Leaders of Tomorrow: The Plight of Aboriginal Health Professionals

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Leaders of Tomorrow The Plight of Aboriginal
Health Professionals

• Daniel (Beaulieu) McKennitt, BSc.
• University of Alberta
• MD Candidate 2010
• AHG President 2007-2008

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Family
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Daniel
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Aboriginal Health Human Resources in Canada

• Students of Aboriginal professional health
  programs are graduating in unprecedented numbers
• E.g. University of Alberta medical school has
  graduated 47 Aboriginal physicians in the past 20
  years
• Currently 23 Aboriginal medical students enrolled
  

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Aboriginal Health Human Resources in Canada

• Many of these students will be entering into
  careers in which they will be dealing closely
  with Aboriginal communities and/or Aboriginal
  patients
• Many of them will be thrust into leadership roles
  and looked upon as role models in the Aboriginal
  community

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Leadership

• Aboriginal communities and health professionals
  working with Aboriginal peoples should encourage
  the education of Aboriginal health professionals
  committed to future work in Aboriginal
  communities (Smylie, 2000)

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Leadership Skills in Western Medicine

• Public speaking
• Self-promotion
• Evidence based medicine
• Respect for hierarchy

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Leadership skills in Aboriginal communities

• Listening
• Respect for Elders
• Recognition of traditional medicine
• Promotion of others
• Relationship building

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Leadership skills in Aboriginal communities

• When I went to work with the Inuit, the first
  year I was there I was not allowed to speak to
  chief and council. Even though I was trained
  through the Western way as an addictions
  counselor, the Elders told me I had to learn to
  listen, something I was not taught in the Western
  training.
• Norman McCallum, Elder, Addictions Counsellor

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Bridging the Gap?

• What is lacking is an identified epistemology of
  leadership development that guides the training
  of professional health students within this field

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One approach.

• The Aboriginal Health Group, a student group at
  the University of Alberta, was formed in
  September 2006 for two main reasons to increase
  the understanding of Aboriginal people and
  Aboriginal Health issues and to develop a network
  of students interested in improving the health of
  Aboriginal people

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Aboriginal Health Group
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One approach.

• Monthly speaker series
• Aboriginal Youth into Medicine
• Cultural Appropriate Tobacco Use
• Aboriginal Health Awareness Week
• Leadership training

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Monthly Speaker Series

• Monthly speaker series on Aboriginal health
  issues to an audience of Aboriginal and
  non-Aboriginal students, staff, faculty and
  community members.
• Topics have ranged from incorporating traditional
  healing into modern medicine, to the epidemiology
  of type 2 diabetes mellitus within Aboriginal
  communities

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Speaker Series 2007

• Dr. Malcolm King
• Dr. Adrienne Weibe
• Mr. Clifford Cardinal
• Ms. Lois Edge
• Dr. Lola Baydala
• Ms. Josie Auger
• Wahkotowin (Kinship) Society

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Speaker Series 2008

• Northwest Indian College Students
• Mr. Clifford Cardinal
• Dr. Ellen Toth
• Mr. Warren Winnipeg
• Dr. Stanley Vollant
• Dr. Jay Wortman
• Mr. Mike DeGagne

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Aboriginal Youth into Medicine

• A guidebook developed for engaging Aboriginal
  youth in medicine.
• Grant obtained from CMA as one of only six
  leadership innovation projects
• Consultations with Elders, Aboriginal youth,
  Aboriginal post secondary students, medical
  doctors and Aboriginal advisors.

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Cultural Appropriate Tobacco Use

• Butt out is a current smoking prevention program
  delivered by medical students in Edmonton
• Concerns were raised about the cultural
  appropriateness of the program in regards to
  Aboriginal youth
• With a grant from AADAC, AHG developed a team to
  address the concern

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Cultural Appropriate Tobacco Use

• Currently piloting in Aboriginal schools within
  the province including on and off reserve

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Aboriginal Health Awareness Week

• First ever Aboriginal Health Awareness Week at
  the University of Alberta to bring much needed
  awareness of Aboriginal health issues to the
  university community

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Aboriginal Health Awareness Week
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Leadership Training

• Realizing the importance of leadership training
  of Aboriginal youth the AHG does some special
  events with Aboriginal youth such as breakfasts
  with special guests and attending conferences
  with AHG members

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Leadership Training
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Leadership skills in Aboriginal communities

• Listening
• Respect for Elders
• Recognition of traditional medicine
• Promotion of others
• Relationship building

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Summary

• Aboriginal health professionals are graduating in
  unprecedented numbers
• Leadership skills of these Aboriginal health
  professionals are not always applicable to
  Aboriginal communities/ Aboriginal patients
• Must bridge the gap by offering alternative
  means of developing Leadership skills applicable
  to Aboriginal communities/ Aboriginal patients

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Contact

• 2-45 Medical Sciences Bldg, 114 Street 87
  Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]          
• Emailabhealth_at_ualberta.ca Website
  http//www.ualberta.ca/abhealth

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Questions