VP Internal - Niagara Campus Candidates
Hira Aslam
BIO
Hi everyone! My name is Hira (Hee-ra) and I am running for the privilege of representing the amazing community of students at NRC. A bit of background on myself: I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and subsequently obtained a Master of Science from the University of Oxford. Following this, I was employed by the University of Glasgow for a National Offending Study investigating brain injury and psychological wellbeing in the Scottish criminal justice system. My research and clinical experiences have underscored the importance of advocacy and leadership in healthcare systems, and these are values I aspire to embody as both a member of the MMSC and, subsequently, as a practising physician. As a nontraditional student, I recognize the value in diversity and hope to reflect this understanding during my tenure as VP Internal NRC. Please feel free to reach out and introduce yourself or just to chat - I look forward to getting to know as many of you as possible!
PLATFORM
It is important that as we embark on our medical journey during a time of remarkable uncertainty, we are able to develop and maintain a strong sense of community through meaningful engagement. Therefore, I propose the following points as areas of advocacy:
Most importantly, my agenda will reflect the individual concerns of the student body at NRC. It is my priority to ensure the community has a voice in all matters.
Hi everyone! My name is Hira (Hee-ra) and I am running for the privilege of representing the amazing community of students at NRC. A bit of background on myself: I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and subsequently obtained a Master of Science from the University of Oxford. Following this, I was employed by the University of Glasgow for a National Offending Study investigating brain injury and psychological wellbeing in the Scottish criminal justice system. My research and clinical experiences have underscored the importance of advocacy and leadership in healthcare systems, and these are values I aspire to embody as both a member of the MMSC and, subsequently, as a practising physician. As a nontraditional student, I recognize the value in diversity and hope to reflect this understanding during my tenure as VP Internal NRC. Please feel free to reach out and introduce yourself or just to chat - I look forward to getting to know as many of you as possible!
PLATFORM
It is important that as we embark on our medical journey during a time of remarkable uncertainty, we are able to develop and maintain a strong sense of community through meaningful engagement. Therefore, I propose the following points as areas of advocacy:
- Transitioning to in-person activities to the extent that public health mandates allow, especially as a smaller campus community. This will allow us to have a more fulsome medical student experience and cultivate a sense of community early on.
- Previous years have indicated a need to consolidate IG and social events across campuses.
- Increasing regional representation at social and extracurricular events.
Most importantly, my agenda will reflect the individual concerns of the student body at NRC. It is my priority to ensure the community has a voice in all matters.
VP Internal - Waterloo Campus Candidates
Rohan Dadak
BIO
Hi everyone! My name is Rohan and I am super excited to get to know you all! I consider myself to be a very upbeat and friendly person. I love to hang out with anyone! I pride myself on being someone who is fun and approachable. My door is always open to anyone who wants to meet up and just chat about whatever! Some of my hobbies include playing sports (mostly soccer and basketball), spending time with friends, drinking coffee and making cool playlists on Spotify. If you’re ever in need of some new music to listen to or a drink order recommendation from Starbucks, shoot me a message. I’m your guy! PLATFORM Hey everyone! My name is Rohan Dadak and I would be absolutely thrilled to be your WRC VP internal! My platform is centred around making everyone feel welcome and comfortable here at WRC. Having spoken to many of you within these initial weeks, I am realizing that we are all experiencing similar stresses. I want to help ease those stresses by building a warm, fuzzy, social community at school! While Med School is sure to have its ups and downs, it will be my goal to ensure it is as fun and enjoyable as possible through regular get-togethers and other social events. At the same time, I want people to feel comfortable with me. I will build a relationship with every one of you so I can understand your personal needs and how I can advocate for and represent our campus. My door is always open! |
Amin Hatamnejad
BIO
Hello everyone, my name is Amin (he/him). In case you were wondering, the pronunciation of my name is A-mean, like “I saw A-mean turtle the other day.” Some quick facts about me: I played professional volleyball until before COVID and have played the guitar since I was 12. I got my undergrad degree in Kinesiology at York University, where I studied the nuances of human movement and physical activity. During my undergraduate years, I realized my passion for student leadership, advocacy and became the elected president for my KINE student council and student senator for the faculty of Health. So yes, I am that person who unconditionally enjoys attending meetings, collaborating with student leaders, implementing new initiatives and advocating for the wellbeing and success of my student body. I am very much looking forward to meeting some of you folks virtually and in-person very soon, hopefully as a member of the MMSC! PLATFORM As the VP Internal for WRC, my priority is to liaise between all three campuses and advocate for the WRC students at various governing bodies to ensure that our voices are heard around crucial conversations such as transitioning back to in-person educational and social components. By collaborating with faculty, staff, and students, I want to focus on providing accessible horizontal elective opportunities for our class and champion for equitable opportunities in the Waterloo-Kitchener region. Additionally, through collaborating with other MMSC members, key stakeholders and getting peer feedback, I would like to ensure that WRC students have access to various educational events, leadership opportunities and wellness resources that are crucial for their success. Finally, through various social events, I would want to ensure that WRC students get to meet one another and also be able to create long-lasting connections with their fellow students from other campuses. |
Ming Chen
BIO
Hello, my name is Ming (he/him), and I’m extremely excited to be running for a position on MMSC! I graduated from uOttawa with a BHSc. in 2020, with an interest in health policy, fuelling my passion for advocacy and determination to turn information into action. This helped me succeed as the Finance Director of the uOttawa Student Emergency Response Team, where I helped overhaul the team’s infrastructure, focusing on improving team cohesion, community engagement, and responder training. I am passionate about helping others succeed while ensuring that all students have a fair chance to excel in their education. Resultantly, my research interests revolve around improving education quality and mental health awareness. Outside of university, I enjoy playing soccer, piano, and cooking, but I am terrible at baking! I pride myself on being an approachable leader, so I am always happy to connect -- please reach out and say ‘Hi’ on Facebook! PLATFORM My platform in this role is built on translating many of our concerns from the past month into actionable items that I believe will benefit us all: Community Engagement: By developing outreach events like Shinerama or MedDay, we will be able to support local hospitals and charities from day one, rather than waiting until clerkship to feel like we’re giving back to the community! Destress: For countless reasons, many of us have or will seek an outlet to destress. I aim to bring engaging activities like puppy playdates, MedGames, and a yearly gala to WRC, allowing us to relieve stress and form long-lasting friendships. Peer Supports: Building on the work of my predecessors, I intend to continue improving IG accessibility at WRC via the Accessibility Policy Taskforce. I’ll also organize activities, like Pizza & Beer dinners (COVID-permitting), to foster social connections between us and our faculty, something extremely beneficial for the future! |
VP Internal - Hamilton Campus Candidates
Danielle Penney
BIO
I completed my undergrad in Biochemistry at McMaster before taking two years off to travel the world and work as a nanny. During my undergrad I was involved in multiple student societies and leadership programs, and also worked on some political advocacy initiatives. I have always been passionate about wellness, balance and living a healthy lifestyle, and I hope to leverage my event planning skills to run events to help us unwind and bond with each other. While we will all study hard over the next 3 years, I believe it's just as important to ensure that we are still finding time to have fun and feel connected with our classmates. I hope to use my political advocacy experience to advocate for the best interests of our class and ensure that we as a student body feel as supported as possible by both the MMSC and the wider Mac Med administration. PLATFORM O-week and MF1 being completely online has presented additional academic and social challenges for us all. I'm sure many of you are also worried about learning online, or just feeling disconnected from our classmates. We shouldn't have to miss out on key bonding experiences just because our first week was online. That's why my first platform point as VP student affairs is to re-allocate unused MMSC o-week money to host the in-person events that we missed out on, spaced out throughout the school year. Past years got to enjoy a Blue Mountain weekend and drinks at the Hamilton Art Gallery -- so should we! While fun events like karaoke nights are super important, my second platform point is to liaise with the student affairs office and anatomy department to plan events that go beyond typical relaxation-focused "wellness" initiatives, such as extra suturing workshops and clinical skills practice sessions, so that we can be our best selves in every sense of the term. |
Jason Wang
BIO
Hey everyone! My name is Jason Wang (he/him), and I am super pumped to be running to represent YOU, the Class of 2024! I did my undergrad at Western and am originally from Richmond Hill, Ontario. Advocacy is something I am hugely passionate about! I’ve held a number of school and community positions where I’ve been able to spearhead many initiatives that have resulted in tangible, long-lasting change. I believe I have the necessary skillset and experience for the MMSC, but more importantly the desire to drive innovation. Outside of MacMed, I am an avid gamer, Netflix-binger, math nerd, and ex-gym rat (pandemic’s got me down bad :( ). Enough about me… I want to hear from you! I have tons of ideas I would love to implement if elected, and would be happy to chat with anyone who wants to learn more about me or my vision for the MMSC. PLATFORM Thanks for your interest in my platform! As VP Internal at the Hamilton Campus, my encompassing goal is to act as a voice of advocacy for the student body that you can rely on. I want you to feel comfortable approaching me with any issues you have regarding your MacMed experience. I plan on dedicating my time to facilitating your development through the following 3 pillars:
Summary: Let me be the vocal cords to your larynx ;) |
Faris Kapra
BIO
Hi! My name is Faris (he/they) and I hail from Halifax N.S, where I completed my undergrad at Dalhousie University in Medical Sciences and Philosophy. While I’ve lived near the ocean all my life, I’m more of a waterfall guy, so I look forward to exploring Hamilton over these next few years. In my spare time you can often catch me speaking “very passionately” at a debate club practice, driving my little brother to chess tournaments, or doing one of those recently trendy hobbies like baking and crocheting. During my undergrad I was VP-East of the Canadian national debating society, where I coordinated events and represented the interests of 7 different university debate societies. As treasurer of my program’s society, after a survey indicating need, I created a bursary for students facing financial difficulty. I hope to spend my time at McMaster working to benefit my peers in a similar fashion, and hopefully getting to befriend more of you in person! PLATFORM My first goal as VP Internal would be to assist interest groups in the transition from virtual to physical events by clearly communicating policies around in person meetings. Interest in events is sure to be great, given ongoing uncertainty about restrictions regular communication on the types/sizes of events permitted will be a key. Ideally, I would love to organize regular social events (boardgame cafes, hikes etc.) to allow our cohort to get to know each other a little better. Virtual events are also uniquely accessible, and I think they can play an important role going forward. I alone do not know what is best for our cohort – and that is why I love a good survey! I plan to, multiple times over the year, send out forms where students can send in feedback – negative, constructive and positive. While it is important to identify and address issues, I also think IGs/committees that are doing good work should be recognized for it! |
