Open house an interactive way to explore health sciences graduate studies
Close to 100 undergraduate students participated in the annual Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Studies Open House to watch presentations and speak with current graduate students and faculty members in 12 different graduate studies programs in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
In addition to the presentations, students were able to browse through the information village on Joe Doupe concourse to get information on specific programs and have direct conversations with faculty and current graduate students. Prizes were offered based on participation in the information village, with students receiving science stamps on their “passports” to submit for a draw to win bookstore gift cards.
“I really enjoyed how interactive a lot of the booths were. Everyone was very approachable and knowledgeable in their own respective fields. It was fun learning about the different Master’s/PhD programs that the university offers,“ said Jesse Porcioncula, a 2022 Bachelor of Health Sciences graduate from the University of Manitoba.
“I was personally interested in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. With our health-care system rapidly evolving, I think this profession has a lot of potential in minimizing gaps and doing really amazing work.”
Students at the Fort Garry campus were able to take advantage of a shuttle service to and from Bannatyne campus for an easy commute to the open house, which took place November 15, 2023.
“The open house gave students a chance to explore RFHS graduate studies, as well as the Bannatyne campus, beyond what they can find on the UM website,” said Dr. Hope Anderson, vice-dean, graduate and post-doctoral studies, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
This year included some new elements such as an online Q & A tool to encourage student participation during the presentations. It resulted in a great response with more than 40 questions asked and answered throughout the presentations.
Representatives of graduate studies programs from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Max Rady College of Medicine, the College of Rehabilitation Sciences and the College of Pharmacy gave presentations.
“The turnout was really good. We had students from different levels, with a lot from first-year university, which was so great to see that students are already starting to think about what to do when they graduate,” said Pei San Lew, a technician in the department of physiology and pathophysiology. ”It was a whole variety of students from different backgrounds, not only students in science.”
At the end of the day there was a networking and coffee event to provide more opportunities to strengthen the connections between students and faculty.
“I appreciated the chance to connect with faculty members and current students. The one-on-one interactions allowed me to learn about their research interests and ongoing projects, which helped me gauge the potential for mentorship and collaboration,” said Porcioncula.
Members of the Health Sciences Graduate Students’ Association volunteered for the event and helped to answer questions of prospective students.