Island Medical Program (IMP) Patient Program - Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering

Provided by University of Victoria

Provides volunteer opportunities for patients to help medical students develop critical skills.
The Island Medical Program (IMP), located in Victoria, BC, delivers the UBC MD Undergraduate Program in partnership with the University of Victoria and Island Health.

As a member of the IMP Patient Program, you’ll help medical students develop many important skills like history-taking; hands-on exams; connecting with patients in a safe, respectful, empathetic manner; and much more. We need people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to help train our students in Victoria. There are currently four types of opportunities available:
  • Volunteer Patient: Volunteer Patients (VPs) participate as themselves in clinical skills sessions. They become a teaching model for students and offer their authentic medical history, whether they are healthy or living with an illness or disability. VPs answer questions about their health, family, and lifestyle while participating in non-invasive physical examinations under the guidance of a qualified physician.
  • Standardized Patient: Standardized Patients (SPs) are basically actors, trained to simulate the personal history, physical symptoms, emotional characteristics, and everyday concerns of certain cases. They will answer medical history questions and undergo exams. SPs must be articulate, memorize scenarios, and convincingly portray a range of emotions.
  • Clinical Teaching Associate: Clinic Teaching Associates (CTAs) love to teach and want to make an impact on the delivery of healthcare for everyone. CTAs receive special training so they can help teach medical students how to perform sensitive physical examinations, such as chest, pelvic, and prostate exams, in a thorough and respectful way. Good communication skills, the ability to set boundaries, and patience are necessary, since CTAs undergo these examinations while teaching.
  • First Patient Volunteer: First Patient Volunteers are people with chronic conditions and unique healthcare needs. By sharing their stories and experiences, First Patients teach our students how to view the healthcare system from a patient’s perspective. These insights are invaluable for training effective, conscientious doctors. By working with these individuals, our students will also learn more about the continuity of care and its importance in medical practice.

    To apply to patient program volunteer opportunities, fill out the application online.

Website: https://imp.med.ubc.ca/community...

Service is available in English.

Cost: No cost

Associated Programs/Services

Also offered by University of Victoria:

Availability

Service area: Victoria

Ways to Access
  • Provided 1:1 in-person

The listing of this service in Pathways is not a recommendation or endorsement by Pathways.

Pathways does not provide medical advice. If you have an emergency please call 9-1-1. If you require assistance navigating services please call 8-1-1.

For general inquiries or for assistance, please email us:

community-services@pathwaysbc.ca

If you are requesting clinical access to medical Pathways, please provide the following information via the email above:

  1. First Name
  2. Last Name
  3. Email
  4. In which city/town do you work?
  5. What is your role? E.g. Family Physician, Office Staff, Medical Resident
  6. Employer Name (for office staff)
  7. Office Phone

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