If you have a health condition (e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid conditions, asthma, etc.), you can support the next generation of doctors by joining Dalhousie Medical School’s Volunteer Patient Program (VPP).

By practicing their skills with the help of volunteers like you, first-year medical students are better equipped to assist the real-life patients they’ll encounter throughout their Dalhousie training, as well as those they’ll meet long after graduation.

What to expect: In our clinic space, first-year medical students will practice taking your medical history and performing a non-invasive medical exam under the direction of their tutor, a fully-licensed physician.

Scheduling: VPP sessions run Tuesday afternoons (1:15-3:30 p.m.) and Thursday mornings (9:15-11:30 a.m.). You can volunteer once or more than once – whatever your schedule allows. The next round of training runs from January to March 2015.

Volunteer roles:

1. Regular volunteer – Volunteers who commit to attending one session a week, for the duration of the program.
2. On-call volunteer – Volunteers who identify themselves as possible substitutes for the regular volunteers, subject to their availability.

Volunteers receive:

• A rewarding experience
• $10 per session
• Coffee and snacks in the waiting room

Contact

If you would like to participate, are interested but unsure of your availability, or have other questions, let us help you determine if the VPP will work for you.

Please contact the program coordinator at vppinfo@dal.ca or 902.494.7746.

Pictured: Dr. Ron Stewart (MD’70) and his clinical skills group share a laugh with volunteer patient Meghan Dooks.