Group that helps students get into med school returns to Cape Breton University
CBC
A Cape Breton University student has revived a peer group aimed at getting more students into medicine.
Mykel Denny of Eskasoni First Nation is studying biology at the Sydney, N.S., campus in hopes of one day becoming a doctor.
The 40-year-old previously worked as a massage therapist, but saw a chance at doing more to help Nova Scotia's health-care system.
"There was always this small bit of me that says, 'I want to do more, I want to be able to help people more,'" said Denny.
Last summer, Denny stumbled across a web page that mentioned a CBU pre-med society and later approached his lab instructor about the peer-support group — only to be told it had been left in the lurch by COVID restrictions and a lack of interest.
Denny started spreading the word about the group and it soon grew to about 40 members. Most students need support to enter the medical profession because it requires following so many protocols and procedures, Denny added.
"It is a very scary and tedious process. But having a team or a group of people you can fall back on is such a huge benefit for anybody.
"What we're trying to do is be able to offer prep material for the MCAT [medical college admission test] so that people will be a little bit more confident once they walk into write ... as well as giving students opportunities to practise interview skills."
Kellie White is a senior lab instructor at CBU who has helped guide pre-med students since 2005. Since she started as a faculty adviser, White has seen at least 25 students go on to study medicine.
White said being prepared helps students overcome their fears.
"I think knowing those supports are in place might make people see this as something that's achievable," she said.
White said students have not formally met to discuss plans, but are considering launching a podcast that could offer interviews and mentorship from people who have already navigated the medical school process.
Denny hopes the group will become involved in community outreach by visiting local high schools and encouraging teens to consider medicine as a profession.
In October, CBU launched its own media campaign in hopes of drumming up support for the creation of a medical school at its campus.
The Saskatchewan NDP's pace in 2025 has been frenetic.
If you’re ever walking down this east Hamilton neighbourhood during the holiday season, there’s a festive house that just might grab your attention.
It was just a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump told the world he doesn’t want Canadian cars.
Flu cases across Canada are on the rise and may push hospitals to their limits over the holidays and into the new year, leading health officials in regions across the country to warn people not to visit emergency rooms unless it's absolutely necessary.
More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies.
The holiday season has arrived in Thunder Bay, and that means reduced hours, or closures, for businesses, city offices, and other amenities.
As Toronto’s food scene continues to grow, some in the industry say the pool of professional chefs hasn’t kept up with demand.
Police have charged a truck driver from the Hamilton area in a hit-and-run crash that killed a tow truck operator who had been stopped while helping a driver on the side of Highway 401 outside Woodstock, Ont.
Power has been restored to most of Haines Junction after a problem earlier on Monday at the local generating station.
A 56-year-old man will return to court on Tuesday for a charge of second-degree murder, laid in a case London police have called an act of femicide.
The chairman of the committee leading Newfoundland and Labrador's independent review of the Churchill Falls memorandum of understanding with Quebec is backing the impartiality of his three-man team.
The province has taken a major step toward restarting its onshore natural gas industry.
Allan Legere, serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Alberta, has been denied a request for full parole.