Creating a medical program that is equitable and accessible to all

Each spring, Meghan MacGillivray sets up the Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall at UBC’s First Nations Longhouse to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Indigenous medical graduates from the Faculty of Medicine’s MD undergraduate program.

The ceremony marks a significant milestone for the graduates on their journey to becoming doctors, as well as for Meghan who, as the Faculty’s Indigenous Student Initiatives Manager, has supported them every step of the way.

“It’s wonderful to see students I met as prospective applicants get accepted into the Indigenous MD Admissions Pathway and graduate as doctors,” she says.

Launched in 2002, the Indigenous MD Admissions Pathway plays a pivotal role in creating new opportunities for more Indigenous students to study medicine — encouraging and supporting them during the application process and throughout medical school.

Since its inception, 139 students have graduated from the pathway and are now transforming health and healthcare across B.C. and Canada as family physicians, specialists, researchers, administrators, policymakers, educators and advocates.

This success inspired the creation of the Faculty’s Black Student MD Admissions Pathway in 2022. The pathway welcomed its first cohort of medical students last summer.

“Representation matters and having more Black physicians is paramount for improving health outcomes for all,” explains Donneil McNab, the Black Student Initiatives Manager with the Faculty.

The goal of both pathways is to make UBC’s MD program more accessible, equitable and inclusive for current and prospective Black and Indigenous learners. The pathways also reflect the Faculty’s contract with society and commitment to educating, developing and mentoring diverse future health care practitioners.

Here, Meghan and Donneil share how they are encouraging youth to pursue careers in medicine while building a strong community of support for them at UBC and beyond.

How are you helping to inspire the next generation of Black and Indigenous doctors?

Meghan MacGillivray (MM): I’m in the community connecting directly with Indigenous youth during education fairs, career fairs, powwows, post-secondary information sessions and workshops. I want to show Indigenous youth that there is a place for them in medicine at UBC, and that we have a community of Indigenous physicians, medical students and program staff who are ready and excited to support them on their journey into medicine.

Donneil McNab (DM): Through career fairs, pre-admissions workshops and events like mini-medical schools and a student-led Black History Month speaking engagement, I strive to impart positive messages and serve as an advocate for aspiring Black medical professionals.

I’m taken aback when I interact with prospective students who share that, in secondary school, they are still being told that medicine isn’t for them, with suggestions that they opt for “less challenging” paths. I aim to challenge this narrative by promoting encouraging messages and connecting applicants to Black medical students and physicians who are equally committed to supporting them.

Community-building is an important aspect of your work. Can you talk about some of your successes?

MM: The annual Indigenous Medical Education Gathering brings together Indigenous medical students, residents and practicing physicians from across the province for a weekend of cultural activities led by our Elders.

This year our circle expanded for the first time to include Indigenous students and practitioners from other health professional programs at UBC — including physical therapy, occupational therapy, midwifery and audiology. These connections are invaluable as we build a wider community of support while connecting to culture and tradition.

We also support Indigenous medical students at UBC to attend the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada’s annual national mentorship gathering, where students get to meet and connect with Indigenous medical students and resident doctors from across the country. As the number of Indigenous medical students across Canada is still relatively small, it’s important that we foster and build community on the national level too.

DM: I help facilitate opportunities for students to engage with Black physicians through our one-on-one mentorship program and by organizing mentorship events that foster organic mentor-mentee relationships. These connections are vital, offering professional guidance, cultural understanding and support.

One new initiative is the “Celebrating Black Excellence in Healthcare” gathering which brought together medical students and peers from other health professional programs across the Faculty and wider medical profession. Beyond fostering a sense of community, it served as a platform to celebrate and honour Black history and its profound impact on our present experiences and achievements.

How are the pathways helping to transform health for British Columbians and Canadians?

MM: Representation is so important — it’s an essential part of culturally safe care. Seeing yourself reflected in your healthcare team is a powerful tool of trust in what can otherwise be an unsafe system for Indigenous people. We need more Indigenous doctors, and while we are addressing barriers and recruiting more Indigenous students to enter UBC’s MD program, we also need to make sure that these students are being supported culturally throughout medical school and beyond.

DM: It’s undeniable that the Black population in Canada faces numerous health disparities, often stemming from inadequate care rooted in biases, discrimination or stereotypes. While increasing representation alone may not entirely solve these challenges, limited representation undoubtedly exacerbates them.

It’s imperative to cultivate an environment that trains and welcomes a greater number of Black physicians, as their presence fosters more effective communication with Black patients and builds trust with them. By ensuring that medical schools and medical settings embrace diversity, equity and inclusion, we pave the way for more equitable healthcare practices and improved outcomes for all.