Program Information

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Number of Residents: 4
Location: Victoria, BC
Community: 80,000
Hospitals: Royal Jubilee, Victoria General Hospital

Curriculum Type: Partial Horizontal
R2 Elective Time: 14 Weeks
Contacts: Site Director - Daniele Behn-Smith - Daniele.BehnSmith@viha.ca Coordinator - Carlea Remodo - carlea.remodo@viha.ca  
Chief Resident - James Makokis, Latisha Hewton-Backfat, Dan Cutfeet - james.makokis@gmail.com, hewtonba@ualberta.ca, jcutfeet@nosm.ca  

Overview

A main objective of our site is to have graduates be aware of the specific needs of the Aboriginal people and to be a resource for anyone working with this community. Residents are based at the Victoria site and follow the same core curriculum as Victoria residents with some modifications in academic learning and electives. Aboriginal conferences and workshops are encouraged where their registration may be covered.

Program Highlights

• The mission of the UBC Aboriginal Program is to improve the health of Aboriginal people of British Columbia by training Aboriginal and other family physicians sensitive to and empowered with skills and knowledge of Aboriginal health issues.
• You do not need to be Aboriginal to be selected but you need to have a desire to work with the Aboriginal population
• Focus on Aboriginal patients in Family Medicine and elective rotations with 1 month Family Medicine rotation in Alert Bay during R1 and work in areas where Aboriginals are disproportionately represented (Addictions, Prison Medicine, Inner City) and other disciplines (Emergency and Obstetrics)
• Opportunities for interaction with elders, Aboriginal physicians and community visits are incorporated into academic sessions
• Attend Aboriginal conferences and workshops where registration fee may be covered
• Understanding health in the context of the medicine wheel as well as other Aboriginal paradigms for health
• Incorporate traditional healing practices and beliefs as well as an understanding of the importance of these practices to many First Nations
• Family Medicine and first year Royal College residents are the only full time postgraduate trainees
• Program is evolving, and residents can help shape its future as we build further opportunities to train with aboriginal patient populations

Sample Rotation