posted on Oct. 27: Symposium brings youth, medical community together
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/youth2.jpg”]Approximately 250 secondary school students from the Hamilton-Wentworth, Brant, Halton, Waterloo, and Niagara regions are in Hamilton today to attend a one-day Canadian Medical Hall of Fame youth symposium.
The CMHF and the Faculty of Health Sciences in partnership with the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, St. Joseph's Hospital, the City of Hamilton/Region of Hamilton-Wentworth Social and Public Health Services Division, are organizing the event. The Faculty of Health Sciences is also a sponsor.
“We are delighted to host this symposium and to provide, together with our health care partners, an opportunity for our young people to learn about the exciting and rewarding careers in medical science from the bright and talented men and women who work in the field,” says Russell Joffe, McMaster's dean of health Sciences. “Events like this bring today's leading-edge researchers in touch with tomorrow's great scientists.”
The CMHF celebrates discovery and innovation in medical science. The symposium is designed to motivate students who are interested in pursuing a career in medical science and related professions and to foster an appreciation for advances in science and technology that support the health professions.
The keynote speaker is Jack Hirsh, director of the Hamilton Civic Hospital Research Centre and professor emeritus, Department of Medicine. Hirsh is an international expert on anti-coagulant therapy, a productive laboratory scientist, and renowned educator of medical researchers. He was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 1999.
The students will engage in hands-on workshops at McMaster University Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton General Hospital, Henderson General Hospital, and Hamilton City Hall; and participate in career development and opportunities panel discussions with health professionals, including McMaster faculty Jonathan Bramson, Centre for Gene Therapeutics, and Heather Arthur, School of Nursing.
The CMHF, in conjunction with medical schools across Canada, has been hosting youth symposia since 1997 for senior secondary students interested in pursuing careers in medical science.
Photo: Assistant professor of radiology John Mernagh and chief ultrasound technician Jim Fedoryshin introduced students to the technology involved in CT scans and ultrasound, and gave them an opportunity to explore these important diagnostic tools at a recent youth symposium. Mernagh (right)shows senior high school student Sarah Gough how ultrasound technology is used on “patient” and fellow high school student Graeme Kobayashi.
