Prime Time for Student Engagement in Health Sciences

As we read this, international conferences persist, research curiosities grow, and knowledge dissemination platforms are enhanced. The student of today has unique opportunities to learn from key health stakeholders unlike before. It is becoming increasingly common for organizations to invite students to participate in conference sessions, online webinars, and research projects.

Organizations such as the Canadian Public Health Association, and National Collaborating Centers for Determinants of Health, now offer monthly webinars for students from well-acclaimed speakers. Topics include: addressing health equity, finding a job in public health, and participating in effective research practices, to name a few. A student feels as if they are attending a conference session, as they can speak to and learn from important session participants – from the comfort of their university and a fraction of the cost (if not free).

Interested in learning about research? The National Collaborating Centers for Materials and Methods, a publicly funded research institute, offers hours of high quality video tutorials, dozens of well-constructed articles, and a variety of info graphics to help you succeed. The USC grant fund is just one of many sources that can help support this project. The Research Ethics Board, Writing Support Centre, Statistics & Data Help Centre, and Research Helpdesk, are just a number of on-campus sources happy to help you succeed. From analyzing literature to submitting a manuscript, students are supported throughout their time at Western.

Want to take your project to the next level? Why not disseminate your work on Western Radio. This on-campus initiative trains students to be effective radio hosts, and is happy to put students on air.

Finally, what a great time it is to get involved with health science projects that interest you through the Student Opportunity Fund.

A fund like this brings undergraduate students to outstanding learning opportunities - health conferences from significant associations – where they can meet and work with exciting people in their field of interest. A fund usually only available for graduate students well-established universities, this opportunity is unique to health science students and holds significant career-developing potential.

For more information, and to get involved in community health science projects, contact Dory Abelman (Academic Commissioner, Faculty of Health Sciences Students’ Council), at dabelman@uwo.ca.