Douglas Mental Health University Institute site chief - Helene Marcaurelle
Psychiatry PGY5
[email protected]
I am very interested in becoming the site chief at the Douglas, for a second time.
I indeed held that position two years ago and really enjoyed my experience. I
could not continue last year as I did not rotate there long enough but remained
involved at the Association of Residents of McGill, where I was a Resident
Deleguate.
I am hoping to have a second mandate as I would like to continue the work I did
of representing residents on several committees (Éthique, Qualité de l'acte,
Gestion des risques) where my input was greatly valued. I now have the
advantage of being familiar with the role of the Site Chief both at the hospital
level and at the ARM. A lot of the work I did was "behind the scene". However
you may have used the Folding Bed I obtained for the teaching department or
attended one of the social gatherings I organized.
CHANGE:
I have several ideas in mind for the upcoming year. One of the challenges of this
site has to do with its location. One issue that remains unresolved has to do with
parking. It is particularly problematic for the R3 doing Child Psychiatry who have
to pay for the Douglas pass in addition to weekly tickets for both diploma course
and child teaching at the MUHC. I have spent a lot of time on this issue and
would like to further try to obtain something more satisfying than what is currently
offered. For those taking public transport, you have probably noticed that the
location is not well deserved by Bixi. I would like this to change.
Also there are no gatherings for residents rotating at the Douglas in a given year,
like there is at other sites. I would like to work with the Assistant Chief to organize
an event to celebrate the end of the year.
I have many more ideas and I am opened to suggestions. I really want to work
with everyone to make resident's experience at the Douglas the best possible!
SOMETHING INTERESTING:
As I mentioned, I am a fifth year resident so I have quite good knowledge of
psychiatry at McGill. I also have worked on several departments at the Douglas. I
am francophone which is a plus for this position, as all the meetings are held in
French.
On a more personal note, I love team sports. If anyone is interested, we could
ressucitate the badminton games we had started at the Douglas two years ago
(or any other sports).
JGH site chief – Amy Cao
Dermatology PGY-2
[email protected]
Being a dermatology resident has really allow me to appreciate other specialties
as we spend around almost two years off service. I want to help my fellow
residents advocate for a better and safer work environment. With all the recent
new developments that are occurring, I hope to be a source of help and
information for all the residents having to navigate this environment. I am open
and would love to hear any suggestions about making the JGH an even better
place to work.
Also, having completed my medical school in another province (Queen’s
University) has provided me with a greater perspective of what we can improve,
but I am always open to any suggestions!
CHANGE:
I want to improve resident wellness at the JGH by improving call rooms, and call
meals. I will also work hard with chief residents to make sure their programs
needs are met.
SOMETHING INTERESTING:
I learned French in Belgium when I was little. And when I moved to Montreal, I
attended FACE but was in an English class.
MCH site chief - Kristen Lambrinakos-Raymond
Pediatrics PGY3
[email protected]
As medical residents, we spend a lot of time at work. It sometimes feels like we
are in the hospital more than we are at home, and sometimes that may even be
true. Therefore it is clear that our working environment is important to our wellbeing. With the move to the Glen, the infrastructure of the Children’s underwent
many necessary improvements but there still remain multiple important issues.
These include the availability of lockers or space to securely store personal items
during the day, the availability of meal options after hours, etc. The reason I am
applying for the site chief position is for the opportunity to have a positive impact
on some of these issues. I am interested in resident well-being at my site,
whether it be for the pediatric residents who complete the majority of their
training here or those from other specialties who might spend only a few months
out of the year. Furthermore, any improvements would also extend to future
residents and I look forward to being a part of that change. As site chief, I am
certain that I would be an excellent advocate and I am committed to being
available to hearing all comments and suggestions without passing judgment. I
have held leadership type roles in the past in medical school, during summer
jobs and on my sports team. I have been interested since I started residency in
occupying a position of this kind and I’m certain I have the ability to perform it
well. I hope that I will be given the opportunity and thank you for considering me.
CHANGE:
As I have stated in my previous paragraph, there have been many improvements
upon moving to the Glen site, but some issues remain. Some of the areas that I
would focus on as site chief include the availability of lockers and secure spaces
for storing personal items during the day. Since the move, I have kept my purse
on me at all times and haven’t brought my laptop or tablet for fear of having it
stolen as I have nowhere to lock it up. Many residents are having similar
problems and I am committed to bringing up this issue. I am also interested in
ensuring that there is an adequate area for residents to store their coats and
boots during the winter. At this time, it is not clear to me that there is a large
enough space designated for this. There are also the issues of many computers
being unable to play radiology dictations, as well as the unavailability of meals
after hours. I am not saying that I can solve all these problems, but these are the
ones that I have noted so far and I am committed to searching for solutions and
making all possible changes to improve upon the current situation. Furthermore,
there are certainly things that I may not have identified and I’m open to hearing
about them at all times. Finally, I would like to improve communication between
the site chief and the residents by providing regular updates on progress that has
been made and issues that were discussed.
SOMETHING INTERESTING:
Prior to medical school, I competed for three years as part of Team Canada's
synchronized figure skating team nationally and internationally. If I had not made
it into med school, my plan was to take a year off and tour Europe with Disney on
Ice. Thankfully though I did get accepted, and now I play hockey in the McGill
intramural league.
MGH site chief – Fiona Pinto
Emergency medicine PGY-3
[email protected]
I think that residents have a certain number of issues that tend to go unvoiced
and unnoticed by administration. I believe as Site Chief I can address some of
the issues that residents face on a daily basis and hope to make their work life a
more enjoyable experience. I am not adverse to pushing for what we need, if it is
to benefit the group
CHANGE:
Many of you may not know, but there is a "Resident's Lounge" available for all
residents to use. However, this space is not well known or utilized. I hope to
make the resident room a more accessible and resident friendly space. Having a
place to relax and connect with other residents is important, especially when on
call during the holidays. Things like a TV, or Foosball table would be quite useful
during the few moments of down time.I hope to make it a place which we can all
access and enjoy.
I also hope to work with the catering department to ensure that there are more
after hours offerings for residents, so that even if the cafeteria is closed, there will
still be options for food. Many times the machines are not fully stocked, or the
salad bar closes too early, which are things I will address.
Also, currently the MUHC has imposed new restrictions on our meal cards which
are quite unfair and prohibitive. I hope to work with the residency office and food
services to come to a more equitable compromise.
In addition, I would like to improve our access to parking. Currently it is very
expensive to get monthly parking, which is unfair for residents who may be at a
site for only one month, or may wish to drive only in winter. Making parking more
accessible is an important issue and one I hope to address.
SOMETHING INTERESTING:
I love to travel and explore new places. Recently I came back from a trip to Costa
Rica, and Peru the year before. I think that work life balance is important and so I
hope to make your time at work less stressful, with fewer hassles and hurdles to
deal with.
Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) site chief - Khalid M. Bajunaid
Neurosurgery PGY-5
[email protected]
I would like to serve my fellow residents and help in communicating their
concerns and issues to make sure they are getting the best teaching and work
related experience during the time they spend at the Montreal neurological
institute and hospital.
CHANGE:
It is not much of what I want to change, rather it is what I would like to improve. I
would like to improve the experience of all the residents at the MNI whether that
is related to the call room or clinical duties.
SOMETHING INTERESTING:
I am a PGY5 in Neurosurgery, recently completed my MSc in experimental
surgery and additional pursuing a Masters degrees in health care management.
During my pleasure time “if Any” I love to travel and be surrounded by nature.