By Chonglu Huang
Hard work, integrity and mentorship are three keys to navigating a career in both clinical medicine and research, said Dr. Philip Wells, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at uOttawa and The Ottawa Hospital, in his keynote address at the inaugural Faculty of Medicine Research Day on September 25.
“In the old days, looking for a mentor was seen as a sign of weakness, when in fact, it’s absolutely invaluable to career development,” said Dr. Wells, a clinician-scientist best known for pioneering clinical prediction rules for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
“Find people that you respect, get along with, and trust so that you can flourish and really make your career your own.”
Research Day attracted over 200 entries from learners in programs including the Bachelor’s degree in Translational and Molecular Medicine, medical school, residency training, and graduate level research.
“This is an excellent opportunity for our learners to showcase their outstanding research projects, hone their presentation skills and network with classmates, colleagues and professors,” said Dr. Jocelyn Coté, vice-dean of research and innovation.
A scientific committee of evaluators, comprised of faculty members, reviewed all abstracts and oral presentations to select the winners.
Best Oral Presentation
- Yena Oh (Research Symposium A: Cardiovascular Biology and Neuroscience)
- Sébastien Denize (Research Symposium B: Innovative Therapeutics & Systems Biology)
- Jack Mouhanna (Research Symposium C: Medical Education, Patient Care, and Public Health)
Best Poster Presentations
- Dr. Patricia B. de la Tremblaye (postdoctoral fellow)
- Dr. Kevin Hill (resident)
- Cole Clifford (medical student)
- David Cook (graduate student)
- Jasmine Kaur Bhatti (Honours in Translational and Molecular Medicine student)
Research Highlights from Presenters
Michael Reaume (MD 2021)
Michael Reaume — a third-year MD student in the Francophone stream – presented his research on the impact on health, safety and care quality of receiving care in one’s mother tongue for Anglophones, Francophones and Allophones (those whose native language is neither French nor English) in Ontario.
So far, Reaume’s findings show that there is a higher rate of harmful events for Francophones and Allophones in care settings where they are not receiving services in their mother tongue. These language groups are also less likely to use acute care and emergency rooms compared to their Anglophone counterparts in Ontario.
Rheaume’s project, “Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations: Does Language Matter?” was part of his 2019 Summer Studentship Program.
“I’ve been doing research on this topic for about a year and a half,” said Reaume. “I realized that language was a big factor in medicine and care delivery. It’s one of the reasons why I am studying medicine in French.”
Linda Yi Ning Fei (MD 2021)
MD student Linda Yi Ning Fei shared her research project, “Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Aortic Surgery with a Pathological Diagnosis of Clinically Isolated Aortitis.”
“I’m especially passionate about anything related to the heart,” said Fei who is a third-year MD student in the Anglophone stream. “It’s one of the very few organs you see move when you’re operating and the goal is always to maintain function, because such a vital organ can never be removed.”
Fei added that she hopes to continue doing research related to cardiology and pursue further training through residency.
Eyal Podolsky (Master of Science in Epidemiology)
Second-year Master’s student Eyal Podolsky shared his thesis project showing that approximately 20 to 50% of lab tests in Ontario hospitals may be inappropriately ordered, and proposing ways to reduce this, in order to save on both time and resources.
“I love working with data and using it to make an impact on public health,” said Podolsky.
His research poster was titled “A Prioritization Framework to Identify Laboratory Tests Most Amendable to Intervention.”
Podolsky said that his interest in epidemiology extended beyond the local health care system, and also included making an impact on global health issues.
