Aboriginal Program

September 2011

Once again, this academic year started off with the 5^th annual Aboriginal Celebration held on September 14^th, on Victoria Island, the ancestral land of the Algonquins. First-year students attended introductory lectures on aboriginal cultures, health and traditional medicine. Students were treated to a taste of Aboriginal culture, tradition and food, including First-Nations dances, Métis jigging and Inuit Throat Singing and Drumming.

Click here to view photo gallery

The next day, one of our new students complimented: ‘‘I know so many of my classmates were buzzing from the event and were excited about the interest created for such a worthy cause.”

A major goal of the Aboriginal Program is to prepare all medical students to deliver culturally competent and safe health care to remote, rural and urban Aboriginal populations. To facilitate this objective, the Program incorporates traditional activities such as Aboriginal Celebration, healing ceremonies and elder mentoring, as well as medical electives in Aboriginal communities.

On September 15, the Aboriginal Program held a Welcoming Feast for the 4 new students, providing them with the great opportunity to meet with students already in the Program, to establish mentorship connections and to share traditional food while planning the events for the coming year.

We would like to thank Elders Albert Dumont and Thomas Louttit for their prayers and support of these activities and the Aboriginal Program.

Mini Medical Schools (MMS) – Come and Walk in our Moccasins

In 2010, this highly successful initiative, which is primarily organized and presented by our own Aboriginal medical students was repeated in 2011 and again on January 21^st, 2012 for a group of Colleges and University Students. So far, 67 Aboriginal high school, post-secondary and mature students have participated, experiencing "a day in medical school" and "walk in our moccasins”.

Interested in becoming a doctor? Want to meet and talk with our current medical students? Check out the Aboriginal Program at University of Ottawa. Come to our next MMS:

See photo gallery from March 31^st, 2012, click here.
See photo gallery from January 21^st, 2012.
Click here to see photo gallery of Mini-Med – April 2011
Click here to find out more about "Come and Walk in Moccasin" - article written by Sarah Brascoupé Funnell, in Canadian Federation of Medical Students.

Aboriginal Awareness Week

In January 2011, Aboriginal Awareness Week events organized by the Aboriginal Health Interest Group successfully encouraged learning and discussion of aboriginal health issues:

Presentation by Simon Brascoupé, “From Birth to the Spirit World: Skywoman and other stories.”
Dr. Darlene Kitty, Director of the Aboriginal Program, Dr. André Lalonde, Executive Director of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologist of Canada (SOGC) and Métis cultural advocate Jaime Koebel, Panel discussion on Aboriginal women’s health and birth experiences
Aboriginal Health Fair, where local Aboriginal organizations advertised their programs and services available in the Ottawa
Inuit Throat Singing workshop where participants learned and practiced their new skills.
Movie Night: “The Necessities of Life”, the poignant story of an Inuit man who struggled with tuberculosis, isolated from his family and community

Stay tuned for upcoming activities for our next Aboriginal Awareness Week that will take place from January 16 to January 19, 2012.

Aboriginal Health Interest Group (AHIG)

Our Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal medical students members hosted several events last year, in addition to the AHAW activities:

Aboriginal Health speaker series
Dream Catcher making workshop
Screening of “Third World Canada” with discussion hosted by filmmaker Andrée Cazabon and the youth from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) in northwestern Ontario to share their culture, traditions and stories. Over 150 people attended, clearly touched by this documentary and these youth hope for the future.

For more information on this academic year’s events, please contact the AHIG at: ottawaahig@gmail.com

Graduation 2011

On May 18, 2011, five more students from the Aboriginal Program received their MD Degree in a ceremony at the Museum of Civilization. This was the third cohort of graduates, bringing our total of graduates to 18.

To see photo, click here.

Admissions

In the agreement signed with Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and University (MTCU), 7 spaces are reserved every academic year for Aboriginal candidates (First-Nations, Inuit and Métis from across Canada) who are committed to pursuing a career in Medicine. Aboriginal candidates compete amongst themselves for these designated seats.

* Click to find out the eligibility admission requirements

When applying to the Faculty of Medicine's Aboriginal Program, you will need to submit your application to The Ontario Medical Schools Application Service (OMSAS) http://www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/ and indicate that you would like to apply as an Aboriginal candidate and provide the following additional documentation:

A letter that declares Aboriginal ancestry and provides specific information about First Nation, Treaty, community, or organizational affiliation. The letter should expand on the applicant’s academic and personal background, explain about their connection to an aboriginal community and reasons and motivation for wishing to become a physician.

A letter of recommendation from the First Nation, Band Council, Tribal Council, Treaty, community or organizational affiliation.
Proof of Aboriginal ancestry. This documentation must be submitted to OMSAS by October 1^st, of the year of the application.

Aboriginal Communities

The Aboriginal Program has a strong relationship with nearby communities including the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn (Golden Lake) and Kitigan Zibi (Maniwaki), as well as the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. We continue to forge ahead in developing elective opportunities in Ottawa at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health and communities in and outside of the region.

For more information on the Aboriginal Program at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, please contact:

Dr. Darlene Kitty, Director
Email: dkitty@uottawa.ca
Tel: 613-562-5800, ext. 8137

Ms. Rachèle Prud’homme, Program Coordinator
Email: Rachele.prudhomme@uottawa.ca
Tel: 613-562-5800, ext. 8687