Just Medicine

In this episode, Dr. Kona Williams, a Cree and Mohawk forensic pathologist and coroner based in Sudbury, Ontario, talks to host Sandra about what forensic pathology is (and isn’t). They also discuss death investigation systems, why some communities in so-called Canada are left waiting years for answers about their loved ones’ deaths, and what needs to happen to ensure health care is more equitable...

In this episode, host Sandra speaks to Dr. Eric Cattoni, a family physician and Medical Director at the Families In Recovery (FIR) Unit at BC Women’s Hospital. They discuss what’s unique about providing substance use care to people who are pregnant and postpartum and their families, as well as the elements of perinatal substance use care, like compassion and a trauma‑informed approach, that are re...

In this episode, host Sandra speaks to Dr. Gbolahan (GB) Olarewaju, a public health resident physician, academic activist, and past and inaugural chair of the Black Medical Students’ Association of Canada. They discuss how decades of discriminatory policies and practices have thrown up obstacles to the medical profession for Black folks – and how the efforts of Black learners and trainees and thei...

The success of a treatment plan can depend heavily on social factors – for example, income, housing status, or whether or not someone has drug coverage. The social history is where we, as medical learners, trainees and practitioners, are meant to gather that information so that we can apply it in our care. For this episode, host Sandra spoke to Dr. Ritika Goel, a family doctor and activist based i...

Climate change is presenting a big problem for health, with significant implications for equity. As medical trainees, when it comes to addressing the health impacts of climate change in our patients, it can be hard to know where to even start.  In this episode, our guest Dr. Melissa Lem – a family physician, environmental advocate, and the president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for th...

We learn in medical training that factors big and small have an influence on health. Broader social, economic, political, and environmental forces play an important role in determining who experiences good health, and who does not. In this episode, host Sandra and Dr. Yipeng Ge, a family doctor and public health practitioner, drill down into the details of the structural determinants of health. Wh...

Welcome back to Just Medicine! In this episode, we explore the often overlooked vulnerabilities in pediatric health care with our excellent guest, Dr. Amarens Matthiesen, a Certified Child Life Specialist. She discusses the importance of including children in healthcare decision-making and how this looks in practice. Please tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on equity and agency in the p...

In this episode, our host Sandra chats with Derek K. Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun , a member of the diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ – Ditidaht First Nation and Director of Indigenous Engagement at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine. They discuss the role of non-Indigenous medical learners and trainees in realizing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Actio...

In the final episode of this four-part series, Kennedy reconnects with Jessie Newman, an Indigenous health dietitian, to bring together the key themes of diet, food access, and the gut microbiome in the context of Indigenous health. Building on earlier discussions, Jessie shares insights into the initiatives she’s spearheaded to promote food sovereignty and improve health outcomes in Indigenous co...

We’re back! This is the third episode of our podcast series on Food Security and the Gut Microbiome where we continue to discuss the critical overlap of healthcare, community, and connection. We’re grateful to speak with Dr. Morgan Lindsay, a dedicated family physician practicing in British Columbia.  In this interview, we examine the perspective of both providers and patients that have been histo...

Welcome back to Just Medicine!  This week, we continue a podcast series that explores the intersections of diet, food security and the gut microbiome, especially for Indigenous folks.  In our previous episode of the series, we established a fantastic background on the importance of foods and food systems in Indigenous communities, as well as how diets are changing through time. We also discussed s...

Welcome back to Just Medicine ! This week, we begin a podcast series that explores the intersections of diet, food security, and the gut microbiome, especially for Indigenous folks. In this four part series, Kennedy Graham (UBC MSI 1) speaks to experts to call attention to how colonialism has impacted diet in many Indigenous communities; explore diet’s role in creating and influencing the gut micr...

We are back with another episode! In this podcast, I spoke with Bryan Becker, who is presently working in peer support at the RAAC clinic at St. Pauls Hospital. RAAC stands for rapid access addiction clinic: this service provides addiction medicine assessments for any substance use issue, including alcohol. It serves to maximize treatment support for clients, provide training and distribution of T...

We're back! In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Althea Hayden, a medical health officer, Ranjit Lehal, a family nurse practitioner, and Dr. Mei-ling Wiedmeyer, a clinician scientist. From navigating cultural barriers to understanding specific health needs, this week's inspiring guests share their insights and experiences in providing and developing accessible health ca...

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Elise Jackson, who recently completed her Addictions Medicine Fellowship following an internal medicine residency at UBC. We speak about the protocols surrounding substance use while in hospital, as well as how the importance of hospitalization as a touchpoint for future care coordination. We also delve into the personal dif...

Welcome back to Just Medicine! In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Michael Etowa, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University and an associate scientist at the HIV Treatment Network in Ontario. Dr. Etowa's research on HIV vulnerability and resilience in the black community fueled a truly enriching discussion about the social determi...

We are back again with another episode! I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Victoria Weaver, one of the only dual infectious diseases and addictions medicine specialists in Canada. She shares her insights on the treatment of infectious diseases in patients with concurrent substance use. In particular, we discussed the challenges that arise in ID treatment, disease severity and continuity of ca...

Welcome back, everyone! This week's episode focuses on Refugee Health by highlighting a remarkable medical student-led initiative called the Refugee Health Initiative (RHI). I had the pleasure of speaking with Nikola Deretic, a third-year medical student at the University of British Columbia and the current co-president of the Refugee Health Initiative. Nikola delves into the RHI's work to...

We are back again with another episode! I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Mary Kestler, an infectious diseases specialist with particular expertise in HIV, TB, Global Health and Tropical Medicine. She shares her insights on HIV care in urban settings, amidst their unique challenges and opportunities. We also delve into the intersection of HIV care with substance use, gender, and sexual orien...

We're back! This week's episode explores the unique mental health challenges faced by youth with chronic illnesses, focusing on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with expert Dr. Astrid Williams. Adolescence and young adulthood are already full of psychosocial and physical changes. Add to this a lifelong illness, and it can lead to feelings of hopelessness and isolation. Listen in on an impo...

We’re back again with another episode! This week, dive into the world of genetic testing and the genomic divide with expert guest speakers Dr. Wyeth Wasserman and Dr. Anna Lehman: Did you know that when it comes to genetic testing, you can’t simply use the same reference data for everybody? Different populations of people share different background variations in their genes, so we need good refere...

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Tribesty Nguyen who is a public health resident physician. He has many years of experience in social justice, health equity, health policy, and political advocacy, particularly with 2SLGBTQ+, refugee, and racialized communities. He is here with us to share about the nuances of providing care for GBTQ+ men and how to take a se...

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Alec Yu who is an internal medicine resident physician working at St Paul's Hospital in inner city downtown Vancouver. He shares us his insights working on the frontlines and resources we can directly connect our patients to. If you have any questions, want to suggest a topic for us to cover, or know of any experts in a p...

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Fraser Black and Ashley Mollison who are experts on the complexities of delivering palliative care for a vulnerable population. In this episode, we also discuss what drew Dr Black and Ashley to this line of work and why it is so rewarding. For details on PORT, refer to: https://www.equityinpalliativecare.com/port For details...

In this second episode, I provide a primer on the medical aspects of pediatric gender affirming care. I provide you with the context of taking a history, treatment plans offered, considerations when providing this type of care and the transition from pediatric to adult settings.