Final Week

In a blink of the eye, the final week of our summer in Ottawa comes. We all feel that Canada is too marvelous for us to leave. During the final week, we had small group sessions with the local students such as CBL and PSD. Also, we attended a variety of ceremonies.

After the introduction of CBL in last week, we had formal CBL sessions this week. In the two CBL sessions this week, we used the knowledge from previous lectures to raise our opinions and participate in the discussion within our groups. We enjoyed the delightful and relaxing atmosphere in CBL classes. 

We also joined the Social Accountability Forum. Several guest speakers talked about the roles of physician on the forum. We realized that being a physician means more than just taking care of patients but also taking social accountability and protect the well-being of human on  different levels.

We also had an introduction session for ePorfolio, which is very important for the medical students and physicians. It provides a platform for us to reflect and think deeply in our busy schedule. The most exciting and “frightening” class must be this week’s PSD class because we would be interviewing real patients and giving report in front of our groups.

Indigenous Celebration

It was a fantastic Wednesday for all of us. We first took two lectures to learn about the indigenous people’s culture and history as well as their traditional healing along with all the Ottawa MD freshmen. Then we took the school bus to attend the Indigenous Celebration to experience and observe their culture within a closer look. The institution has invited some indigenous guests to introduce their culture to us and also teach us several sentences of their language. Then we tried their traditional food, which was extremely delicious and some students even asked for a second one. After lunch, they performed their traditional dance and music for us. Last but not the least, they demonstrated some traditional activities, which may seem weird to us but is essential for the survival of the indigenous people who live in the Arctic regions.

Departure Ceremony

On the 12th September, OSJSM held the Departure Ceremony. While the former Dean of uOttawa Faculty of Medicine, founding Dean of OSJSM Dr. Jacques Bradwejn and other guests were giving their speech, we looked back on the things happened during our stay in Canada. Then, we were all given the certificates of completion. Dr. Bradwejn congratulated us on our achievements throughout the summer and we were all very grateful for that. The OSJSM had also prepared souvenirs for us and our peers. Each of us got a photo of us with our peers along with a nice photo frame. At the end, we spent time enjoying food together, and had a wonderful farewell reception.

White Coat Ceremony

On September 13th, the significant white coat ceremony came. Along with the gentle music produced by classical guitar, students dressed in suits and dresses, facing the kind gaze of parents and guests, walked into the hall. They were the stars of the day. After the speech of the UGME Vice Dean Dr. Forgie and the words by the senior students, students walked to the stage one by one to don their white coat, took a picture, and wrote down their names on the Declaration of Professionalism. Now, they will start their career as doctors who save the ill and heal the weak.

This experience will always be a treasure of our lives and we will definitely come to visit again in the future.