O-week welcomes students to the MD Program and the profession of medicine
“Medical school is a team sport,” says Michael Gritti, 1T9 class president and one of the orientation week coordinators. “Getting to know each other is key to building a team, and the network that you’ll rely on for the next few years.”
In addition to meeting one another, O-week familiarizes students with the MD Program curriculum and the structure of the program. It also serves to introduce students to faculty, ensuring they are familiar faces prior to the start of the academic year.
“The best part of O-week is getting to know my colleagues, their experiences and the depth of diversity in the group,” says Fizza Manzoor, class of 2T0.
Throughout the week, students benefit from academic orientation, academy days and numerous fun activities to help students get to know their classmates. “Coming in, everyone has expectations of that they think medical school is like,“ says Gritti. “O-week is a ground-breaking introduction to help students understand how it really is.”
The Stethoscope Ceremony helped kick-off the week, welcoming students to the profession of medicine. At the ceremony students take an oath that speaks to many of the important competencies and values they will develop throughout their medical education.
MD Program Vice Dean Dr. Patricia Houston delivered an address that spoke of resilience and key considerations when encountering challenges – big or small. “We have chosen the stethoscope, an essential tool in many areas of practice, as our symbol of our profession,” Dr. Houston concluded. “The stethoscope only functions when it connects two people together – it is all about listening. But not just with your ears. You need to listen with your head and your heart.”
The O-week coordinators, 1T9 students, Michael Gritti, Arvin Ighani, Melin Peng, Spencer van Mil and Serena Wang worked with the Office of Health Professions Student Affairs (OHPSA) to organize the student-run and directed event, to provide the best experience for the incoming class. “The week’s events are well-planned and lots of fun,” said Travis Sutherland, class of 2T0. “Getting to know my academy and our beautiful campus has been great.”
“I’ve enjoyed meeting people at O-week, not just within my own academy, but across the whole program – everyone has a different story,” said Daniel Pau, 2T0 student.
