fascinating performance of monodrama, piano, violin and opera etc. We, OSJSM students, along with our peers, attended this welcome party and had a great time.

【9.8 Professionalism and PSD】

Professionalism and ethics are two essential pillars of the medical profession. The lectures on Thursday morning focus on these two pillars. The significance of maintaining professionalism becomes self-evident when it comes to the profession of physician. Starting from CanMEDs, lecturer introduced seven roles that the society expect future physician to become professional, communicator, collaborator, manager, health advocate and scholar. With case study and discussion on moral dilemma students develop a deeper understanding on the accountability of being a physician. The Physician Skill Development in the afternoon led us to a profound comprehension on how foreign physician practice. Students are allocated to different groups with their peers. Each group has a physician and a social worker, acting as tutors. Tutors show students a standard patient-doctor interview which inspired students that a patient is not a combination of symptoms but a person with emotion and that physician should always embrace patient with empathy.

【9.8 How to treat harassment and intimidation】

A qualified doctor is not only a good history taker but also a good communicator who can offer comfort and encouragement to patients. Being an expert and being a person are equally important. With this concern, there’s a course—Harassment and Intimidation in University of Ottawa, which we are lucky to have experienced. Through the lecture and the seminar, our awareness of the potential mistakes in the communication with patients and how to avoid them so as to promote understanding and trust has been strengthened. So is our awareness that we should stand in another person’s shoes to minimize accidental harm to the relationship.

Written by: SHI yuan, WU manqing, LIU hengan, LI yinjiaozhi, WANG Xiaolu
Edited by: LI maoyao