Interest Groups

On this page, you will find a list of all currently active interest groups with the contact information of their c2023 chairs. If you see an error on this list, please email mmscvpcomm@gmail.com. Check out the event calendar for upcoming committee and IG events!

Click here to access the IG Drive (MedPortal access only).
Accessibility awareness ig (AAIG)
AAIG aims to explore how inclusive and accessible environments, practices, and policies can enact positive, impactful, and lasting change in the lives of people with disabilities. As medical students, we know that disabilities impact the lives of those around us in a myriad of ways, but may not know how to best support the individual needs of both our patients and peers, or how to promote inclusivity and equity in the world around us. AAIG aims to raise awareness of these issues, and provide a space for all students to gain knowledge and learn practical skills to use in our everyday and professional lives. We plan to hold a series of events including panels, workshops, and informational sessions to gain deeper understanding of: 1) the complexity of disability; 2) the impact of disability and intersectional identity on health and wellness; 3) how to implement accessibility in clinical practice; and 4) how to be an active ally to those in the disability community. AAIG will achieve the aforementioned goals by showcasing the lived experiences of patients, medical students, physicians, and advocates. Our aim is to integrate inclusivity and accessibility through hands-on, informative sessions that are tailored to the needs and interests of our students.

c2025 co-chairs
Buvani Si, buvani.sivagnanasunderam@medportal.ca
Addiction Medicine Interest Group (AMIG)
The Addiction Medicine Interest Group aims to improve medical student awareness of the unique nature of Substance Use Disorders and the pervasive stigma surrounding those experiencing them. Medical students and physicians of every speciality encounter addiction on a daily basis - whether it be through their personal life or through their interactions with patients. The Addiction Medicine Interest Group aims to provide quality information to medical students about the care of patients with addiction and the community resources that support these patients.

c2024 co-chairs
Maddi Henry, madison.henry@medportal.ca
Alex Kasatkina, alex.kasatkina@medportal.ca
​Danielle Penney, danielle.penney@medportal.ca
Anatomy IG
The Anatomy IG provides educational (and fun) opportunities (e.g. bellringers) for our classmates to integrate anatomical knowledge with clinically relevant information learned in tutorials and clinical skills sessions.

c2025 co-chairs
Swati Anant, swati.anat@medportal.ca
Megan Brookbank, megan.brookbank@medportal.ca
Hila Schnitzer, hila.schnitzer@medportal.ca
​Angela Hu, angela.hu1@medportal.ca​

Anesthesia IG
The Anesthesia Interest Group aims to provide medical students with exposure to the specialty of Anesthesiology through lecture series and workshops. Our events are appropriate for both pre-clerks and clerks.

c2025 co-chairs
Hao Ming Chen, haoming.chen@medportal.ca
Kathryn Huh, kathryn.huh@medportal.ca
Akash Grewal, akash.grewal@medportal.ca
​
canadian association of medical students against human trafficking (CAMSAHT)
​Through medical curriculum development, research, and advocacy, CAMSAHT hopes to improve the health outcomes of trafficking victims in Canada. Our initiatives and research focus on all forms of exploitation, including, but not limited to: forced labour, sexual exploitation, and organ trafficking. We believe in an evidence-based approach to educating healthcare providers about trafficking and encourage trauma-informed practice.

c2025 co-chairs
​Chyna Steele, chyna.steele@medportal.ca
​
Cardiology & cardiac surgery ig
​The Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery IG aims to engage and educate McMaster medical students about key topics and principles in cardiology and cardiac surgery. The IG has a focus on supplementing students' core education with additional resources such as educational events and career exploration opportunities. Ultimately, this IG hopes to foster an interest in cardiology and cardiac surgery, and to help students excel in related clerkship rotations.

c2025 co-chairs
​Bryan Sun, bryan.sun@medportal.ca
Terrel Marshall, terrel.marshall@medportal.ca
​Ghazal Razeghi, ghazal.razeghi@medportal.ca
clinical immunology & allergy ig
​The McMaster Clinical Immunology and Allergy (CIA) Group aims to expose students to the field of clinical immunology and allergy, and offer networking opportunities to those that are interested in the specialty. Furthermore, the CIA runs events that supplement the tutorial cases with relevant immunological perspectives.

c2025 co-chairs
Jason Chen, jason.chen@medportal.ca
Olivier Rabu, olivier.rabu@medportal.ca
Alexandro Chu, alexandro.chu@medportal.ca
clinical pharmacology ig
c2025 co-chairs
Bret Walsh, bret.walsh@medportal.ca
Felicia Ceban, felicia.ceban@medportal.ca
​Jocelyn Chan, jocelyn.chan@medportal.ca
communication skills ig
​The Communication Skills Interest Group is dedicated to helping students develop communication skills and approaches for having conversations surronding complex, sensitive issues with patients.

c2025 co-chairs
Madeline Komar, madeline.komar@medportal.ca
Riya Trivedi, riya.trivedi@medportal.ca
Darsh Shah, darsh.shah@medportal.ca
Alexandra Todd, alexandra.todd@medportal.ca
community health ig (CHIG)
​The Community Health IG explores how neighbourhood factors (e.g. poverty, food insecurity, access to healthcare, transportation) influence health at the community level.

c2025 co-chairs
Julia Simone, julia.simone@medportal.ca
Si Yuan Pan, siyuan.pan@medportal.ca
Rabia Tahir, rabia.tahir@medportal.ca
Triven Kannan, triven.kannan@medportal.ca
Zeineb Muhsen, zeineb.muhsen@medportal.ca
dermatology IG (DIG)
​DIG focuses on recognition of common skin presentations, technical skills and procedures commonly used in the diagnosis and management of skin diseases, and underlying disease pathology and mechanisms. Some events from prior years include punch biopsy and suturing workshops, Derm jeopardy, and introduction to common skin lesions.

c2025 co-chairs
Tara Behroozian, tara.behroozian@medportal.ca
Iryna Savinova, iryna.savinova@medportal.ca
Designing Healthcare ig
The Designing Healthcare IG fosters an interdisciplinary and collaborative design thinking approach to solving healthcare issues. We help build many transferable skills in problem-solving, innovation and communication and highlight insights from design-thinking experts through our events, including our flagship annual, hackathon-style Design Thinking Conference, innovative collaboration panels, and introduction to design thinking and quality improvement workshops. This is the perfect group for creative thinkers and those passionate about problem solving to improve health systems and outcomes.

c2023 co-chairs
Simarpreet Ichhpuniani, simarpreet.ichhpuniani@medportal.ca
Keerthana Pasumarthi, keerthana.pasumarthi@medportal.ca
Rachel Liu, rachel.liu@medportal.ca
Rahul Jayachandiran, rahul.jayachandiran@medportal.ca
digestive and gastrointestinal health interest group (GI IG)
​The Digestive and Gastrointestinal Health Interest Group (GI IG) plans high yield events to approach GI health from a multidisciplinary perspective. Whether it be approach to GI bleeds or imaging for the bowels, we seek to increase knowledge and awareness on common conditions in the GI system. Additionally, there are lots of career exploration opportunities if you love the gut, as we have invited general surgeons, gastroenterologists, and nutritionists to speak about their career path and weigh the pros and cons of medicine versus surgery.

c2025 co-chairs
Aaron Wen, aaron.wen@medportal.ca
Si Yuan Pan, siyuan.pan@medportal.ca
emergency medicine ig (EMIG)
​The Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) aims to: introduce students and increase exposure to the speciality of Emergency Medicine, stimulate interest in Emergency Medicine, inform students of the different pathways and subspecialties within Emergency Medicine, and plan and promote events to deliver career exploration opportunities to students.

c2025 co-chairs
Hao Ming Chen, haoming.chen@medportal.ca
Will Pereira
Stephanie Wong
Swati Anant
endocrinology ig
​The endocrinology IG (EIG) aims to expose students to the field of endocrinology, and to educate students on important topics such as diabetes and dyslipidemias. We strive to highlight the relevance of social determinants of health (SDH) in the development of different disorders within endocrinology.

c2025 co-chairs
Lana Moayad, lana.moayad@medportal.ca
Zobaida Al-Baldawi, zobaida.al-baldawi@meportal.ca
ear, nose and throat ig
c2025 co-chairs
​Hila Shnitzer, hila.shnitzer@medportal.ca
environmental health ig
​Mac Med Environmental Health Interest Group (EHIG) focuses on how climate change impacts health outcomes for everyone and how to take systemic and individual action against it. We advocate for environmental health education in our curriculum, run sustainability-focused events, and share easy tips to go greener!

c2025 co-chairs
Naomi Smith, naomi.smith@medportal.ca
Megan Brookbank, megan.brookbank@medportal.ca
Emily Grant, emily.grant@medportal.ca
Nima Behravan, nima.behravan@medportal.ca
​Alexandre Veilleux, alexandre.veilleux@medportal.ca
family medicine ig
The Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) is in partnership with the Department of Family Medicine (DFM) at McMaster University. The goals of the group are to
1) Stimulate interest in Family medicine
2) Increase student exposure to Family medicine
3) Inform students of the diversity of roles in Family medicine
4)Promote post-graduate training and practice in Family medicine.

c2025 co-chairs
Sapriya Birk, sapriya.birk@medportal.ca
Jamie Halperin, jamie.halperin@medportal.ca
Daud Manzar, daud.manzar@medportal.ca
Gracia Chen, gracia.chen@medportal.ca
​
federation of medical women of canada (Mcmaster chapter) ig
​This group aims to raise awareness of various women’s health issues using an intersectional lens allowing students to understand, advocate and learn how to improve management of these concerns in their current role and in their future health care practices, while providing a platform to foster relationships between students and women-identifying physicians through educational and networking events.

c2025 co-chairs
Micaela McNulty, micaela.mcnulty@medportal.ca
Erin Burnley, erin.burnley@medportal.ca
Daniela Melis, daniela.melis@medportal.ca
filipino association of medical students (FAMS) of mcmaster
The Filipino Association of Medical Students (FAMS) at Mac aims to: (1) Develop mentorship programs between Filipinx medical students and aspiring Filipinx physicians. (2) Organize events with community and healthcare professionals with experience in Filipinx health. (3) Collaborate with existing IGs to assist in creation of a more inclusive, equitable curriculum, such as the Indigenous Health Interest Group, Global Health Interest Group, Social Justice Interest Group, and the Black Medical Students’ Association of McMaster and (4) Contribute to social-justice, and anti-racist work in Hamilton and throughout Canada.

c2024 Co-Chairs
Paolo Lansang, rafaelpaolo.lansang@medportal.ca

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Geriatrics ig
c2025 co-chairs
Amy Huang, amy.huang@medportal.ca
Junaid Habibi, junaid.habibi@medportal.ca
​Justine Lau, justine.lau@medportal.ca
health & art ig (HeART)
c2023 co-chairs
​Jennifer Chen, jennifer.chen@medportal.ca
health advocacy for refugees (HARP)
c2025 co-chairs
Amal Mohamed, amal.mohamed@medportal.ca
Rifaa Ali, rifaa.ali@medportal.ca
Alan Cheng, alan.cheng@medportal.ca
Kristele Pan, kristele.pan@medportal.ca
Saif Ali, saif.ali@medportal.ca
​Omolara Soyinka, omolara.soyinka@medportal.ca
History of medicine iG
​The History of Medicine IG (HoM IG) aims to: (1) promote interest and involvement in the medical humanities and history of medicine throughout the careers of medical students/professionals. (2) Foster academic and social discourse on the history behind current medical knowledge and practices.

c2024 co-chairs
Tania Kazi, tania.kazi@medportal.ca
​Maia Shen, maia.shen@medportal.ca
indigenous health interest group
​Our mandate is to help improve medical student knowledge and awareness of Indigenous health. Cognizant of the fact that Indigenous people in Canada experience a greater burden of illness compared to non-Indigenous peoples, our group will aim to shed light on these inequities through active partnerships with Indigenous communities. In this way, we hope to empower medical students to practise culturally safe care and to provide exposure to careers in healthcare for Indigenous youth.

c2025 co-chairs
Serena Morrill, serena.morrill@medportal.ca
internal medicine interest group
​Our IG aims to enrich students with the type of work, specialities, lifestyle, research opportunities, and knowledge pertaining to Internal Medicine.

c2025 co-chairs
Ghazal Razeghi, ghazal.razeghi@medportal.ca
Ben Lamont, benjamin.lamont@medportal.ca
Deyang Li, deyang.li@medportal.ca
John Koussiouris, john.koussiouris@medportal.ca
kitchener-waterloo society for innovation in medicine (KWSIM)
​The Kitchener-Waterloo Society for Innovation in Medicine (KWSIM) facilitates capstone-MD collaboration projects which aim to link UW engineering capstone groups with McMaster medical students and physicians/faculty interested in QI/applied research. In essence, these collaborations hope to develop novel, clinically relevant solutions by involving both capstone groups with their technical knowledge and medical students/physicians/faculty who will be able to guide the clinical relevance of the project.
Currently, we are actively working with UWaterloo's Biomedical Engineering program and members from eHealth Ontario and the GreenHouse incubator to set up capstone groups for medical student onboarding.
For medical students, this represents an opportunity to work on a real-world clinical problem from a research/QI approach with technical support from UWaterloo Biomedical Engineering and guidance from physicians/faculty in the area of interest.
lifestyle in medicine ig
​The Lifestyle in Medicine Interest Group was the first of its kind amongst all the Canadian medical schools! We provide events, workshops and an annual conference that are all aimed towards equipping future physicians with the knowledge needed to treat and prevent chronic disease using lifestyle-based interventions, from whole-food plant-based nutrition, to exercise, mindfulness and much more!

c2025 co-chairs
Abby Saunders, abby.saunders@medportal.ca
Brian Lam, brian.lam@medportal.ca
​Rebekah Sibbald, rebekah.sibbald@medportal.ca
Macmed art ig
c2024 co-chairs
Selina Shi, selina.shi@medportal.ca
Sowmithree Ragothaman, sowmithree.ragothaman@medportal.ca
​Zahra Abdallah, zahra.abdallah@medportal.ca
2SLGBTQ+ Health IG
​The 2SLGBTQ+ Health IG is intended for McMaster medical students to discuss and advocate for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer health issues. Our goals include enhancing 2SLGBTQ+ health content in the curriculum, collaborating with allied health students across Canada and interest groups within McMaster, and promoting awareness about multiple aspects of queer health.

c2025 co-chairs
Brian Lam, brian.lam@medportal.ca
Michelle Kan-Hodgson, michelle.kan-hodgson@medportal.ca
Erin Joy Heifetz, joy.heifetz@medportal.ca
​Julia Simone, julia.simone@medportal.ca
mac med Français ig
​Who we are:
A chance for students to learn French lingo for medicine, as well as allow general French vocabulary to be worked in with students of all levels! Our IG will offer an opportunity for students to explore language barriers in medicine and broaden their appreciation of the French community.

Qui nous sommes:
Une chance pour les étudiants d'apprendre le jargon français pour la médecine, ainsi que de pratiquer le vocabulaire français général avec des étudiants de tous niveaux! Notre groupe offre une opportunité pour les étudiants d’explorer la barrière linguistique en médecine et d’enrichir leur appréciation pour la communauté francophone.

c2025 co-chairs
Olivier Rabu, olivier.rabu@medportal.ca
declan.lavoie@medportal.ca
mac med mural project
​MMMP is a group of McMaster medical students with interest in designing and executing public art projects
within local healthcare settings to improve patient and healthcare provider wellness, while allowing students an opportunity to destress and express their creativity.

c2025 co-chairs
Tara Behroozian, tara.behroozian@medportal.ca
​Sanjum Hunjan, sanjum.hunjan@medportal.ca
​
mac med musical
c2025 co-chairs
Nima Behravan, nima.behravan@medportal.ca
Agarsh Satheesh, agarsh.satheesh@medportal.ca
​Omolara Soyinka, omolara.soyinka@medportal.ca
mcmaster health advocacy symposium
​MHAS is an interdisciplinary event for medical students, residents, and health professions students devoted to exploring various advocacy roles of physicians and other health care providers and the development of effective, responsible advocacy skills. Topics explored have included activism and leadership around substance use, the health of Indigenous people, housing and homelessness, disability and chronic illness, geriatric health, and refugee health.

c2023 co-chairs
Vivian Chen
​Alexa Pandolfi
mcmaster md global health committee
​The Global Health Committee (GHC) is a group of McMaster medical students committed to global health equity. We represent McMaster in the CFMS Global Health Program, and are involved in numerous local, national, and global initiatives and campaigns.

c2025 co-chairs
Nerija Gray, nerija.gray@medportal.ca
Junaid Habibi, junaid.habibi@medportal.ca
Nima Behravan, nima.behravan@medportal.ca
Ashwin Sritharan, ashwin.sritharan@medportal.ca
Lily Yang, lily.yang@medportal.ca
Joshua Doworsky-Fried, josh.dworsky-fried@medportal.ca
Deyang Li, deyang.li@medportal.ca
​Chanel Fu, chanel.fu@medportal.ca
mcmaster medical genetics ig
The McMaster Medical Genetics IG believes it is important for all students to have a basic foundation in genetics, regardless of what specialty they ultimately chose to pursue. As such, we look for ways to integrate the emergent field of medicine and genetics into other areas of clinical practice. We provide students with: Opportunities to learn learn about various genetic disorders and how to educate/counsel patients and families affected with these genetic diseases; Networking opportunities within medical genetics; Opportunities to learn more about what is involved in a residency in Medical Genetics; Social activities to explore the field of Medical Genetics.

c2025 co-chairs
​Clara Hick, clara.hick@medportal.ca
​Dania Shikara, dania.shikara@medportal.ca
​
mcmaster medical research IG (MMRIG)
​The McMaster Medical Research Interest Group (MMRIG) aims to increase students' understanding of medical research and expand access and opportunities for current research and scholarship. We work closely with Dr. Constantine Samaan, the Director of Research and Scholarship for McMaster's Undergraduate Medical Education program in order to achieve this mandate.

c2025 co-chairs
Darsh Shah, darsh.shah@medportal.ca
Iryna Savinova, iryna.savinova@medportal.ca
Parm Pal Singh Toor, parm.toor@medportal.ca
Georgia Hacker, georgia.hacker@medportal.ca
mcmaster medical student research day (MMSRD)
​The McMaster Medical Student Research Day (MMSRD) is an annual conference that highlights the importance of research in medicine by providing a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, critical appraisal and crucial research networking. Our upcoming conference will be one of the largest online conferences EVER at McMaster, with over 100 attendees including medical students, physicians, and clinician scientists.

c2025 co-chairs
Catherine Andary, catherine.andary@medportal.ca
​Joe Steinman, joe.steinman@medportal.ca
mcmaster political advocacy IG
​The McMaster Political Advocacy Committee (Mac PAC) IG seeks to provide ongoing advocacy training and opportunities to McMaster medical students. Although advocacy is one of the core CanMEDS competencies, our current curriculum provides students with limited exposure to and formal, practical training on advocacy, lobbying, and forming community partnerships. The Mac PAC hopes to equip students with the tools to successfully advocate for their future patients, the healthcare system, and our profession as a whole.

For more information about the goals/mission of the Mac PAC, please visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Uc4U70wfKd3EBSRnLf3foiy4oyc0KlcuTlxMJyFcsho/edit?usp=sharing

c2025 co-chairs
Parnia Sadeghzadeh, parnia.sadeghzadeh@medportal.ca
mcmaster students for concussion legacy foundation
Concussion, often used synonymously with the term mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a prevalent and serious injury. Concussion symptoms (e.g. headache, noise sensitivity) disrupt all facets of a person’s life, especially when they persist for months or even years. Lack of awareness among teachers, coaches, and healthcare providers can contribute to poor concussion outcomes. Our mission is to increase awareness about evidence-based concussion prevention and management to improve the long-term outcomes of concussion patients. We accomplish this mission by: providing presentations to local sports teams and schools; hosting research symposiums; interviewing researchers; holding fundraising/awareness events; having journal club to discuss current concussion research.
​
c2025 co-chairs
Alex Gleave, alex.gleave@medportal.ca
Alexandre Veilleux, alexandre.veilleux@medportal.ca
​Stefan Bianchi, stefan.bianchi@medportal.ca
med law ig (MLIG)
c2025 co-chairs
Amr Saleh, amr.saleh@medportal.ca
​Abbie Lai, abbie.lai@medportal.ca
Medical education ig
c2025 co-chairs
Amr Saleh, amr.saleh@medportal.ca
​Joy Du, joy.du@medportal.ca
Microbiology & infectious diseases ig
​MID aims to help medical students gain an appreciation for specialties related to medical microbiology and infectious disease. We hope to help students develop a network within these specialties to facilitate their future professional development. Through our events and initiatives, we plan to help students gain a better understanding of the day-to-day workings of these specialities and expose them to practical clinical skills and techniques that are often used.

c2025 co-chairs
Jason Chen, jason.chen@medportal.ca
Sapna Humar, sapna.humar@medportal.ca
​Catherine Sun, catherine.sun@medportal.ca
mindfulness in medicine ig
c2025 co-chairs
Riya Trivedi, riya.trivedi@medportal.ca
​Catherine Andary, catherine.andary@medportal.ca
narrative medicine ig
​Everyone carries a story with them; patients and medical professionals are no exception. The Narrative Medicine Interest Group strives to highlight and explore the stories that surround and influence interactions between patients, trainees, and health care professionals. As an interdisciplinary field, narrative medicine emphasizes the creative and reflective practice of writing and other forms of expression. The Narrative Medicine Interest Group (also called “McMaster Narrative Medicine” on our social media) is a platform to engage students in introspection and the exploration of narratives beyond their own. Our events will encompass reflective writing sessions, fiction and non-fiction book clubs, and conferences on academic research in the health humanities.

c2025 co-chairs
Ashwin Sritharan, ashwin.sritharan@medportal.ca
Lloyd Fan, lloyd.fan@medportal.ca
Samuel Luo, samuel.luo@medportal.ca
​Will Pereira, will.pereira@medportal.ca
Neurology interest group
​SIGN aims to provide medical students with early exposure to the field of neurology (the branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the nervous system), as well as supplement the preclerkship neuroscience curriculum.

​c2025 co-chairs
Anisa Khalfan, anisa.khalfan@medportal.ca
​Megan Brookbank, megan.brookbank@medportal.ca
neurosurgery interest group
​The Neurosurgery Interest Group is here to provide exposure, learning, and networking opportunities for the McMaster medical school community. Our aim is to faciliate exploration of the neurosurgical specialty for all who are interested in it.

c2025 co-chairs
Daniel Olteanu, daniel.olteanu@medportal.ca
Pascale Tsai, pascale.tsai@medportal.ca
nephrology and urology ig (NUIG)
​The Nephrology and Urology Interest group aims to increase awareness, exposure, and education in the fields of nephrology and urology. As both a medical and a surgical interest group, we offer career exploration, didactic teaching, and hands on learning experiences. With a focus on anatomy, common presenting complaints, and interventions of the entire urogenital tract, this IG provides resources and support to all students with interests in these diverse fields.

c2025 co-chairs
Sara Scampoli, sara.scampoli@medportal.ca
​Jamie Halperin, jamie.halperin@medportal.ca
Non-Traditional Student Interest group (NSTIG)
Mission Statement: To provide students, especially students who come from non-traditional backgrounds, additional support and guidance throughout medical school through various events and activities.
In addition to keeping the administration accountable to the needs of non-traditional students, the NTSIG will plan key events throughout the year with the aim to specifically support students who come from non-traditional backgrounds. Examples of such events could include: Basic science “tutorials” or “lectures”, social gatherings to build relationships with other students in similar circumstances, panels featuring residents or staff physicians who came from non-traditional backgrounds, events for students with children, and so on. The NTSIG will also create and update a centralized document with a list of supports available to non-traditional students (eg. Childcare, academic supports, student affairs supports, etc.).
​
c2023 co-chairs
Oliver Archer-Antonsen, oliver.archerantonsen@medportal.ca
Kathy Wu, kathy.wu@medportal.ca
Nutrition in medicine ig
obstetrics & Gynaecology ig
​The Obstetrics & Gynecology Interest group (Obs/Gyn IG) is a community of McMaster medical students committed to women’s, trans and nonbinary persons health. We aim to give students an opportunity to learn more about the Obs/Gyn specialty as well as engage with a variety of salient women’s, trans and gender non-conforming health issues that are relevant to both Obs/Gyn and many other specialties as well.

c2025 co-chairs
Daniela Melis, daniela.melis@medportal.ca
Kristele Pan, kristele.pan@medportal.ca
​Tina Han, yiwen.han@medportal.ca
oncology ig
​The Oncology IG is an interest group for all McMaster medical students who are interested in oncology. Oncology is an exciting and inspiring field of medicine with many different subdivisions, including medical oncology, surgical oncology, and radiation oncology. Our IG plans events that educate medical students on these different areas of oncology, as well as general cancer-related topics.

c2025 co-chairs
Erin Burnley, erin.burnley@medportal.ca
Aaron Wen, aaron.wen@mcmaster.ca
​Rod Parsa, rod.parsa@mcmaster.ca
ophthalmology interest group
​The Ophthalmology IG seeks to promote awareness of the specialty to Mac Med students and provide resources and support to students pursuing a career in ophthalmology.

c2025 co-chairs
Lana Moayad, lana.moayad@medportal.ca
​Justin Grad, justin.grad@medportal.ca
Orthopedic surgery ig
c2025 co-chairs
Stephanie Wong, stephanie.wong@medportal.ca
Christopher Chu, christopher.chu@medportal.ca
​Alan Cheng, alan.cheng@medportal.ca
pain ig
​The Pain IG focuses on providing students with exposure to different areas of pain including analgesia, psychosocial factors of pain, differences in the pain experience among marginalized groups, aetiologies of pain from different areas of medicine, and more. The IG intends to educate on all aspects of pain management, including addressing the underlying inequities that make marginalized populations more likely to experience pain and less likely to have their pain taken seriously by the healthcare system.

c2025 co-chairs
Angela Lin, angela.lin1@medportal.ca
​Amy Huang, amy.huang@medportal.ca
palliative medicine ig
​The Palliative Medicine Interest Group (PaMIG) is a group of McMaster Medical students who are interested in increasing awareness of and in the provision of palliative medicine either as a medical specialty or as a set of skills and approaches that can be incorporated into daily aspects of patient care. This group works to provide students with information and training opportunities surrounding the end of life care.

c2025 co-chairs
Jonathan Lai, jonathan.lai@medportal.ca
Alexandra Todd
Sukhdeep Bhangal
​Nicky Dunn, nicholas.dunn@medportal.ca
pathology ig
c2025 co-chairs
Megan Harris, megan.harris@medportal.ca
Angela Lin, angela.lin1@medportal.ca
pediatric medicine ig (PMIG)
​The Pediatric Medicine Interest Group focus is to provide an opportunity for career exploration in the field of pediatric medicine, as well as to educate the incoming class on high yield topics in pediatrics throughout the year (physical exams, history taking, high yield presentations, etc.).

c2025 co-chairs
Emily Kacer, emily.kacer@medportal.ca
​kathryn.huh@medportal.ca
physical medicine & rehabilitation Interest group
c2025 co-chairs
Rania Saxena, rania.saxena@medportal.ca
​Angela Lin, angela.lin1@medportal.ca
Ping Pong club
c2024 co-chairs
Tania Kazi, tania.kazi@medportal.ca
​Jeffrey Chen, jeffrey.chen@medportal.ca
plastic surgery ig
​Our interest group focuses on the diverse and broad specialty of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. We are the only McMaster Medicine IG that is based off of the recognized surgical specialty of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Some of our events include: suturing workshops, plastic surgery post-match Q/A panels, pearls of plastic surgery clerkship panels, women in surgery panels, and more!

c2025 co-chairs
Triven Kannan, triven.kannan@medportal.ca
​Dana Taghaddos, dana.taghaddos@medportal.ca
point-of-care ultrasound ig
​The POCUS IG organizes an annual POCUS conference that aims to give medical students exposure to and practice using point-of-care ultrasound, an increasingly important investigation tool in many fields of medicine.

c2024 co-chairs
Alyssa Cannitelli, alyssa.cannitelli@medportal.ca
Psychiatry ig
​The aim of the Psychiatry Interest Group is to promote awareness of the exciting, diverse field of psychiatry, as well as of the numerous lifestyle and research opportunities within it.

c2025 co-chairs
Felicia Ceban, felicia.ceban@medportal.ca
Nikko Pfaff, nikko.pfaff@medportal.ca
c2024 co-chair
​Hira Aslam, hira.aslam@medportal.ca 
public health ig
​The public health interest group (PHIG) hosts events related to public health for medical students at McMaster University. Our aims include widening the breadth of knowledge regarding the social determinants of health, connecting students with future prospects in the health care system and health policy opportunities, and networking with Public Health Hamilton. The PHIG also values cultural safety, equity, and accessibility. Examples of these events include naloxone training, women’s reproductive issues, public health residency panels, etc.

c2025 co-chairs
Mahek Shergill, mahek.shergill@medportal.ca
radiology ig
​The radiology IG (RIG) aims to enhance students’ exposure to radiology through hosting events that supplement the curriculum or reflect current trends in radiology. Events include resident-led “Approach to Imaging” talks which provide an overview of an approach to reading various imaging modalities (e.g. CXR, head CT, abdo x-ray), an AI in radiology talk, a staff-led case walkthrough, a radiology post-match talk, and an interactive radiology Kahoot-style review session prior to entry to clerkship.

c2025 co-chairs
Madeline Komar, madeline.komar@medportal.ca
Rod Parsa, rod.parsa@medportal.ca
Yudhvir Bhatti, yudhvir.bhatti@medportal.ca
reconstructive medicine interest group
​The Reconstructive Medicine Interest Group aims to educate and provide McMaster medical students with exposure to reconstructive practices across multiple specialties. This includes surgical procedures, such as post-cancer treatment reconstructions (i.e. mastectomies and neck cancers) as well as interdisciplinary approaches such as grafts, regenerative medicine, and rehabilitation. We hope to increase student knowledge about medically reconstructing the human body through our speaker series, networking opportunities, and hands-on workshops.

c2025 co-chairs
Daud Manzar, daud.manzar@medportal.ca
​Pascale Tsai, pascale.tsai@medportal.ca
resource stewardship ig
​Resource stewardship focuses on ways to avoid patient exposure to unnecessary tests and treatments that can cause more harm than good (in addition to costing more).
When it comes to clinical practice, students in 2nd and 3rd year have noted that knowledge of resource stewardship and Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) lists have helped them stand out in clinical practice, as well as provide them with practical knowledge about what tests & treatments to order.
Our mission is to help students become better prepared for working in clinical settings by giving them practical resources & knowledge about when tests and treatments should be ordered, and why.

c2025 co-chairs
Abbie Lai, abbie.lai@medportal.ca
​Madeline Komar, madeline.komar@medportal.ca
rheumatology ig
The Rheumatology Interest Group aims to deepen our understanding of important rheumatological diseases that we will see in clinical practice. We will present lectures hosted by internal medicine residents, rheumatology fellows, and rheumatologists. The bulk of these lectures will coincide with MSK/rheumatology tutorial problems, but will also include higher level lectures aimed for clerks. We will feature innovative programs that range from the prescription of biologic agents, rheum-related procedural skills, as well as career exploration. Check out our Facebook page!
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c2025 co-chairs
Irene Zhao, irene.zhao@medportal.ca
respirology & pulmonology ig
c2025 co-chairs
Bret Walsh, bret.walsh@medportal.ca
Aadithya Udaya Shankar, aadithya.udayashankar@medportal.ca
​Terry Cho, terry.cho@medportal.ca
rural medicine ig
The Rural Medicine IG is dedicated to the provision of high-quality medical practice in rural and remote communities, and committed to achieving health equity for all Canadians. We organize events to help students gain exposure and develop skills in rural medicine.

c2025 co-chairs
Mansi Mehta, mansi.mehta@medportal.ca
Ben Lamont, ben.lamont@medportal.ca
Yudhvir Bhatti, yudhvir.bhatti@medportal.ca
​Isabelle Lei, isabelle.lei@medportal.ca
save the mothers
Save the Mothers (STM) is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of women and babies through outreach, education, and advocacy. They believe that universal access to quality maternal care in pregnancy and childbirth is a basic human right. Their vision is that no mother or child should die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. As a McMaster chapter of STM, our mission is to help the broader STM organization achieve its goals of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in a myriad of ways: education, outreach, and advocacy.
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c2024 co-chairs
Eden Manly, eden.manly@medportal.ca
sexual health awareness group
Sexuality influences both physical and mental health in almost all patients for most of their lifespan, whether they are sexually active or not. However, we live in a society where sex is “taboo”, and education regarding talking to patients about sex is extremely limited in our current medical curriculum. There is particularly very little focus on non-pathological aspects of sex, such as sexual pleasure. We believe that physicians should be well-versed and comfortable talking about all aspects of sexuality, especially when working with patients who are becoming sexually active for the first time, in order to encourage the development of healthy sexuality. Comfort with these conversations only comes with practice and active work to unravel stigmas/biases that we hold, and SHAG is a safe and sex-positive space for learning, practise, and open conversation!

c2025 co-chairs
Georgia Hacker, georgia.hacker@medportal.ca
Joy Du, joy.du@medportal.ca
Nishi Parikh, nishi.parikh@medportal.ca
​Pascale Tsai, pascale.tsai@medportal.ca
social justice interest group (SJIG)
c2025 co-chairs
Alan Cheng, alan.cheng@medportal.ca
Catherine Andary, catherine.andary@medportal.ca
Parnia Sadeghzadeh, parnia.sadeghzadeh@medportal.ca
​Justine Lau, justine.lau@medportal.ca
students for harm reduction and community outreach
Students for Harm Reduction and Community Outreach (SHARC) is a group that focuses on learning from and supporting community members who are deprived of housing and/or using drugs. This interest group enables student participation in harm-reduction focused community outreach. Our relationships with community organizations allow for engagement in harm-reduction advocacy within the medical system and broader community. SHARC holds mentorship and interactive sessions with doctors and residents working directly with individuals deprived of housing.

c2025 co-chairs
Olivier Rabu, olivier.rabu@medportal.ca
​Arnav Kaul, arnav.kaul@medportal.ca
speaking in health ig
N/A
sports medicine ig
c2025 co-chairs
Madison Walker, madison.walker1@medportal.ca
Alexandre Veilleux, alexandre.veilleux@medportal.ca
Emily Zhang, emily.zhang@medportal.ca
​Isabelle Lei, isabelle.lei@medportal.ca
stem cells ig
We are one chapter of Canada’s Stem Cell Club - an organization of students dedicated to increasing the number of potential stem cell donors in the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) database. We run “stem cell drives” where we recruit individuals into the CBS Stem Cell Registry, in addition to other stem cell focused events.

c2025 co-chairs
Joshua Dworsky-Fried, josh.dworsky-fried@medportal.ca
​Georgia Hacker, georgia.hacker@medportal.ca
Surgery ig (SIG)
c2025 co-chairs
Swati Anant, swati.anant@medportal.ca
Elena Huang, elena.huang@medportal.ca
Austine Wang, austine.wang@medportal.ca
​Sapna Humar, sapna.humar@medportal.ca
Technology in Medicine iG
Our interest group is interested in exploring how technology, artificial intelligence and computer programming fit into and enhance the practice of medicine. How can technological literacy help us become better physicians? What potential pitfalls exist? What exciting research is happening? Join us as we try to find out!

c2024 co-chairs
Noa Lashevsky, noa.lashevsky@medportal.ca
​Levi Burns, levi.burns@medportal.ca
Transplant medicine ig
The Transplant Medicine Interest Group (TMIG) seeks to educate students on key principles related to transplantation, promote increased awareness of key concepts related to organ donation, and foster a deeper understanding of the life-changing nature of receiving a transplant. TMIG will additionally explore interconnections between different domains of medicine, including immunology, surgery, and various topics in internal medicine.

c2025 co-chairs
Mariam Shenouda, mariam.shenouda@medportal.ca
​Jason Chen, jason.chen@medportal.ca
trauma-informed care ig
The Trauma-Informed Care Interest Group at McMaster was implemented in 2018 by a group of medical students with a collective goal: to improve health outcomes for individuals with lived experience of trauma. Trauma-informed care is a conceptual framework that recognizes experiences of trauma and attempts to account for their impact within patient care. The goal of being trauma-informed is not to uncover adverse experiences, but to create an environment that encourages the physical, mental, and emotional safety of patients and their providers. The Trauma-Informed Care Interest Group has been the platform for a number of student-led initiatives promoting knowledge and advocacy of trauma-informed care in health care practice.

c2025 co-chairs
Gracia Chen, gracia.chen@medportal.ca
Daniela Melis, daniela.melis@medportal.ca
​Sanjum Hunjan, sanjum.hunjan@medportal.ca
vascular surgery IG
The Vascular Surgery Interest Group (VSIG) hopes to stimulate interest and post graduate training in vascular surgery as well as promote medical student’s level of understanding in vascular health. We believe this will benefit our cohort and future cohorts since they will develop an understanding and appreciation for this surgical specialty. After discussing specialties with many students, very few of them were aware of vascular surgery. This interest group will provide a platform for students to be exposed to the specialty and develop an interest that may have never occurred without VSIG. Likewise, this interest group will collaborate with other interest groups and enrich the learning that takes place during these events. We also want to promote the knowledge and awareness of vascular health, from deep vein thrombosis to varicose veins. This promotion of knowledge will captivate the interest of all students since its highly applicable to many specialties and thus will benefit all.

c2024 co-chairs
Aqib Mannan, aqib.mannan@medportal.ca
Rohan Dadak, rohan.dadak@medportal.ca
​Zakia Hussain, zakia.hussain@medportal.ca
Clinician scientist ig
c2025 co-chairs
Germain Sophie Ngana, sophie.ngana@medportal.ca
​Alice Man, alice.man@medportal.ca