Aboriginal presence encouraged in health field.

Calgary

Medical officials are hopeful that a double dose of initiatives administered earlier this year will boost more Aboriginal involvement in modern medicine across the country.

In February, the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine announced its goal of increasing Aboriginal attendance to four per cent.

"We're definitely supportive of it," said Kandice Leonard, executive director for the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada. "It's a great step forward in increasing the numbers of Indigenous physicians and residents."

A month later in Ottawa, Leonard's organization teamed up with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and Health Canada to introduce a federally-funded pilot program to increase cultural sensitivity among medical professions in treating First Nations and Metis patients.

"They were very positive and were very much a pleasure to work with," she said. "I think it was a willingness on their part to ensure it had quality results."

But a focus on results can be controversial, as has been the case with the U of C's Aboriginal enrolment target. City tabloid Metro Calgary reported that not only could an increase in Aboriginal numbers to four per cent take away spots from other candidates, it also hinted that admission requirements--including a 3.2 grade-point average and successful completion of the Medical College Admission Test--could be relaxed to achieve the faculty's objective.

Tim Patterson, who coordinates the Aboriginal Health Program at the faculty, said admission requirements will be non-negotiable regardless of who applies.

"I don't think the increase in enrolment or the focus on Aboriginal students is a bad thing," said Patterson, who is working with Aboriginal communities in the province to encourage the development of more Aboriginal medical professionals. "It not only diversifies the student population, but also brings in a different perspective. And medicine needs that. I also think society is looking at medicine to do more of that."

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And to do more requires greater Aboriginal representation in the field. Patterson said there are about 10 Aboriginal students currently attending the faculty, which has approximately 465 undergraduates in its program. Leonard added that while IPAC will be conducting an "environmental scan" of Aboriginal medical professionals in Canada, she estimated roughly 200-300 Aboriginals currently practice medicine, although she pegged 150 as a more realistic number.

Dr. Linsday Crowshoe, of the Piikani Nation, is one of those Aboriginals practising medicine. He is also an assistant professor at the University of Calgary and spearheaded the faculty's Aboriginal Health Program, which is finishing the first of a three-year program.

Ethics and cultural competence are at the core of the medical curriculum development endeavour involving IPAC. Modules geared towards creating more positive health-related outcomes for Aboriginals will focus on physical, psychological and social problems experienced by such patients. The pilot program will focus on family practice, gynecology, obstetrics and psychiatry, although practitioners involved in the endeavour have commented the essence of the teachings can be adopted to any medical specialty.

Leonard said the cultural curriculum program should address the increasing demand among students and professionals for such background information to help Aboriginals seeking treatment.

"I think the need has grown and it's taken an organization as ours that's willing to partner with the Royal College to make something like this happen," she said, "and make sure it's a priority for other medical schools as well as the Royal College."

While Patterson is encouraged over the positive winds of change lately, he still feels there's much more work to do.

"While we have Aboriginal programs for people like myself," he said, "there's still a long way to go in making sure that not only are Aboriginal voices being heard and perspectives introduced, but also in terms of it being a priority for the medical schools."

BY GENE KOSOWAN

Sweetgrass Writer