December 14, 2023

In this issue:

• CMA leadership opportunities closing December 29: Apply ASAP!

• Register for CaRMS interview prep

• Provincial Pathways Unit is looking for help from primary care providers

• Vascular surgery joins FAST

• New: MD Culture Shift December issue

• MD Financial Management

  • Here are some financial FAQs for medical students

• Community Connections
  • Chiropractors want to understand your perception of chiropractic care in Alberta

CMA leadership opportunities closing December 29: Apply ASAP!

In 2024, the CMA Nominations Committee will seek to fill vacancies for positions on the CMA Board of Directors and some of its committees. Alberta-eligible roles include:

CMA Board of Directors

• Medical student director (one-year term, renewable twice)

Audit and Finance Committee

• Member at large (three-year term, renewable once)

Awards Committee

• Member at large (three-year term, renewable once)  

Committee on Ethics

• Member from Alberta (three-year term, renewable once)  

Nominations Committee

• Medical resident member (one-year term, renewable twice)  
• Alberta member (three-year term, renewable once)  

Annual General Meeting

• Vice-chair (three-year term, renewable once)  

Find out more about each position and apply: CMA Nominations and Elections.

Register for CaRMS interview prep

The Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Federation of Medical Students are pleased to offer the CaRMS Interview Prep Program — an opportunity for final-year medical students to hear CaRMS tips and tricks from a panel of residents and practice for their interviews.

The CaRMS Interview Prep Program is held virtually and is complimentary for students with an active CMA membership. There are several session dates in January to choose from and registration deadlines are 12 p.m. ET on the last weekday before the respective session. For a full listing of the session dates and to register, please visit the event website.

Provincial Pathways Unit is looking for help from primary care providers

The provincial central location for trusted, evidence-informed clinical, patient and referral pathways, the Hub is maintained by the Provincial Pathways Unit (PPU) with your help. The PPU is requesting assistance from primary care providers in reviewing the below pathways – please take a look and email AlbertaPathways@ahs.ca if you have feedback. 
 

Non-Obstructing Kidney Stone Clinical and Patient Pathway - A new clinical and patient pathway developed provincially by primary care physicians, urologists and patient and family advisors. Learn more about this pathway and others.
 

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Testing Primary Care Pathway - Based on the current Canadian Urological Association recommendations, a new clinical pathway has been developed to provide guidance on asymptomatic routine PSA testing in the primary care setting in Alberta. Learn more about this pathway and others.

Vascular surgery joins FAST

Vascular surgery has joined the Facilitated Access to Specialized Treatment (FAST) central access and intake program province wide. Through FAST, referring providers can choose a next-available provider with the shortest wait time, a specific clinic/provider/site, or an out-of-Zone provider.

Tools to support vascular surgery referrals have been created to support referring providers, including: 

• New Lower Limb Ischemia Primary Care Pathway – Use as a first step to see if your patient’s condition can be managed in the medical home before a referral is required. 
• New Provincial Adult Vascular Surgery Referral Pathway – If a referral is necessary, reference this document for mandatory information to include with your referral. 
• New vascular surgery referral form – Use this form when submitting vascular referrals through FAST. The referral form will be added in EMRs in the coming months.

FAST was launched in 2022 with orthopedic surgery and urology. For more information on FAST, visit ahs.ca/FAST. For more information on referral and clinical pathways, visit www.albertapathways.ca.

New MD Culture Shift December issue

In this issue of MD Culture Shift:

• MD Culture Shift CoP – December 20
• Courses to Support Trauma Informed Workplaces
• Talking with Men About Men and #MeToo – Lunch Hour Learning Sessions
• CMA Wellness Connections Sessions
• Mindful Practice in Medicine - Sign up now!
• Thriving at the Heart of Health care - April 13, 2024
• And a lot more!

MD Culture Shift is an AHS publication created by physicians for physicians through the Physician Diversity, Wellness and Leadership Development portfolio. It shares news of the constructive efforts happening in Alberta that support physician diversity, wellness and leadership. Visit ahs.ca/mdwellness to learn more and read previous issues.

Here are some financial FAQs for

medical students

Sponsored advertisement

Medical school can be expensive and managing your finances can be challenging. Scotiabank Healthcare+ has assembled specialized advice and answers to your questions to help you navigate this important chapter in your career. View a break down some of the top questions pre-med and medical students ask, including:

• How much will my education cost?
• How do I pay for my medical education?
• How much do I need to budget for my final year of medical school?
• How do I ensure my spending and debt don’t get out of control through my time in medical school?

View the answers to these questions and learn more about the offers Scotiabank Healthcare+ has available for medical students.

Community Connections

This month, the following is available for your consideration:

Chiropractors want to understand your perception of chiropractic care in Alberta
The Chiropractic Association of Alberta is hoping to collect feedback from physicians and other health professionals to understand how chiropractic care is perceived and seek the opportunity for integration and collaboration in the health care system. These sessions will be held virtually and will be at most 1.5 hours. Learn more.

Promoting a local charitable health-related event?

Recruiting physicians and medical learners for a medical study?

Seeking AMA member participation in a survey?

The AMA receives many requests to promote local events, research participation opportunities and surveys to our members. We consider all requests based on specific criteria and general relevance/appropriateness. Please note that, unless explicitly stated, the AMA is not associated with or responsible for items listed in Community Connections.

In case you missed it...

AMA membership renewal. Renew online

Vote now: 2023 RF delegate zonal/regional elections

Apply for the 2023-24 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex/AMA Medical Student Bursary.

Upcoming events

Pediatric Fractures and Dislocation Course

January 18

26th Annual Rural Anesthesia for GP Anesthesiologists Conference

January 19

View all upcoming events on the AMA website.

Have an event you'd like to promote?

Review our criteria and submit your event.

Recognition Roundup

Below are special dates deserving recognition:

December:

- Anti-Bullying Day

  December 17

Recommend a special date.

Last issue's top stories

- Lung cancer screening available to eligible Albertans

- New online clinical decision support tool for patients in Alberta

In the December 14
MD Scope Classifieds
you'll find listings for:
 

- Physicians wanted

- Locums wanted

- For sale or lease
- Services

More from the AMA

© 2023 Alberta Medical Association; All rights reserved
 

The opinions expressed in AMA publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the Alberta Medical Association, its Board of Directors or members.
 

The Alberta Medical Association does not assume responsibility or liability for damages arising from any error or omission or from the use of any information or advice contained in these materials. Advertisements included in our publications are not necessarily endorsed by the Alberta Medical Association.
 

The Association reserves the right to edit any submissions that are accepted to appear in any of our publications or platforms. Please consult our editorial guidelines for tips on submissions or advertising.
 

Our mailing address is:
12230 106 Ave NW
Edmonton AB T5N 3Z1
Canada
 

   Canada Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) - AMA compliance statement