The Canadian Undergraduate Conference On Healthcare (CUCOH) Manitoba will be hosting the first Manitoba Undergraduate Healthcare Symposium from May 6 to 8 at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus.
CUCOH Manitoba is a U of M student group that draws their name from a national annual student’s conference hosted at Queen’s University. The Manioba symposium, which is being organized by undergraduate students and costs $110 to attend, aims to bring together 100 students and 30 volunteers and staff from various faculties who aspire to a career in healthcare. The event’s theme is “health at every age, health at every stage.”
Up to 15 spots have also been reserved for high school students who can apply by submitting a letter of intent outlining what health at every age and every stage means to them, and how the experience of attending would impact them.
The three-day event will be comprised of keynote speakers, seminars, and hands on workshops which will give students insight into present day healthcare issues, a chance to learn what working in various healthcare professions is really like, and the opportunity to network with fellow students and professionals.
“Many students do not get hands on experience until post-grad,” said Andrew Samuel, vice-president of communications for CUCOH Manitoba, who is currently studying microbiology and biology. Samuel’s future professional interest is in surgical ophthalmology.
Sports medicine, medical simulation, pharmaceutical compounding, and dental carving are among the various workshops planned for the event.
Samuel notes that the workshops alone make attending the symposium worth its registration. “[Dental carving] would normally be a $90 experience through the university,” Samuel told the Manitoban.
Seminars will cover a variety of topics such as physician assisted death, safe injection sites, and primary care and disease prevention.
Among invited speakers are Dr. Barry Lavallee who specializes in Indigenous health, Dr. Alan Katz who is the director of the Manitoba Center for Health Policy, and professor Arthur Schafer who is the founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics.
The Undergraduate Healthcare Symposium’s organizing team selected the symposium’s theme after being inspired by attendance at a CUCOH event in Kingston, Ontario. Their goal was to relate healthcare to present day issues, such as the diverse needs of individuals from various backgrounds, or at different stages in their life.
“What we mean by healthcare for all is healthcare for everyone of different backgrounds, such as refugees or the elderly, and not having biases,” said Samuel.
The event is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. In addition to being able to attend the presentations, seminars, and workshops, students will also receive a notation of attendance on their U of M co-curricular record. Limited spots remain for registration.
“I hope that this conference provides an educational experience for those who attend, one that is very hands on, one that helps undergraduates figure out their true career desires, and most importantly, one that inspires the future of healthcare” said Samuel.
CUCOH Manitoba also welcomes any students interested in the healthcare profession to join the group. Registration is free and will give students the opportunity to attend future events.
To learn more about CUCOH Manitoba, or to register for the Undergraduate Healthcare Symposium, visit cucohmanitoba.ca or email manitoba@cucoh.com.
