Saskatchewan’s next generation of physicians will not be conforming to healthcare’s unwritten rules.
Saskatchewan’s healthcare is soon to be passed over to a new generation of physicians whose training has been tainted by the impacts of Covid-19. These students, on the cusp of graduating, have only experienced clinical medicine through the lens of a pandemic. This unique training environment has produced a generation of physicians who place higher value on mental wellness, community support, and virtual care for patients than there has been in the past.
The emergency departments in Saskatoon are bursting at the seams with “high rates people presenting with anxiety, depression and substance use disorders” says Alex Senger, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Saskatchewan. “Many people are struggling to cope with the isolation of the pandemic leading to higher than usual rates of anxiety, depression and addiction” says Senger. Helping people struggling with substance use disorder was a key component of Senger’s training in the emergency department. Motivated by the inadequate options for people struggling with substance abuse, Senger is working to create “expanded addictions management systems” and hopes to continue this trajectory during his residency.
“Not only are we healthcare professionals, but also advocates for healthcare” says Helen Tang, a fourth-year medical student and classmate of Senger. While working in small communities across Saskatchewan during her training, Tang saw firsthand how a patient’s mental wellness is a key determinant of their physical wellbeing. The secondary impacts of Covid including job loss, isolation and hopelessness have not only caused a deterioration in mental health but also physical health.
“People would stop taking their heart medication or insulin or even stop exercising and eating right [when depressed]” says Tang.
After witnessing how physical and mental health are intertwined Tang said that she will “definitely have to take extra training in mental health counselling, basic psychotherapy and mindfulness to help create positive change for patients”. This realization will improve Tang’s ability to assist people with their physical and mental health in her future as a primary care physician.
“A lot more vulnerable populations are coming in with Covid [when compared to the general population]” says Tang. During clerkship medical students in Saskatchewan experienced how marginalized populations have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19. The devastation of the pandemic has highlighted inequalities within the healthcare system.
Saskatchewan is sparsely populated with much of the population living in rural centers without access to healthcare. Tang recounted the challenges of delivering care to one of her patients who did not have a vehicle and lived four hours from the nearest medical center. One of the strategies employed to combat the inadequate access to healthcare that rural communities experience is an increase in virtual care options.
“Phone consults, email and video chats have become more popular over the course of the pandemic which has improved patient access to healthcare” says Rachel Miller, a second-year medical student at the University of Saskatchewan. Miller, Tang and Senger all anticipate the perseverance of virtual health care, even after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hopefully the positive changes enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic will become permanently integrated into Saskatchewan’s healthcare system along with the new generation of physicians.
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