Application process adapted to help Aboriginal med students

The University of Calgary is trying to recruit more Aboriginal students to its Faculty of Medicine.

“Right now, in a class of 170 students you might have one or two Aboriginal students,” said Sue Ann Facchini, program co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Health Program. “That is not representative.”

Facchini said Aboriginal people make up approximately five per cent of the population in Alberta and eventually, the U of C hopes five per cent of its med students are Aboriginal.

To achieve this, Facchini is visiting grades seven to nine classrooms with a large number of Aboriginal students to pique their interest in medicine.

“At that age, kids are still kind of not predetermined to what they want to do with their lives. They can still see how interesting and fun it can be,” she said.

Facchini also attends career fairs with hopes of recruiting more Aboriginal applicants.

On average, the faculty receives 2,500 applicants and Facchini said only about 15 are Aboriginal.
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“From an equity standpoint and a socially accountability standpoint, we need to remove barriers so doctors are representative of the people who live here.”

Facchini said instead of reserving seats specifically for Aboriginal students, the U of C decided to modify its application process.

“We made adjustments to the admission policy so it would be more fair and less biased for people applying.”

Changes include how scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) are rated. Facchini says statistics found that Aboriginal applicants were not scoring as high.

“We found that it is a somewhat culturally-biased exam, depending on the context of the person applying, they may or may not have had the same exposure to certain questions.”

Facchini also said Aboriginal students fell short on providing strong reference letters.

“A lot of times we found that it’s harder for an Aboriginal applicant to get an impressive reference letter,” she said. “You used to get points for knowing a powerful person. But it shouldn’t be about who you know.”

To deal with that disparity, the university has decided to have Aboriginal applicants include a personal essay with their application.

In addition, Facchini said the university has taken steps to ensure Aboriginal students feel accepted and supported throughout their academic career.

There is an Aboriginal Health Student Association that is open to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students interested in the well-being of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

Facchini also said Aboriginal students who complete the program will be honoured in a special graduation ceremony with an Elder.

Facchini hopes these changes will result in more Aboriginal doctors.

“It’s been proven that people of a minority population in general, will listen better to a physician of their background. Their compliance goes way up, and they will be healthier,” she said.

“Ultimately, the goal is to improve the health of the Aboriginal people of Canada.”