Current Interest Groups | Aesculapian Society | School of Medicine

For questions related to interest groups, please contact the Student Initiatives and Research Officer at siro@qmed.ca or Student Interest Group Coordinator at sigco@qmed.ca.

Academic Groups

Group	Senior Executive Contacts	Junior Executive Contact	Description
Anesthesia Interest Group (queens.aig@gmail.com)			AIG leads interactive seminars and workshops to teach the QMed community about the specialty of anesthesiology.
Cardiac Surgery Interest Group (queenscsig@gmail.com)			CSIG aims to promote the specialty of cardiac surgery to all members of the Queen's medicine community through interactive lectures, seminars, and workshops. Our goal is to provide students early exposure to cardiac surgery as a specialty, as well as introduce students to the different techniques used in cardiac surgery, and new innovations happening in the field.
Dermatology Interest Group			The Dermatology Interest Group aims to foster interest in the field of dermatology among medical students. This includes but is not limited to presenting learning opportunities in basic dermatology, mentorship for medical students interested in dermatology, advocacy and education about dermatology in the community and facilitated opportunities to engage in dermatology-related research. Past events that the DIG has organized include the Dermatology Lunch and Learn with Dr. Asai, a Punch Biopsy workshop, sun safety events at Kingston Community Centers and collaborating with other Interest Groups to organize the ‘Matching to Competitive Specialties’ panel. The DIG is an opportunity to learn more about a great field and provides networking opportunities with dermatologists and residents. The DIG is the smallest Interest Group within QMED!
Diagnostic Imaging Interest Group			Radiology education, awareness and events
Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) (qemig911@gmail.com)			Aims to introduce pre-clerks to the dynamic and exciting field of emergency medicine. Past events include workshops (casting, POCUS), specialty speakers (i.e. ER psych), panels (Attendings, Residents, Recent Matches, 5 yr RCPS vs 2+1 CFPC).
Family Medicine Interest Group			The Queen’s FMIG promotes family medicine as a career path for medical students. We do this by exploring what it means to be a family doctor, examining the value of primary care, and showcasing the scope and diversity of practice in family medicine.
Internal Medicine Interest Group (imig.queens@gmail.com)			IMIG seeks to foster understanding of internal medicine as a specialty and all sub-specialities therein. In addition to promoting the field, we also hope to serve as a conduit to build camaraderie and network between internal medicine faculty and interested students.
Lifestyle Medicine Interest (LMIG.qmedicine@gmail.com) Group			Lifestyle medicine is a medical discipline that focuses on using non pharmaceutical therapies to treat chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There are 6 pillars to lifestyle medicine - a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connections.
Medical Student Scholar Certificate			The purpose of this certificate program is to provide interested students with the opportunity to engage more deeply in critical thinking and scholarly endeavours. The certificate supports student scholarship and research output through a multimodal approach, including advanced training modules, active research and/or scholar curriculum involvement and a culminating presentation in both written and oral formats.
Oncology Interest Group (qmedoig@gmail.com)			Increase the exposure of medical students to the variety of potential career paths within the multidisciplinary team involved in oncological care.
Ophthalmology Interest Group (queensophthoIG@gmail.com)			To educate and increase exposure to and understanding of the specialty
Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group (osig.team@gmail.com)			OSIG stands for the Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group, which was recently founded by a group of students at Queen's University (Kingston, ON, Canada) with a specific interest in orthopaedic surgery. Our group focuses on providing additional learning opportunities for students keen to learn more about orthopaedics, as a way to complement our academic curriculum and clinical training.
Palliative Care Interest Group			The PCIG seeks to increase student exposure to palliative care through guest speaker events, workshops and death cafes.
Pediatrics Interest Group			PIG aims to expose interested students to the scope of pediatric medicine and research in fun and engaging ways.
Physical Medicine & Rehab Interest Group			Promote the field of physiatry within the School of Medicine and liaise between the PM&R staff and students. Also, introduce the field of sports medicine to medical students.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Interest Group (qmed.prsig@gmail.com)			To create a community for medical students interested in learning more about plastic and reconstructive surgery. Events hosted will help educate students about the breadth of plastic and reconstructive surgery, life as a plastic surgeon, and the path to becoming one.
Public Health and Preventative Medicine			The purpose of the PHPM IG is to increase awareness, understanding and educational opportunities relating to PHPM, and to help students develop relevant practical skills.
QMed Leadership Enhancement and Development Program (qmedleadership@gmail.com)			QMed LEAD is a student-run physician leadership initiative designed to give students the opportunity to enhance their own leadership competencies using a guided, multimodal approach. Students will explore health care structures and processes, health care policy, economics, and management, clinical informatics and health information technology, population and public health, value-based care, and health system improvement through (1) seminars led by guest physician leaders, (2) CMA leadership modules, and (3) a volunteer consulting engagement.
QSIGN (Neurology)			We aim to showcase the opportunities and pathways that neurology can offer in the form of talks, speakers and workshops (lumbar puncture etc). We hope to help students prepare for clinical skills exams by running neurology specific events like peripheral nerve practice OSCEs.
Queen's Geriatrics Interest Group (qgigexec@gmail.com)			Our group works as a team and strives to make students more knowledgeable about the field. Some past events include: the geriatrics shadowing program, general geriatrics and subspecialty events, geriatrics skills night, a seniors discussion on geriatric care, collaborations with the National Geriatrics Interest Group, and more!
Queen's Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery Interest Group (otohns.queens@gmail.com)			Improve student knowledge of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery and provide opportunities to network, learn, and collaborate.
Queen's Pathology Interest Group			QPath is an interest group with the mission of shining more light onto the specialty of pathology so medical students can have a greater appreciation for the field and what it consists of.
Queen's Point of Care Ultrasound Interest Group			Q-POCUS aims to provide Queen’s medical students with learning opportunities and hands-on exposure to point-of-care ultrasound training
Queen's Surgery Interest Group (qsig.execs@gmail.com)			QSIG strives to provide educational opportunities regarding surgical specialties to pre-clerkship students
Surgical Skills and Technology Elective Program (qmedsstep@gmail.com)			An intensive, procedural & surgical skills-focused "boot camp" that enhances the technical foundations of second year medical students in preparation for entering clerkship.
Urology Interest Group (urologyqmed@gmail.com)			To increase knowledge and provide opportunities related to Urology
Wilderness Medicine Interest Group (wildernessmedig@gmail.com)			To learn, teach and experience medicine in wilderness settings. WMIG seeks to promote education about low-resource settings, and to have workshops, speakers and simulations to prepare medical students for these experiences.
Women's Health Interest Group			To build capacity in addressing women's health issues among QMed students by coordinating events, workshops and other learning opportunities that cover diverse topics in women's health (e.g., reproductive health, careers in women's health, caring for marginalized women, menstrual access and hygiene, etc).
Medical Genetics Interest Group			GenMed plans events for students to explore a possible career in medical genetics, and learn about the role of genetics in diverse medical fields.

Service Learning Groups

Group	Senior Exec Contact	Junior Exec Contact	Description
KHealth - Kingston's Community Health Initiative (khealth.info@gmail.com)			KHealth is the first student-led interprofessional community health initiative in Kingston, Ontario, where students from Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy work together to improve health and wellbeing of the local community. The group has 15 executive members and over 60 volunteers who focus on research, education, and health advocacy - through public outreach initiatives - to help vulnerable and equity-seeking populations in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) area. In addition to educational and service-learning components, KHealth is operating the Groceries Initiative (grocery deliveries to those in need), Phone/Video Calls Initiative (to provide social comfort and prevent isolation) and hosts numerous fundraisers/awareness campaigns to help the community. There are many ways to get involved - as an executive member, member at large or a volunteer. To find out more, please visit www.kingstonhealth.ca.
Qmeals on Wheels (qmealsonwheels@gmail.com)			QMeals on Wheels works with the Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) to address food insecurity in the Kingston community.
Altitude Mentorship (altitudehcmkingston@gmail.com)			Altitude is an Ontario-wide mentorship program for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in health care. We primarily focus on mentoring individuals who are from backgrounds and regions underrepresented in health care.
Reads for Paeds (qmed.readsforpaeds@gmail.com)			Reads for Paeds is a service learning project group (SLP) committed to developing children’s books for pediatric patient populations as a means of demystifying and empowering the patient through their illness.
Concussion Education Safety Awareness Prevention (cesap.team@gmail.com)			An educational platform that strives to increase awareness about heat injuries.

Advocacy Groups

Group	Senior Exec Contact	Junior Exec Contact	Description
Women in Medicine			Women in Medicine gives Queen's Medicine students a chance to explore career and lifestyle questions with physicians who identify as women from various specialties.
What Happened in Medicine
OSLER Kingston (oslerkingston.chair@gmail.com)			OSLER Kingston is a student collaboration with the Kingston Community Health Centre (KCHC) Weller Clinic to create interdisciplinary health outreach and education opportunities. Our vision is to improve community health, enhance the education of future healthcare professionals, and foster deeper, more responsive relationships between students at Queen's University and St. Lawrence College and the Kingston community.
Equity and Advocacy (Subcommittee of CFMS GH)			The E&A committee aims to raise awareness about health equity issues, provide educational opportunities for students, and engage in meaningful advocacy at Queens & beyond. Our recent work includes making recommendations for the anti-oppression curriculum, organizing events such Advocacy in Surgery, and the Municipal Day of Action.
The Jacalyn Duffin Health & Humanities conference			Queen’s Medicine currently does not have a formal Medicine and Humanities program. We propose to further legitimize the medical humanities discipline at Queen’s by continuing the new tradition of hosting Jacalyn Duffin Medical Humanities Conference, named after champion of medical humanities and medical hall-of-fame member Dr. Jacalyn Duffin.
Faculty of Health Sciences Prison Health Coalition			To provide education to the faculty of health sciences regarding inequitable health care received by Canada’s incarcerated populations. Through workshops, panels, and interactive projects.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns			The CDPG is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We run initiatives to raise awareness within the medical school community including guest speaker events, workshops, research, and advocacy campaigns. Through education and advocacy, we hope to enact change.
Medical Students For Choice (msfcqueens@gmail.com)			MSFC supports chapters on med school campuses and residency programs in 27 countries (220+ chapters) with a mission to change institutional policies and broaden opportunities for all students to receive family planning education. MSFC provides many opportunities to become sexual and reproductive health advocates both within QMed and externally through MSFC’s conferences and workshops.
Global Health Education Committee (globalhealtheducation.qmed@gmail.com)			Our group runs global health related events that allow students interested to meet their requirements for a Global Health AEP! We work closely with staff and faculty to coordinate talks and experiential learning events.

Leisure/ Other

Group	Senior Exec Contact	Junior Exec Contact	Description
FrancoMed			FrancoMed serves as an opportunity and a resource for medical students to develop their French language skills as well as apply those skills to clinical interactions. All skill levels welcome, from no previous French experience to Francophone!
Christian Medical and Dentistry Association			CMDA is a biweekly bible study that provides students the opportunity to discuss how medicine and their beliefs interact. All are welcome.
Hippochromatic Notes			Queen's medicine best acapella group!
Muslim Medical Association of Queens (queensmuslimmeds@gmail.com)			Muslim Medical Association of Queen’s (MMAQ) aims to provide opportunities for students, residents and physicians to explore the Islamic faith in the context of health and the field of medicine. The MMAQ also aims to provide a supportive platform for Muslim students at every stage of their medical career.
Medical Variety Night (medicalvarietynight@qmed.ca)
Queen's Jewish Medical Students Association			The Queen’s Jewish Medical Student Association (QJMSA) is dedicated to providing resources and opportunities for medical students of all cultural backgrounds to celebrate Jewish culture, connect with others and learn about Jewish resources in the community
Queen's Knitting Interest Group			We aim to introduce QMED students of varying skill levels to knitting/crocheting in a casual and low-commitment social environment through engaging in group projects & initiatives.
Culinarians in Medicine			To provide an opportunity for students to refine their cooking skills, share tips and recipes, and explore new cultures through food. We endeavour to create a community of culinarians by uniting those who love to cook with those who are interested in building their repertoires and learning more. We hope to showcase local produce and regional plates to expose members to the smorgasbord of cuisines present in Kingston. With a focus on fresh produce, we also endeavour to encourage student well-being through healthy eating.
Queen's Medical Review (queensmedreview@gmail.com)			The Queen's Medical Review (QMR) is a tri-annual publication that amplifies QMed voices and features content highlighting the intersection of the humanities and medicine.
QMed Speak-Easy			QMed Speak-Easy is a group created for Queen’s medical students who are interested in improving their public speaking and communication skills in a low-stakes, positive, and non-judgemental environment. Members meet regularly for 1 hour every other week. Meetings comprise of 1-2 prepared speeches, table topic speeches (opportunities to practice impromptu/“on the spot” speaking), and evaluations.
Surgical Skills and Technology Elective Program			An intensive, procedural & surgical skills-focused "boot camp" that enhances the technical foundations of second year medical students in preparation for entering clerkship
MandoCantoMed			To help students develop their Mandarin and Cantonese language skills; to connect students with interest in learning more about Chinese culture; to help students apply cultural awareness and language skills to clinical contexts
Queen's Med Jazz Band			A low-commitment way for the musically-inclined members of Qmed to pick up their instruments from ages past. This jazz band is an opportunity to get together and play some music alongside our medical t raining.
Medical Education at Queen's (mededqueens@gmail.com)			MEQ aims to teach secondary students case-based learning as opportunities for them to explore their interests in medicine in a low-stakes environment without having to rely on chasing observerships or on personal connections. We also seek to highlight medical student research and involvement in medical education through seminars and conferences.
Queen's Arts for the Heart			Art is a tool for human expression, storytelling and reflecting. It allows you to enter the mind of others and feel what they feel and see what they see. Art is a tool that we as humans and society use for self-growth. We want to provide opportunities for youth of all ages in Kingston to engage with the arts. We do this through creating online or in-person after-school art sessions in places such as elementary schools, high-schools and hospitals. Activities range from creative writing, to painting your thoughts and even guided drawing/painting sessions. Currently we are working with Kingston Interval House, and hope to work with KGH and HDH this upcoming year
Innovation in Medicine Interest Group			To encourage interest, academic delivery and discussion surrounding innovation in medicine as a topic, as it applies to medicine, and the medical curricula.