Educational Objectives | Family Medicine | School of Medicine

The following are the specific objectives of the Indigenous Health program. For an overview of the informational and conceptual content that residents will acquire during the program in order to meet these objectives, see section 3.

Historical and Cultural Context

To develop an understanding of the culture of Indigenous people prior to contact with the Europeans, and what the impact of contact was.
To provide a context to the current political struggles of Indigenous people by examining them in light of the historical relationship (Indian Act) and agreements (treaties) with the federal government.
Encourage recognition and change of negative stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and greater appreciation of Indigenous Canadian cultures, including an understanding of the importance of traditional Indigenous medicine in the process of healing Indigenous individuals and communities.
To gain an understanding of current theories on the impacts of colonization and racism for Indigenous peoples in Canada and internationally.
To encourage an understanding of the variety and breadth of issues that affect the health of Indigenous people (including biological, psychological, social, economic, and political factors), in order to begin to address the inequalities in health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.
To develop an understanding of how social determinants of health contribute to and impact on the health of the people.
To assist in the recognition of how these problems may be resolved (through improved health promotion, political lobbying, increased Indigenous control, etc.)

Knowledge and Clinical Skills Acquisition

To provide opportunities for the residents to improve their cross-cultural communication skills.
To encourage awareness of the special health care and social needs of Indigenous communities.
To assist in developing sensitivity and skill in dealing with mental health issues such as family violence, child sexual abuse, substance abuse, and suicide.
To encourage both respect and understanding of the skills of other health care professionals working with Indigenous people, such as nurses, Community Health Represenatives (CHRs), and mental health workers, as well as traditional healers.
To enhance residents' clinical skills in order to function comfortably and competently in northern or isolated communities Research and Community Development
To provide residents with a framework for understanding both the role of community based participatory action research (AHRQ, 2003) and the means to implement it.
To give residents opportunities to participate in community-based research projects with appropriate consultation from community leaders and workers, Indigenous political bodies, and academics in the field.
To provide opportunities to observe/ participate in other on-going community development projects.

Medical Education

To encourage and facilitate the integration of Indigenous health issues and cross-cultural sensitivity in both the core two year Family Medicine Residency Program as well as the undergraduate medical curriculum at Queen's University, to the benefit of all trainees.