Sarah Chapman, HealthSci '24, muted her program's group chat during her first year after receiving more than 1,000 messages per day about schoolwork and assignments. In some cases, her colleagues were discussing assignments that were due several months away.
In September, 370 recent Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) students will join Queen's University for their first year of undergraduate study. It has been five years since his inception, and all of his cohorts have high school grade point averages above his 90% and an excellent extracurricular record.
The first week of his freshman year was a stressful one for Chapman. When she began her 2020 class, students arrived on the first day of class having completed assignments posted on her OnQ. Since then, the faculty member has closed her OnQ course until classes officially begin.
Health science students have a reputation on campus for being highly engaged in academics and extracurricular activities, and for many students, that stereotype is not unfounded.
Chapman herself was a collegiate women's water polo player, president of the Queen's Save the Mothers chapter, a member of the Queen's Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières chapter and the Queen's University Child Health Association, and also conducted research. , and works part-time at a local coffee shop.
Between extracurricular activities, work, and school, Chapman was working 80 hours a week, which she knew was unsustainable.
“I think the idea that health science students can do everything and be involved in everything can be overwhelming for some people at times, but it’s normal to feel so busy and overwhelmed. Chapman said in the paper. Interview with the journal.
To understand students' personal growth through extra-curricular activities, Jennifer Carpenter, head of BHSc's Global Health Population Track, uses the Advocacy, Allyship, and Community Engagement (AACE) Passport in her class of more than 100 students. We are conducting a trial run.
The AACE Passport is intended to help students reflect on how they contribute to their communities. Passport was created to allow students to focus on adding value in one or two clubs without overcommitting.
“[Health Sciences students overcommitting themselves] In fact, in some ways it informed the creation of the AACE passport program,” Carpenter said in an interview with the Journal.
In interviews, students in the BHSc program unanimously reported that they and most of their classmates were applying to professional or master's programs. Ontario law and medical school applications have 32 fields for students to list extracurricular activities.
“If I were on the admissions committee, I would want to hear what you learned from some of your students.” [extracurricular activities] Instead of seeing a list of 20 items,” Carpenter said.
Andrew Dam, HealthSci ’24, had to go straight from volunteer work to class to clarinet rehearsal, sacrificing sleep and home-cooked meals in the process. He never expected this to become his lifestyle.
“I think when you're in the health sciences, you're surrounded by people who do so many things outside of school. I feel the need to do that,” Dam said in an interview with The Paper. journal.
The BHSc program is built on a flipped classroom model, where students study course content independently and class time is devoted to discussion, presentations, and application of what has been learned. This model allows students to create their own schedules with extracurricular activities in mind.
Dams who are genuinely interested in extracurricular activities utilize the inverted model to get as much into their day as possible, but still suffer from feeling like they are not doing enough compared to their peers. is.
“I may not be able to do much more physically, but I feel like I need to do more,” Damm said.
The program has developed a reputation for being highly competitive and difficult to get into. With around 6,000 applications received, spots are in high demand, said Michael Adams, associate dean for undergraduate research (life sciences, biochemistry, BHSc).
Adams said medical schools and other professional schools have changed their admissions procedures to allow 17- and 18-year-olds to live their lives and make a mistake or two before influencing career decisions. We support the omission of grading.
Adams said administrators continually monitor the academic performance of BHSc students, who have achieved high grades in both core and elective classes. In the student's required grade distribution for her 17 classes, every class earned him an A-plus grade with more than one-third of her.
“So if you bring in high-quality students, they're going to do very well in other courses,” Adams said.
For Adams, the program is meant to help students find their passion, not to get them into a specific vocational school. BHSc students are highly qualified and motivated and he hopes this structure will encourage them to reach their full potential while learning the life lessons that come with going to university. said.
Calder Bryson, a second-year and third-year Health Science student ’24, got involved in student government after hearing about his fellow club members. If someone did her two clubs, she did her three clubs. Even though Bryson's law school aspirations avoided the drama of applying to medical school, she still felt the pressure to compete with her peers.
“I think we attract a certain type of person, a certain way of thinking. You're competitive, you're driven, you're smart, so bringing these people together is basically lighting the fuse. It’s like putting it on,” Bryson said in an interview with the Journal.
The program taught Bryson professional skills and the science and human aspects of health while working hard in both academics and extracurricular activities. Bryson was upset about other students' reputations about health science students. Her other students had the impression that she was not interested in social activities because she was a health science major.
“I don't want anyone to think that I'm a shut-in and all I care about is school. I don't think that's a positive view of the Queen at all,” Bryson said. “One of the reasons I chose this school is because of the balance between academics, extracurricular activities, and social activities.”
Sarah Polanen, president of the Health Sciences Society (HSS), said students are reporting over-stretching and feeling impostor syndrome. She said the program is unique because so many students are deeply involved. To reduce stress, Polanen and her team planned a meet-and-greet with students.
This year, HSS has planned a formal plant potting night, bracelet making, an around the world potluck, and an art gallery night.
“[The Art Gallery event] Students were simply able to demonstrate their artistic talent and converse with other artists in the program. By initiating events like this, we hope to help bridge connections within the BHSc community,” she said in a statement to the Journal.
Mariane Ratsimor, HealthSci '24, said in an interview with The Journal that increasing opportunities to come together in non-academic social settings is important to building a better culture at BHSc. As part of a COVID-19 cohort, she developed a sense of community with her peers over time and relied on each other to weather the transition to in-person classes.
Choosing between grades, extracurricular activities, and sleep, Latsimole found herself putting sleep on the back burner. She said “pre-treatment toxicity” was even worse among the younger years of the program.
As Queen's University accommodates larger groups, students' sense of community may decrease. Collaborating in class can be a source of conflict for students and requires other ways to connect.
Mr Chapman, Mr Damm, Mr Bryson and Mr Lattimore all told the Journal that it was important to spend more time with BHSc students in social settings without expectations of grades. They were able to find a community despite the program's competitive culture. It's not because of the program.
“have [more] It’s an opportunity to sit next to someone and see that this person is a peer and not a competitor,” Lattimore said.
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