In a pathologist's office learning to asses cell abnormalities like cancer; and in the lab, watching the dissection of a large bowel, testicle and uterus; In a downtown nephrology clinic and at the hospital, shadowing the doctor as he assesses his patients' kidney function and cares for those on dialysis, and for those who are critically ill; In operating rooms witnessing eye; ear, nose and throat; and vascular surgeries with first-hand, accounts from anaesthetists, as they sedate their patients.
Noah Ben-Ezra's experiences as an undergraduate biology student at Trent are exceptional - especially at a university without a med school - but, they're exactly what the doctor ordered as part of Trent University's Internship in Medical Sciences courses.
An aspiring physician, Mr. Ben-Ezra says his experience in this competitive-entry course was an exceptional one.
"Most prospective med students have little to no exposure to what practicing medicine is actually like," he says. "I was extremely thankful for the opportunity. Getting into med school in Canada involves countless hours of volunteering along with top marks and doing well on the MCAT - one of the hardest tests that you'll ever have to take. Most students go through all of this driven simply by their own conception of what medicine is like, without ever actually experiencing it."
The course, offered in partnership with physicians at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre since 2011, is one of two experiential learning opportunities required for Biology students working toward the Specialization in Health Sciences. The second, Placement in Health Sciences course, has been offered for more than 15 years thanks to dedicated health care professionals in the community.
These courses are unique to Trent. No other Biology course at an Ontario university without a medical school offers experiential learning courses within a medical- or health-related setting.
"Both the Internship in Medical Sciences and Placement in Health Sciences courses are an established part of Biology’s current curriculum that offer unique experiential learning," says Dr. Leslie Kerr, an associate professor in the Biology department. "In both of these courses students directly apply the skills and knowledge they have learned in the academic setting to the real-world. The goal is to allow students interested in medical/health science the best opportunity to prepare for careers in medical or applied health research, teaching, or in degree programs in medicine or in the allied health professions."
Portia Kalun is also an aspiring physician, who graduated from Trent with an Honours B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2014. She is at the University of Guelph in the first (and final) year of an M.Sc. in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. She says the internship provided her incredible insight into the responsibilities of a physician.
"I was also able to connect my theoretical knowledge about disease and pharmacology from my courses at Trent with the knowledge that the physicians used in practice," says Ms. Kalun. "It was very exciting to see the application of the knowledge I acquired through my undergraduate education to a career that I was hoping to pursue."
Posted on Monday, June 15, 2015.