Since 2020, the Black BHSc association has been a rapidly growing organization that breaks racial barriers and provides opportunities to promote black excellence
By Patricia Marcelo
The Black BHSc Association was created by a group of black BHSc students with the goal of fostering a supportive environment among current and prospective black BHSc students. In 2021, black students made up 2 per cent of the BHSc population. After almost 4 years, the number of black students in the BHsc program has nearly doubled.
President of the BBA executive team Alador Bereketab explained how the BBA works to address challenges faced by black BHSc students and create meaningful change to make the program more inclusive.
“With every BBA student, there is a reason why they are in the BHsc program. We’re planning these events because as BHsc students we have a platform to do something… we recognize this privilege of having funding and resources so we want to use what we have and bring opportunities to other groups,” said Bereketab.
The BBA has conducted much outreach and hosted many events such as a high school information night, a BBA study night, and a Tote and Toast evening, all to break down barriers for black students and improve transparency for black students to realize different health care opportunities.
To commemorate the end of Black History Month, the BBA hosted a Black Health Conference on Feb. 29. This is the second conference of its kind hosted by the BBA and allows current black students to network with black McMaster alumni and other black healthcare professionals.
Bereketab showed great excitement prior to the event, anticipating 60 students to attend.
“The BBA team is an incredible group of students that have created a community that is unique to a lot of different spaces. Bringing events like the Black Health Conference is giving students beyond the BBA exec team that experience and sense of community and connections with other students and alumni who went through similar experiences.” said Bereketab.
The first keynote speaker was Begna Dugassa, an established public health nutritionist, researcher and author. Dugassa shared how his experiences in Ethiopia and education in the USSR have led to his current work in public health.
Dugassa works to understand how the history of colonialism and inequities influence health in marginalized groups. He has made aware of this career opportunity that allows black BHsc students to take their experiences and integrate it into health care and social justice.
Following Dugassa, the BBA introduced Ida-Maisie Famiyeh, a first year medical student at University of Toronto. Famiyeh spoke on the challenges she faces as a mother and how turning to faith during her struggles helped her develop the resilience to pursue medicine.
Famiyeh shared how becoming a mom drove her to become a strong advocate for health care, especially for loved ones.
Famiyeh encouraged students wishing to pursue medicine to turn all experiences including struggles into motivation to continue their undergraduate journey and to become better physicians.
The final guest speaker was Dr Semir Bulle, a current psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto and the former co-president of the Black Medical Students’ Association.
Dr. Bulle specifically spoke about his advocacy for zero-gun violence in Toronto. He shared stories of black individuals who are victims of gun violence and did not receive justice. Dr. Bulle’s take home message to students was to seek outreach opportunities to promote better education and resource accessibility.
The conference concluded with a networking event that allowed black students to connect with the speakers as well as nine black BHsc alumni. The alumni provided insight on how they dealt with challenges in their careers and how they overcame them. This period provided current black Bhsc students to connect with alumni and healthcare professionals that have similar experiences.
Marie-Claire Kapesa, a student who attended the conference, shared how the conference impacted her.
As an ex-member of the BBA, Kapesa also praised the current BBA team.
“It makes me emotional seeing the black health science students and the community they were able to build. I didn’t have that in my first year and it’s heartwarming to see the friendships and support that they have been able to give each other throughout and the legacy they have created.” said Kapesa.
More information about the BBA can be found on the BHSc Program’s website. Their instagram also posts information about any upcoming events.
C/O Anna Katherine Verdillo, taken at PNB formal 2019
Student societies, clubs and services are looking forward to in-person events
Soon after the start of the semester, McMaster released a statement regarding in-person classes in the winter 2022 semester with very limited exceptions. In the same update, students were promised pre-pandemic capacity for on-campus student life activities, such as services, resources, events, study spaces and social spaces. In light of this announcement, program councils and McMaster Students Union services have begun considering larger in-person events for winter.
For instance, the Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour Society is in its early stages of planning for its traditional winter formal. Dianne Cardwell, one of the Vice Presidents of Social of PNB Society, hopes in-person events can help students forge new connections within the psychology, neuroscience and behaviour program.
“We’ve definitely found this year there seems to be a separation between the second-years and other members of the program just because they’ve been isolated and not in the McMaster community. We are really hoping to make those second-years feel accepted into the Mac community and PNB community as a whole,”
Dianne Cardwell
Similarly, the Bachelor of Health Sciences Society typically organizes a formal event in January along with a club night. Two years ago, they also collaborated with societies from kinesiology, engineering and PNB to host a pub night. Currently, it has been difficult for BHSS to plan much ahead, with changing restrictions and guidelines from the government and the school.
“For now, we are trying to see if we can plan based on what we know right now . . . But that’s all going to be dependent on restrictions at that time,” said Michal Moshkovich, one of the Social Coordinators of BHSS.
Recently, on Nov. 25, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore shared that he expects COVID-19 cases to increase through the winter. As COVID-19 cases are predicted to rise as the cold weather settles in, both the PNB Society and BHSS are continuing to observe the situation closely and are considering planning in-person events for the end of the second semester.
With lots of ongoing uncertainty and lack of clarity in communication with the university, MSU services like the Women and Gender Equity Network are preparing to do last-minute planning as well.
Typically, in the winter, WGEN has two big campaign weeks in the second semester: Bodies are Dope, which usually runs in February, and Making Waves, which usually runs in March. The service’s first campaign of the year, [Trans]forming Mac, ran completely online from Nov. 20 to Nov. 25.
“[Planning] has been a little difficult based on how much information we receive . . . For now, the plan is to hopefully do stuff in person. But it might have to be really last-minute planning because we don’t know what the rules are, so that makes it a little difficult to plan in advance which we would ideally like because we want to be able to make sure we book proper rooms for social distancing and things like that,” said Neha Shaw, Director of WGEN.
It is also still unclear whether WGEN’s safe(r) spaces will operate in-person due to accessibility concerns. However, the service has received approval for in-person resource delivery, such as gender-affirming gear, and it is planned to open in the winter.
In general, the PNB society, BHSS and WGEN are all looking forward to at least some opportunities for in-person gatherings and events. They recognize online events feel intimidating and more formal, discouraging participation, compared to dropping by physical, live spaces or events that feel more casual and natural.
“It’s really hard to get people to come out to these online events and not feel intimidated versus in-person events . . . So far, we’ve hosted second-year welcome day and bonfires and the turnout was great because people are just excited to be back on campus and back in social environments where they can interact with people, even if it means following very, very rigid protocols for COVID,” said Moshkovich.
As much as all the societies and services miss the experiences of in-person gatherings, they also recognize the benefits of virtual events.
“With virtual events, there’s higher accessibility. You get things like captioning and people can engage to a level they are comfortable with. I know it can be more awkward to attend Zoom events than it can be in-person events, but at the same time, you can log onto an event and not turn your camera on, you can put your [fake] name [for anonymity] . . . you can type in the chat if that’s easier for you,” said Shaw.
At the end of the day, the main goal of student societies, services and clubs is to connect people together and foster community. Whether it continues to be facilitated virtually or back in person, they will all continue to work towards community building and enhancing the student life at McMaster University.
C/O Dolled UP Desserts
Katarina Poletto, the founder of Dolled Up Desserts, reveals her journey from the Health Sciences program at Mac to opening her own bakery
After graduating from her undergraduate studies in health sciences at McMaster University in 2016, Katarina Poletto was ready to begin her master’s degree at the University of Chicago. However, her plans took an unexpected turn when she decided to take a year off to pursue her true passion — baking. She opened her award-winning bakery, Dolled Up Desserts, that same year, specializing in gluten-free, vegan desserts with a pin-up vintage twist.
Poletto entered the health sciences program at McMaster thinking she would go into medicine. But when she realized she didn’t want to pursue it anymore, she began to explore her other interests in holistic health and wellness.
“I really went in a really different direction than most of my peers. In second year, I realized I wanted to [do something different] because I became disenchanted with the medical system,” said Poletto.
For her fourth-year thesis project, Poletto had researched alternative therapies for eating disorder treatment under the supervision of Dr. Parmjit Singh and she wanted to continue on a similar pathway for her career, focusing on research and policy making for alternative therapies and holistic health.
Poletto received an offer and scholarship to attend the University of Chicago for graduate studies in social service administration and policy in the fall of 2016. However, it all changed when she received the Summer Company grant for entrepreneurial students after learning about it from her partner, and now husband, earlier the same year.
With the $3,000 and business mentorship provided through the grant program, Poletto started Dolled Up Desserts.
Poletto had always loved baking and grew up in a household with a sweet tooth. However, during university, she developed intolerances to gluten, dairy and eggs. Following this change in her diet, she began to bake for herself more because she noticed there was a gap in the market for high-quality gluten-free and vegan baked goods.
“Oftentimes, [gluten-free food] tastes like cardboard or sandpaper and I wasn’t going to settle for that. I really focused on trying to make tasty gluten-free items,” said Poletto.
Poletto was already an avid baker, baking at least twice a week, and worked on converting all her recipes into gluten-free and vegan items she could enjoy. With her recipes and knowledge about the gap in the market, she was inspired to create a business to fill that gap.
Dolled Up Desserts started as a wholesale gluten-free and vegan dessert manufacturing business. Within the first few months after the launch, the business saw tremendous growth and the demand for her products were high. In fact, the Union Market at the McMaster Student Union Centre was one of her first customers.
Seeing the great potential for her business, Poletto never turned back to her graduate studies.
“I had no idea what I was doing. I was absolutely just going at it, learning as I was going and I felt confident in that,” said Poletto.
In July of 2020, Dolled Up Desserts finally opened its brick-and-mortar location on James Street to offset the losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to opening the physical location, Dolled Up Desserts was mainly focused on providing dietary-inclusive desserts for restaurants, school cafeterias, stadiums, hotels, banquet halls and other event centres. However, during the peak of the pandemic, they lost many of their food service customers.
“We were doing some really big things leading up to the beginning of 2020 — huge, massive things — and we lost it all in a week when the lockdown happened because gluten-free and vegan products aren’t part of a restaurant’s core business. It’s an accessory product that’s good to have. So, I’m grateful for the store. It’s definitely given us a bit more presence in the community and given our brand awareness overall,” said Poletto.
Poletto is still looking to get the business back in the food service sector while continuing the store front as it is her firm goal to have inclusive desserts be available and accessible everywhere.
Looking ahead into the holiday season, Dolled Up Desserts will soon launch their holiday menu at the end of November. The holiday menu occurs once a year where every item is replaced with the best of the best, limited-edition Christmas and holiday themed baked goods.
The story of Dolled Up Desserts may not be a typical one. Poletto did not pursue a predictable career in the science field coming out of the health sciences program, but she says the skills and knowledge gained from the program have been integral to her success and starting a business for the first time.
“From the outside, it’s really hard to see this and it’s gotten lost in translation over the years, but the health sciences program really gives learners the opportunity to develop different skills to be lifelong learners and do and learn about things that interest them in a way that makes sense to them,” Poletto explained.
Poletto valued the inquiry learning model from the program the most which allows the students to be directors of their own education.
“[Inquiry] is a free form space or you to try and unlearn all the things you’ve learned from traditional school . . . and that learning model really opened up my mind and awareness to who I am as a person and really helped me develop the skills to be a lifelong learner,” said Poletto.
“[Inquiry] is a free form space or you to try and unlearn all the things you’ve learned from traditional school . . . and that learning model really opened up my mind and awareness to who I am as a person and really helped me develop the skills to be a lifelong learner,”
Katarina Poletto, Founder of Dolled Up Desserts
Today, Poletto often returns to McMaster as a guest speaker and mentor for health sciences and commerce courses.
Poletto’s journey of wanting to go into medicine to opening her own bakery has been challenging and difficult. So what’s the secret ingredient behind her success? She says flexibility and open-mindedness to new opportunities.
“If I was so focused on, ‘This is the way I have to do things and this is the only goal I have,’ I would have never [started Dolled Up Desserts]. I believe having goals is really important, especially long-term goals, but there also has to be room for flexibility and opportunity there. If you are ever presented with a really exciting thing that may be off kilter to what you think you should be doing, just do it because you never know — it could change your life,” said Poletto.
“If I was so focused on, ‘This is the way I have to do things and this is the only goal I have,’ I would have never [started Dolled Up Desserts]. I believe having goals is really important, especially long-term goals, but there also has to be room for flexibility and opportunity there. If you are ever presented with a really exciting thing that may be off kilter to what you think you should be doing, just do it because you never know — it could change your life,”
Katarina Poletto, Founder of Dolled Up Desserts
Black and Indigenous speakers were invited to share their work maintaining health and building resilience within their communities
By: Natalie Chen, Contributor
C/O Georgia Krikos
A virtual panel discussion titled Celebrating Black & Indigenous Health was hosted by McMaster Indigenous Health Movement, Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster and McMaster Students Union Diversity Services on March 15. The panel featured four speakers from Black and Indigenous communities, including Professor Juliet Daniel, Dr. Amy Montour, Andréa Williams and Chantal Phillips. The event also held a question-and-answer discussion for all participants.
Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster is a youth organization that aims to increase diversity within the Canadian healthcare system by empowering Black students who are interested in medicine. MSU Diversity Services works to unite and promote student groups on campus by celebrating diverse races, ethnicities, cultures, faiths and Indigenous affairs.
McMaster Indigenous Health Movement is a student-run organization that focuses on educating and raising awareness about Indigenous health, with the hope of initiating reconciliation within healthcare.
Abarnaa Illango, a health science faculty liaison of McMaster IHM, explained why the Celebrating Black & Indigenous Health panel was created.
While one aspect of the event focused on discussing healthcare disparities affecting Black and Indigenous peoples, the planning organizations also worked together to foster important conversations surrounding unity, perseverance and moving forward.
“Recently, there’s been a focus on solidarity and resilience within both of these communities, so we thought it would be really important to have a conversation with both groups involved and combine our audiences,” said Illango.
“Recently, there’s been a focus on solidarity and resilience within both of these communities, so we thought it would be really important to have a conversation with both groups involved and combine our audiences."
Abarnaa Illango, health science faculty liaison of McMaster IHM
The panel featured Black and Indigenous speakers from various backgrounds and communities. One panellist was Professor Juliet Daniel, a prominent cancer researcher and the acting associate dean of research and external relations at McMaster University.
Known for her work in cancer biology, Daniel was inspired to pursue this field because of her own experiences.
“My next-door neighbour in Barbados died of breast cancer. I had known she had cancer, but she died in October of 1986. Then, about a month after she died, my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Then, the same semester or a few months after, one of my professors Dr. Leda Raptis came to class excited about a type of gene called oncogenes,” said Daniel.
Oncogenes are a type of gene that when mutated can lead to the development of cancer. Their discovery allowed scientists to better understand the biology of cancer and create targeted treatments.
“Being very raw with the death of my neighbour and the diagnosis of my mother, I decided I should do cancer research,” Daniel explained.
“Being very raw with the death of my neighbour and the diagnosis of my mother, I decided I should do cancer research.”
Professor Juliet Daniel, McMaster University
Daniel’s research exploring triple-negative breast cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects young women of African ancestry and Hispanic women at a higher rate, was inspired by her desire to give back to communities within the Caribbean and her interest in addressing health disparities affecting marginalized populations.
The opportunity to learn about these experiences and listen to unique perspectives from all the speakers was a highlight of the event for many participants.
“There were so many great moments and each of the speakers talked about very different topics, but they all were very connected, which was great. A lot of [the speakers] shared their personal stories, which was very impactful,” explained Illango.
In addition to expressing her gratitude for hearing others’ stories of resilience, Daniel also shared her desire for more individuals to attend these events and for similar panels to be held in the future.
“I wish more people had been there to understand how Black, Indigenous and racialized people are impacted by these colonial systems in healthcare, in particular, and how people are so traumatized. But we still keep on working, we keep on doing what we do as best as we can, despite the trauma,” said Daniel.
Correction: April 13, 2021
An earlier version of this article misstated an explanation of oncogenes. This has now been corrected.
A tangible support for Black students in academia
Following the death of George Floyd, a surge of protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement has been occurring across the United States and Canada. The continued injustice and systemic racism against Black folks inspired seven McMaster University and Mohawk College alumni to create a bursary for Black students of the McMaster Health Sciences Program.
Nizar Hassan, one of the organizers for the bursary, recalled how the group of friends thought of the idea.
“It came up fairly organically in the context of hearing about all the injustice, starting mainly with the George Floyd story, and reflecting about what we can as a group do to try and make some sort of a difference. The conversation then moved from there to the underrepresentation of Black-identifying students, particularly in science academia and in our program of health sciences,” said Hassan.
One of the other organizers, Anthony Albina, added that the group hoped to provide tangible support for Black students.
"It just became painstakingly clear that listening was just not enough . . . We actually wanted to do something concrete and something that would touch a program that is very near and dear to us and had a really big impact on our lives," said Albina.
"It just became painstakingly clear that listening was just not enough . . . We actually wanted to do something concrete and something that would touch a program that is very near and dear to us and had a really big impact on our lives," said Albina.
Currently, a fundraising goal of $20,000 has been set in order to establish a yearly bursary worth $800 in perpetuity. If more money is raised, the bursary can also be increased.
The bursary will be provided to one Black BHSc student with financial need each year, with a different student receiving the bursary every year. Hassan and Albina said that criteria for financial need are not handled by the organizers and will primarily be handled by the Student Financial Aid Services in addition to other departments of the university such as the Alumni Advancement Office or the BHSc program.
The organizers also expressed that other than financial support, there are ways McMaster can provide greater support for Black students within the local community.
“Other things to consider [include] more active community engagement and trying to get people who come from a low socioeconomic background or are less likely to choose to go to university and try to engage with them and try to bring them into McMaster,” said Hassan.
[/media-credit] Screenshot of the bursary's iFundMac page (link accessible through clicking photo)
Hassan and Albina expressed that McMaster could do more to actively reduce barriers, similar to what Queen’s University has planned. Announced on July 24, Queen’s will allocate ten of its 100 seats to Black and Indigenous students for each cohort of its Doctor of Medicine Program, effective for the 2020-2021 application cycle.
Albina also elaborated that though the fight for social justice is not new, something was different this time around.
“What was nice or different about [the support for Black folks] this time is that people were more [active in] looking for actual tangible ways to help . . . We just felt like we had to do something. You can’t just keep listening and letting this issue go. By no means do I think we will be fixing the issue of inequality in sciences, but hopefully this could be a small step in the right direction,” explained Albina.
Hassan and Abina shared that they have been encouraged by donations from many different folks, including those who are still in school and may not have a significant income.
“It's been nice to see that kind of positive feedback and people putting their money where their mouth is,” said Albina.
“It's been nice to see that kind of positive feedback and people putting their money where their mouth is,” said Albina.
As of Sept. 23, the bursary fund is at $8,100. The bursary will begin distribution as soon as enough funding is collected. With no deadline to reach target funding, the organizers wish to collect enough donations as soon as possible and have the bursary established for future students.
Isabelle: Second year, health sciences.
I: Planning for university in Grade 11, I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to swim. So my initial interest in McMaster was because of the health sciences program, and it’s unique approach to interdisciplinary studies. However, as Grade 12 approached and started, I knew that I would miss the sport too much to stop before the varsity experience. The Mac swim team was one of the first recruit trips that I came on, and it was the one I remember the best because I felt at home and part of the family immediately.
I: The team has grown significantly compared to last year because quite a few first-years came in, especially on the women’s side. It’s been great to integrate them into the team, and having new training partners and a new dynamic is both refreshing and exciting as we prepare for [the Ontario University Athletics Championship]. I would say that this year, our winter break training camp in Florida was collectively viewed as the hardest training camp that the team has been through, and our hard work is starting to show in the pool as we begin to taper down and see positive results.
I: I eat at least one jar of peanut butter a week.
Their efforts in @McMasterU's dual meet with the @WlooWarriors earned Mony Tchervenelekov and Isabelle Lei the @PitaPitCanada Athlete of the Week honours this week.
READ ⬇️https://t.co/ATlPlTRB0p
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) January 23, 2019
I: Receiving OUA Rookie of the Year last season was very humbling for me, because I came in with no expectations. This second time around, there is definitely pressure for me to perform because I do not want to let the team down, but I know it all comes down to stepping on the blocks and just leaving it all in the pool. I know that my team is there for me stroke for stroke, as I will be for them. If I can finish every race knowing for a fact that I could not have gone any faster, or tried any harder, I will be satisfied, and posting personal bests would be the cherry on top.
I: I am very excited for both Ontario University Athletics and U Sports championships because the calibre of swimmers at both meets has increased, even from last year. To be able to compete with people who have international experience is an amazing, inspiring opportunity, and I would like to just go into the field and race with joy and make the team proud. I’m also swimming a couple of different races from last year, so I’m excited to reach outside my comfort zone and spice it up.
The 2019 Swimming OUA Championships will be held Feb. 7-9 at Brock University.
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It is estimated that over 17 million people die of cardiovascular disease (CVD) annually, with one American dying of CVD every 33 seconds on average. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and active lifestyle, drugs known as “statins” are commonly used to treat heart disease.
Statins are hydrophilic (water-soluble), synthetic compounds which work by inhibiting the production of cholesterol, as well as aiding in the reabsorption of cholesterol built up in plaques on artery walls. This improves transport of blood through the arteries, thus reducing strain on the heart. By doing this, the chances of patients with CVD of having cardiac arrest or a stroke decreases. The hydrophilic nature of statins enables them to reach their target regions efficiently, without damaging internal organs or disrupting the central nervous system.
However, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), statins such as Lipitor have been shown to increase an individual’s blood sugar levels and promote the development of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). As a result, the FDA has implemented a regulation which requires all statin labels to include a warning about elevated blood sugar levels and T2D. This revelation has influenced many individuals to refuse to take statins, due to the risk of developing T2D and high blood glucose levels. These complications would create insulin resistance in the patient, consequently harming their cardiovascular health and making them prone to other cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.
However, by refusing to take statins, patients will endanger themselves by worsening their cardiovascular health. This conflict has left many consumers unsure of what end of the balance to lean on – whether it’s ceasing to take statins or continue to take them with the risk that they pose.
Thankfully, researchers at McMaster University’s Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences have developed a potential solution. Assistant professor and Canadian Diabetes Association Scholar, Dr. Schertzer, has discovered a pathway that connects statins and diabetes. He and his team “found that statins activated a very specific immune response, which stopped insulin from doing its job properly.” Through persistent research, they discovered that a drug called Glyburide mediated the effect of elevated blood sugar levels. According to Schertzer, this discovery has the potential for development of novel molecules which do not interfere with the benefits of statins in the immune pathway.
At this stage of the process, the group aims to determine how statins promote diabetes by understanding how they behave in the pancreas, which is responsible for the secretion of insulin. Dr. Schertzer and his team advocate the therapeutic properties of statins, as they are drugs which elicit positive results. However, in order to improve them they must understand the “immune-metabolism pathway” which statins have been theorized to act on.
By introducing statins that do not pose such a risk of insulin resistance, consumers will be able to comfortably take their heart medications, knowing that they are taking their health in the right direction.
Kyle Park
The Silhouette
On Nov. 15, McMaster Health Sciences, in conjunction with contributions from Canadian women’s health advocate May Cohen, organized a double research lecture featuring the research of Marina Morrow and Don McCreary. Held at McMaster Innovation Park, the two lectures revolved on the relationship between gender and mental health, which addressed issues ranging from the historical discourses on female mental health to the current trends of male body image.
The conference began with Marina Morrow, an associate professor of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, who presented a lecture entitled “Women’s Mental Health: Beyond Gender Matter” which discussed mental health as a gendered construct.
As the crux of her argument, Morrow discussed the notion of “intersectionality,” a theoretical lens that acknowledges the systemic processes by which mental health is constituted through gender, sexuality, race, class and ability. Morrow proposed that the intersectional approach effectively enables feminist thought to expose inequities within the health system, acknowledge the diverse contexts of women’s lives, and deconstruct the relations of power with regulatory bodies such as policymaking.
Intersectionality is “an emerging research and policy paradigm which seeks to reveal the complex interactions among multiple social categories,” said Morrow.
In exemplifying mental health as "gendered", Morrow provided case study examples on suicide and diagnostic practices. One such story she spoke on was Amanda Todd, the fifteen-year-old high school student from British Columbia who was bullied to the point of depression and later suicide. Morrow articulated how Todd’s death reflects larger social structures at play in her therapy, that is, how health inequity is part of a “whole social gestalt.”
With diagnostic practices, Morrow argued how the women are main targets of the pharmaceutical industry for anti-anxiety and sleeping pills and bridges this trend to historical notions of women as “irrational and potentially hysteric” in contrast to men. In addressing the importance of her research, Morrow stated her intention in having this conversation is to “illuminate social and structural factors that influence the mental health and well-being of women and men.”
Morrow concluded her talk in calling for a social justice framework, a “gender and sex based analysis” on mental health and thinking about new ways to address policy change.
Don McCreary, adjunct professor of Psychology at Brock University spoke on the current research on male body image.
His presentation “Current Research in Boys’ and Men’s Body Image” commented on the erroneous presumption that men and boys are more satisfied with their bodies than females. His findings from numerous research studies suggested the complex many men possess to achieve a “muscular ideal” which he made clear as a culturally constructed ideal. McCreary terms the psychological disposition “muscular dysmorphia,” referring to one’s belief that they are smaller and skinnier than they actually are.
In contrast to the typical female psyche dealing with being ‘over’ weight, McCreary discussed how males are conditioned with a drive for physical bulk or muscularity. He went on to propose a correlative parallel between muscularity and masculinity whereby men who are ‘bigger’ view themselves as more ‘manly.’
Another study conducted by McCreary and his colleague Stanley Sadava brought to light the idea that underweight women and overweight men view themselves as healthier than if they were overweight or underweight respectively.
The conference concluded with an acknowledgement of the culturally constructed ideals defining gender. Although muscular dysmorphia is not acknowledged by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. McCreary stated he believes the condition to have significant ties obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In the concluding part of the lecture, McCreary emphasized how masculine muscularity, albeit a “cultural ideal,” possesses the potential for very real psychological effects on the male psyche.
Morrow and McCreary are still continuing their research in unpacking ideas of mental health and gender.
Adam Van Koeverden visits for 125th Anniversary
McMaster alumnus and Olympic medalist Adam Van Koeverden visited Hamilton on Monday as part of McMaster’s 125th Anniversary celebrations. The luncheon, hosted by the Alumni Association at the Hamilton Convention Centre, was sold out.
Van Koeverden spoke about the City of Hamilton and his time at McMaster as a Kinesiology student. He expressed his affection for the city that is well known for its blue-collar nature. He also spoke candidly about Rob Ford’s dismissal as Mayor of Toronto.
Amidst the talk about McMaster and Hamilton, van Koeverden was also asked about a controversial tweet he posted on Friday. During the Vanier Cup, the kayaker wrote: “I hate Laval. I went there one time and I just really hated it.” At the luncheon, he was not interested to talk about the incident and only said, “it’s not an issue. I refuse to talk about my tweets.”
Mac medical student wins Takeda Scholarship
Some students look forward to coming to Hamilton for its city atmosphere. But one McMaster medical student is excited to have the opportunity to try the small town life.
Pinhas Ephrat, a student at Mac’s Michael Degroote School of Medicine, was awarded the Takeda Family Medicine Scholarship a the 50th Annual Scientific Assembly on Nov. 26. The award, valued at $5,000, was developed in conjunction with the Ontario College of Family Physicians, and is designed to encourage medical students to pursue family medicine.
Ephrat will be moving to Fort Erie to practice medicine.
“I left a successful career in medical biophysics to pursue family medicine because it provides a unique opportunity to interact with patients one-on-one and make a real difference in their lives,” he said. Ephrat grew up in Israel, and after completing a master’s at Tel Aviv University he immigrated to Canada with his family. He earned a PhD in medical biophysics at Western, but realized that he preferred interacting with patients and enrolled at McMaster’s medical school Niagara Regional Campus.
The Canadian Medical Association, in their annual National Report Card on Health Care, said that Canadians with a family physician are overall happier with the health care system than those without.
Mac partners with Joseph Brant Hospital
McMaster medical students now have a new venue for learning.
On Nov. 23, McMaster administration and the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital reached an agreement, making the hospital a new clinical education campus.
John Kelton, Dean and Vice President of the Faculty of Health Sciences, called the agreement “a win-win-win…for McMaster, the hospital, and the community.”
While the hospital has hosted McMaster students in past, the new deal will see a significant increase in the number of students and the total teaching hours.
Alan Neville, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, told the McMaster Daily News that “the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital is enlarging its educational mission, and bringing in new learners will be a benefit for the people of the community. At the same time, this hospital is an excellent place for our students to learn valuable skills and the breadth of practice.”
Additionally, the University has invested $460,000 for new call rooms and workspaces to facilitate the partnership.
