The mandate of the Faculty of Medicine’s Student Affairs Office (MEDSAO) is to support every student during their medical school experience in order to promote and maintain student health and wellness and facilitate their success.

We offer a comprehensive program of services to undergraduate medical students in the MD program such as: personal wellbeing, psychological health, financial and career planning. We recognize the heavy demands of medical school. Our team can help students develop techniques that will allow them to reach their goals, improve their study skills and build resilience. Our personal counselling services are open to undergraduate medical students in the MD program in the Faculty of Medicine only.

The Student Affairs Office counsellors provide multiple workshops in both French and English, in collaboration with student interest groups and with the academic advisor. Through a Wellness Series and a Career Series, we aim to assist students in acquiring evidence-based transformative skills. We have career planning tools throughout the 4 years of study that allow students to be proactive, to explore career possibilities and to set goals. We collaborate with students throughout the residency application process and our counsellors offer individual practice interviews in preparation for the CaRMS residency interviews.

The team also oversees the mentorship program, which allows students to connect with their peers and Faculty members and helps them navigate through their medical studies.

We also interact with multiple partners, namely the University of Ottawa Academic Accommodations Service and the Faculty of Medicine FWP (Faculty Wellness Program). We function at arm’s length from the academic UGME (Undergraduate Medical Education) office, and advocate on the student’s behalf in a safe environment while respecting confidentiality.