February 10-14 is Resident Awareness Week in Canada.
You may not think of Grand River Hospital as a teaching hospital, but GRH works closely with the McMaster Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and the Centre for Family Medicine to train 250 medical residents each year. You may have received care from a resident, or had them observe while you met with your doctor. From family medicine, to emergency, pediatrics, psychiatry, and internal medicine, our physicians are training the next generation right here at GRH.
In honour of Resident Awareness Week, we asked some of our Waterloo Region residents what they enjoy the most about practicing and learning in our hospital.
Read their experiences below and follow along on our Facebook and Twitter this week as we share this and other Resident Awareness Week stories.
Dr. Rosalind Bihun
Pediatrics, Year 1
The best thing about practicing and learning at GRH is the supportive community. I’m so grateful that I’m able to learn alongside an amazing team of physicians, nurses and allied health staff. The NICU and Pediatrics team members are welcoming and make an effort to get the know the residents in my program. As a resident you are frequently switching from one rotation to the next and from one hospital to the next. I look forward to my rotations at Grand River Hospital where I know I’ll be working with a consistent and collaborative team!
Dr. Jenifer Truong
Emergency Medicine, Year 3
The best thing about practicing and learning at GRH is the people. Growing up in this area, I feel right at home here. The physicians in this community have been incredible mentors and teachers who have made my experience at GRH extremely rewarding. I feel like a valued member of this team, working with our exceptional nursing and interprofessional care teams to provide care to our patients. It also really helps that my co-residents are amazing - it feels like you're part of one big residency family!
Dr. Nadia Omri
Family Medicine, Year 1
Grand River Hospital’s partnership with different schools allows me to work and learn as part of an interprofessional team in order to provide excellent patient and family centered care, which I find very rewarding professionally and academically.
Dr. Jaymee Shell
Internal Medicine, Year 1
To me, the best part of learning and practicing medicine in a community hospital like GRH is the excellent ratio of learners to faculty. We have an exceptional and supportive group of residents, but we have less residents than most teaching hospitals, which allows us more hands-on learning experience with patients. Learning in a community setting allows me to maximize my learning. Physician preceptors who teach in a community site have a special passion for teaching, which helps residents gain valuable learning from every patient encounter.
Dr. Peter Cordell
Psychiatry, Year 4
My favourite part of working in the region is the passion and enthusiasm of our teachers, both faculty and patients. Working at GRH offers a balanced and generalized skillset that provides an excellent core training in Psychiatry. I have also found the smaller size to offer a chance to get to know your coworkers, which makes the workplace more enjoyable and effective.