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Our Work & Projects

Subcommittees

Student Affairs

Education

Communication

AGM Planning

Advocacy

Exploratory Project: Group Counseling for Medical Students
    • Description: The purpose of this initiative is to determine the feasibility of offering monthly group counseling for Black medical students in each province. The idea is to have this set up across the country for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Wellness Wednesdays Instagram Takeover
    • Description: Wellness Wednesdays will be a social media initiative in which students from across the country will have the opportunity to take over the BMSAC Instagram story for a day to share how they incorporate wellness into their day. This will serve as an opportunity for learning and bonding for all students.
STRAVA Group
    • Description: The BMSAC Strava group will be a space for medical students to support one another in being active.
Dismantling the Hidden Agenda/Curriculum: A Guide
    • Description: The focus of this project is two-fold: a) identifying the levels of understanding and action of each medical school about the hidden agenda/curriculum, and b) creating an unofficial guide to navigating the hidden agenda/curriculum for Black medical students. The content of this guide is very much still open for discussion, and input of all Student Affairs committee members will be most welcome. The goal is to have this ready to roll out in Summer 2024.

For questions about any of these projects please contact studentaffairs@bmsac.ca

Pomodoro Study Hall Planning Committee
    • Description: To promote a sense of community among Black Canadian medical students, the BMSAC plans to organize bi-weekly virtual study halls. These study periods will be four hours long, with 50 minutes of studying and 10 minutes of virtual conversation. The study hall times will be flexible to accommodate students from different time zones. We are also planning to provide meal gift cards to those who attend. Attendees can participate for one hour or for the entire duration of the study hall. This is a great opportunity to be productive while getting to know our colleagues from across the country in a supportive online environment.
Red Flag/Green Flag: Feasibility Assessment
    • Description: Medical curriculum and medical schools are rife with oppressive, discriminatory content, comments, and behaviors. Due to the power imbalance between students and faculty, it can be very difficult for students to speak up when they feel that inappropriate material is being presented, and doing so can lead to a student being targeted by faculty should they do so. A safer system for reporting inappropriate content is needed. The purpose of this project is to explore the feasibility of implementing a red flag/green flag system for curricular content and clinical exposure at each school in collaboration with the respective VD EDIs.

for questions about any of these projects please contact  chair@bmsac.ca

Social Media Amplification
    • Description: We use our social media platforms as our main method of communication with our membership and external stakeholders. We would like a Social Media Amplification manager(s) to continue promoting, sharing and communicating with our audience.
Social Media Post Development
    • Description: We use our social media platforms to communicate with our membership and external stakeholders. Thus it is extremely important that we create a cohesive, appealing and simply social media platform. We would like the Social Media Post developers to continue creating content that reflects our brand!
Monthly Newsletter Development
    • Description: Our newsletter is another method of communication with our membership. It is a valued tool to communicate the ongoing initiatives and events the BMSAC, local BMSAs and other external partnerships are hosting.
Bilingualism Team
    • Description: This team will comprise 1-2 writers/translators who will work on a rotational basis to liaise with other team members in the committee plus other BMSAC portfolios to ensure that BMSAC content meets an acceptable standard of bilingualism, as described in BMSAC bylaws.

for questions about any of these projects please contact communications@bmsac.ca

Agenda Team
    • Description: Creating an agenda for the AGM, booking speakers and media presentations, delegating agenda items to be organized by different team members, identifying who will moderate/facilitate those events on the day of.
Registration Team
    • Description: The registration team early on will assist the Director of Finance and Sponsorship lead in connecting with AGM sponsors. Afterwhich the registration Team will begin their roles as described below. During the day of the conference, the Registration team will facilitate the registration at the front of the event.
Social Team
    • Description: The main responsibility of the social team is to plan the Gala. This is a black-tie evening event for all AGM delegates, that provides an opportunity to socialize, and connect with each other. Planning the Gala will include coordinating food, music, a venue, photography, etc.This team works closely with the Director of finance, making sure to stay within budget. A secondary role is to facilitate and plan ice breaker activities during AGM. These are small, short exercises that encourage delegates to engage in conversation with each other.
Marketing Team
    • Description: The main responsibility of the marketing team is to develop strategies and materials that promote AGM. This can include social media posts, IG take-overs, TikToks, IG reels, giveaways, etc. The main goal is to create materials that encourage folks to register for, and attend AGM, and to increase engagement and connection on materials regarding AGM.
Regional Team
    • Description: On the ground support for general AGM responsibilities. Will work between all of the teams. Will assists logistics team at the time of the conference to coordinate the operations of the BMSAC meeting at the AGM Decide on/Facilitate voting Prepare slides
Sponsorship/Finance Lead
    • Description: Working in conjunction with the Director of Finance portfolio to garner new sponsors and liaise with current/past sponsors. This year we are going big. Will help to coordinate promotional material for capstone and major sponsors; coordination of booths for specific sponsors and create awards for large donors.

for questions about any of these projects please contact  internal@bmsac.ca

Mentorship Program
    • Description: The BMSAC developed a national mentorship program for Black medical students. This year we would like to continue our  national mentorship program to ensure students across Canada are matched with a mentor with similar professional interests.
Advocacy Workshop
    • Description: To empower this upcoming generation of Black doctors to advocate for themselves and their community, the Advocacy committee will run a workshop/seminar/event of their choice relating to advocacy and/or the mental health and wellbeing of the Black community. It may also be related to this year’s theme at the BMSAC. This workshop can be a panel, interactive workshop, intimate discussion, so the selected applicants will have the full opportunity to use their creativity.
Advocacy Toolkit
    • Description: As many schools are increasing their efforts to admit more Black students, the need to advocate for Black learners across Canada will be increasingly more important. Coupled with the Advocacy Workshop, the BMSAC aims to create a toolkit of resources, tips and contacts for Black learners nationwide to use to support their advocacy efforts at their respective schools. Volunteers for this initiative will be expected to survey common concerns and advocacy efforts nationally, as well as speak to appropriate contacts to gain information on how to advocate for Black students (e.g., one aspect of the toolkit may be about advocating for the establishment of a BSAP stream, or how to advocate for an improved BSAP stream at your school).
CaRMS Interview Season Support
    • Description: The BMSAC would like to create a CaRMS support program consisting of interview support and mock interviews. Volunteers for this program will be required to contact Black residents/staff physicians to act as mentors, and coordinate times for the mock interview session. This support will be provided virtually, so volunteers should be well-acquainted with running large Zoom meetings.

for questions about any of these projects please contact advocacy@bmsac.ca

Recommendations

June 2020

2020 is a year that will remain in our collective memory as one of change in many aspects of life, good and bad. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Regis Korchinski-Paquet and so many others brought about an unprecedented awakening in many who had been previously silent observers of anti-Black racism. People from all walks of life took to the streets to demand change, and in medical education, there was a sudden recognition of our existence as individual students and as a timely new organization. Over the course of the summer we marched, we wrote, we shared, we innovated, and we advocated.

One of our proudest achievements was the creation of specific recommendations to the AFMC and all faculties of medicine in the areas of admissions, curriculum and accountability to anti-racism. These recommendations allowed us to establish critical stakeholder relationships with the AFMC, CFMS, Royal College and more. We hope to monitor and evaluate responses to these recommendations in the coming years.

Canadian Medical School Report Cards

September 2024

In June 2020, we put forth Calls to Action providing recommendations to the 17 Canadian Faculties of Medicine on how to create safe and inclusive learning environments for Black students in undergraduate medical education. These recommendations address issues of racism, specifically anti-Black racism, discrimination, and mistreatment.

In 2023, we conducted a formal and in-depth assessment of the response to the Calls to Action. In partnership with the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Committee and the Network for the Advancement of Black Medical Learners, we developed a detailed survey and conducted a comprehensive analysis to gather insights on how Canada’s 17 Faculties Medicine continues to address our Calls to Action. The aim is to provide a detailed overview of the current national landscape of anti-racism, specifically anti-Black racism, initiatives, and support for Black students and learners in medical education.

Now, in 2024, we are proud to share the first iteration of these report cards. The document includes individual institutional report cards that have been written specifically for each Faculty and a Pan-Canadian report card. The Pan-Canadian report card provides a broad overview of the response to the Calls to Action and notable findings from exemplary faculties to consider when planning for next steps. The publication of these reports highlight and celebrate work being done while calling for continued change.

We plan to send out the next iteration of the survey in 2025, and biannually after that. This will allow us to continue monitoring progress and hold all Faculties accountable to actively addressing anti-black racism in their medical schools.

Regional Updates




Ayomide Fakuade Atlantic Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: Dalhousie University, Memorial University

The first cohort of Dalhousie medical students admitted through the new Black Learners Admissions Pathway (BLAP) will begin their studies in the upcoming 2023/2024 academic year. The pathway has been approved for the 2023/2024 school year. It was created to reduce barriers faced by Black applicants on their path to medical school in Nova Scotia. The pathway will evaluate students’ applications through a holistic file review. The Black Learners Admissions Subcommittee (BLAS), which consists of Black community representatives and academic representatives, is led by Dr. Leah Jones, Dalhousie’s Academic Director of Black health. This process is also supported and overseen by Timi Idris, the program manager of Dalhousie’s Promoting Leadership in Health for African Nova Scotians (PLANS) program.

Anjola Antonio Western Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba

The Black students at the University of British Columbia have formally established the UBC BMSA chapter. For aspiring medical students interested in the program at UBC, they seek to provide networking and mentorship opportunities. The BMSA at the University of Alberta had huge success with their second annual Health Fair, this year’s theme being Prevention. The event attracted hundreds and provided a space for members of the Black community in Edmonton to learn about staying healthy and detecting health problems early. The University of Calgary is hosting their inaugural Journey to Med event in October, a day showcasing the importance of Black physicians in Canada through panelists, workshops and speakers and is aimed at aspiring medical students from grade 10 onwards. The University of Saskatchewan and the University of Manitoba have yet to establish formal equity streams for Black applicants yet are working towards improving admissions to their respective schools. The Black Student Pathway at UBC, and the Black Applicant Admissions Process at the Universities of Calgary and Alberta are all welcoming their new cohorts of students this year.

Gelila Alemayheu Ontario Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: University of Toronto, McMaster University, Queen’s University, Western University, University of Ottawa, Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Black medical students at Western University have created a Black Medical Student Association in the 2022/2023 school year and a new Dean of EDI-D has been appointed. McMaster University ran their first Black Application Pathway cycle in the 2022-2023 school year and has now permitted medical students to access services at the Black Student Success Centre. The first cohort of the QuARMS pathway finished their first year of medical school at Queen’s University. For non-QuARMs students, they are working on developing a BSAP pathway. University of Toronto is continuing its success with a very active BMSA and they will have their 6th BSAP cohort join them this Fall. The statistics of accepted BSAP applicants are comparable to the general population of applicants. Currently, NOSM does not have a formal BMSA but they are working towards including Black student admission elements such as self-identification, more diverse interviewers etc. to make the application process more equitable. Lastly, University of Ottawa is entering their 3rd BSAP program this upcoming cycle.

Hendrick Paquette Ambroise Quebec Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: McGill University, Université Laval, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke

In 2022, a significant milestone was achieved at McGill University and Université de Montréal as they welcomed their inaugural cohort of medical students (Class of 2026) through their Black Candidate Pathway. Adding to this progressive stride, McGill University established the province’s premier Black Medical Student Association (BMSA chapter), setting a precedent that Université de Montréal is poised to follow in the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year.

Ayomide Fakuade Atlantic Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: Dalhousie University, Memorial University

The first cohort of Dalhousie medical students admitted through the new Black Learners Admissions Pathway (BLAP) will begin their studies in the upcoming 2023/2024 academic year. The pathway has been approved for the 2023/2024 school year. It was created to reduce barriers faced by Black applicants on their path to medical school in Nova Scotia. The pathway will evaluate students’ applications through a holistic file review. The Black Learners Admissions Subcommittee (BLAS), which consists of Black community representatives and academic representatives, is led by Dr. Leah Jones, Dalhousie’s Academic Director of Black health. This process is also supported and overseen by Timi Idris, the program manager of Dalhousie’s Promoting Leadership in Health for African Nova Scotians (PLANS) program.

Anjola Antonio Western Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba

The Black students at the University of British Columbia have formally established the UBC BMSA chapter. For aspiring medical students interested in the program at UBC, they seek to provide networking and mentorship opportunities. The BMSA at the University of Alberta had huge success with their second annual Health Fair, this year’s theme being Prevention. The event attracted hundreds and provided a space for members of the Black community in Edmonton to learn about staying healthy and detecting health problems early. The University of Calgary is hosting their inaugural Journey to Med event in October, a day showcasing the importance of Black physicians in Canada through panelists, workshops and speakers and is aimed at aspiring medical students from grade 10 onwards. The University of Saskatchewan and the University of Manitoba have yet to establish formal equity streams for Black applicants yet are working towards improving admissions to their respective schools. The Black Student Pathway at UBC, and the Black Applicant Admissions Process at the Universities of Calgary and Alberta are all welcoming their new cohorts of students this year.

Gelila Alemayheu Ontario Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: University of Toronto, McMaster University, Queen’s University, Western University, University of Ottawa, Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Black medical students at Western University have created a Black Medical Student Association in the 2022/2023 school year and a new Dean of EDI-D has been appointed. McMaster University ran their first Black Application Pathway cycle in the 2022-2023 school year and has now permitted medical students to access services at the Black Student Success Centre. The first cohort of the QuARMS pathway finished their first year of medical school at Queen’s University. For non-QuARMs students, they are working on developing a BSAP pathway. University of Toronto is continuing its success with a very active BMSA and they will have their 6th BSAP cohort join them this Fall. The statistics of accepted BSAP applicants are comparable to the general population of applicants. Currently, NOSM does not have a formal BMSA but they are working towards including Black student admission elements such as self-identification, more diverse interviewers etc. to make the application process more equitable. Lastly, University of Ottawa is entering their 3rd BSAP program this upcoming cycle.

Hendrick Paquette Ambroise Quebec Regional Director

MEDICAL SCHOOLS: McGill University, Université Laval, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke

In 2022, a significant milestone was achieved at McGill University and Université de Montréal as they welcomed their inaugural cohort of medical students (Class of 2026) through their Black Candidate Pathway. Adding to this progressive stride, McGill University established the province’s premier Black Medical Student Association (BMSA chapter), setting a precedent that Université de Montréal is poised to follow in the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year.

Research Subcommittee

Beraki Abraha

2022 – 2023, Chair

Gbolahan Olarewaju

2021 – 2022, Chair

The objective is to delve into research inquiries concerning the experiences of Canadian Black medical students while also fostering connections among black medical students across Canada who have an interest in research.
We are currently working on the knowledge translation of our two studies:

Pan-Canadian Survey

Pan Canadian Medical Student Demographic Research Survey – Led by University of Calgary researchers. BMSAC is a sponsor and “co-investigator”. This is the first demographic survey conducted to characterize the Canadian medical student population (including Francophone) since 2006.

BMSAC qualitative study

Blackness in Medical Education: A qualitative inquiry – This is completely a BMSAC study that stems from a research project GB developed at UBC.

  • Knowledge Translation
    • Blackness in Medical Education: A Qualitative Inquiry, by Gbolahan Olarewaju, Bolade Shipeolu, Asli Fuad, Clara Osei-Yeboah, LLana James, Stephanie Nixon, Maria Hubinette. BMSAC Qualitative Study. Preliminary analysis done. Presented at CCME 2022. Oral presentation.
    • Blackness in Medical Education: A Qualitative Inquiry, by Gbolahan Olarewaju, Bolade Shipeolu, Asli Fuad, Clara Osei-Yeboah, Jane Wanjiru, LLana James, Stephanie Nixon, Maria Hubinette. BMSAC Qualitative Study. Preliminary analysis done. Presented at ICAM 2023 (April 2023). Oral presentation.
    • Black Medical Students In Canada: A Descriptive Analysis, by Gbolahan Olarewaju, Gbolahan Olarewaju M.D, Beraki Abraha, Giselle Tucker Belliveau, MHS, Khadija Brouillette, Moiz Hafeez M.D, M.Sc. (2), Aliya Kassam Ph.D (2). Pan-Canadian Demographic Survey. Exploratory Analysis done. Submission under review by ICAM 2024
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