Nov 14, 2018

Med Student Andrew Lam Helping to Raise the Profile of Family Medicine in MD Program

Photograph of Andrew Lam

Andrew Terence Lam is a second-year medical student enrolled in the University of Toronto’s MD Program and is currently the Senior President of the Interest Group in Family Medicine (IgFM), a student group supported by the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) that helps educate MD students about family medicine. We discussed his current role and the exciting work IgFM has in store this upcoming year.

Photograph of Andrew Lam

Tell us about yourself.

I worked as a public health epidemiologist in a government setting prior to medical school and I always had an interest in public health and upstream medicine. I considered opportunities such as Doctors Without Borders or working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, and I ultimately decided on medical school and U of T. Outside of my involvement in IgFM, I am a resident Junior Fellow at Massey College, a co-director of a youth mentorship program called Varsity Docs, and a varsity-turned-recreational fencer.

What is IgFM and why did you get involved?

IgFM is a student group comprised of many incredible student leaders and established to promote family medicine and all things related to primary care to medical students at the University of Toronto. We work in collaboration with both DFCM and the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) to raise awareness and an understanding of family medicine as a discipline and the gamut of skills that family physicians need.

I wanted to help others see the value in primary care physicians and how they help shape our health system. My background in public health allowed me to appreciate the connection family physicians develop with patients through ongoing care and the impact they can have by connecting patients to community resources to address the determinants of health. It’s not just a “one-off” interaction. Family medicine is a lifelong partnership that aims to prevent illness, maintain health and improve a patient’s overall well-being.

IgFM is not here to convince our peers to go into family medicine. We’re here to show them that family medicine is the foundation of medicine they require and the skills they will develop are highly translatable to the many paths a medical trainee may take during their medical career.

What types of things does IgFM do?

IgFM is committed to enhancing awareness about family medicine through various avenues, including engagement from residents and faculty. We host clinical skills conferences that support students to build desired skills as a family physician, but are also transferable to other specialties.

IgFM also hosts four to five Speaker Series’ throughout the year where we invite guests to speak about topics such as DFCM’s “enhanced skills program”, “preparing for residency”, “the business side of medicine” and “life as a family physician”. The series emphasizes the types of skills and lifestyle students acquire through a family medicine career path to accomplish their professional and personal goals.

Another great initiative we run is our mentorship program. Many family medicine residents and faculty members have volunteered to mentor medical students at both the University of Toronto Mississauga Academy of Medicine and the St. George campus, allowing them to learn about family medicine as a career at a deeper level than other structured and unstructured opportunities students have. This year we are expanding the program with a more flexible longitudinal mentorship component with residents, who will provide peer mentorship to medical students. Through both existing and new mentorship programs we offer, students have the opportunity to rub shoulders with family medicine leaders and better understand the profession of medicine outside the walls of medical school.

What else does IgFM have in the works?

We have a lot of exciting opportunities coming up.

This year, Dr. Ruby Alvi, DFCM Pre-Clerkship Director and our faculty lead, is helping us promote the work medical students are doing in family medicine by connecting faculty members with our group. One of the goals I had coming into this role was to ensure each executive member of IgFM was paired up with a leader in family medicine so they could build connections, diversify their portfolio, and feel a greater sense of connectedness to the work they are doing.

We also hope to reestablish a journal club, with an online platform linking the Mississauga and St. George campuses so that residents and medical students can participate remotely.

Moreover, we have also created an Education and Scholarship Representative position to better reflect the changing needs of medical students and our group. This student liaises between the Office of Education and Scholarship at DFCM and IgFM, coordinates the journal club initiative, manages family medicine related student research postings, and also liaises with the Choosing Wisely campus group. It’s a huge role and I’m excited that we’re moving forward with it.

It’s great that there are so many faculty members and residents involved in the IgFM.

Yes. As a student we often get lost in our studies and forget what kind of support we have, but I’ve seen our instructors and faculty leads really advocating for our success. It’s something I wish every student could see.

How does being a member of the IgFM complement a journey into medicine?

The IgFM affords opportunities for students to recognize the value of a career in family medicine, but IgFM is so much more than just family medicine. It is great for personal development and community building. Professionally, it’s a platform for students to engage with medicine and forge their identity as a future practitioner.