Alegria Benzaquen |
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Running for:
VP Academic
About me:
Hi everyone! My name is Alegria (Allie). I completed my undergraduate degree at McMaster studying Nursing (we love Mac nurses!) and am so excited to begin this next chapter with all of you.
I’m originally from Thornhill (not Toronto, so Toronto people don’t get mad at me!), but I’ve lived in Hamilton for the past 4 years. I’m passionate about advocacy and have spent most of my undergrad advocating for those with chronic diseases through research, volunteering, and clinical practice.
Outside of school/work, I love to dance! I’m currently learning to salsa, which is WAY harder than anticipated. I also love to host, cook for others, and create a warm and welcoming environment.
I’m a strong advocate, not only for myself, but for my peers, my colleagues, this class, and my future patients. I want to join the MMSC to build a strong medical school curriculum that focuses on advocacy.
My platform:
Hi! I am Alegria, and I’m running for VP Academic because I want to be a strong, approachable advocate for my peers. At McMaster, so much of our learning is driven by us through PBL, small-group learning, and self-directed learning. I believe our voice should have just as much of a place in shaping the curriculum. My campaign has two main goals. First, I want to create a practical PBL Toolkit. Many of us came into this program with different understandings of PBL and have benefited from mentors, peers, and tutors who helped us navigate the learning curve. I want to centralize those resources so they are available to everyone. Second, I want to strengthen the connection between students and faculty through a “Report Back” approach. For concerns brought forward by students, I want to make sure we follow up and communicate what happened with their feedback.
Your voice.
How do you plan to ensure that EDI is integrated in your role(s)?
I plan to integrate EDI into my role through humility, cultural humility, and a willingness to recognize that I do not have all the answers. I will actively seek input from other students and create opportunities to hear directly from those with different lived experiences, including through specialized meetings with EDI representatives. I hope to work collaboratively with others to identify gaps within our curriculum and learning environment and advocate for meaningful change.
I also recognize that our current systems are not perfect and that a medical education designed around a “standard” student may not adequately reflect the needs of our diverse student body. Rather than making assumptions about what students need, I want to listen, learn, and use the perspectives of others to help shape a more equitable and inclusive curriculum
VP Academic
About me:
Hi everyone! My name is Alegria (Allie). I completed my undergraduate degree at McMaster studying Nursing (we love Mac nurses!) and am so excited to begin this next chapter with all of you.
I’m originally from Thornhill (not Toronto, so Toronto people don’t get mad at me!), but I’ve lived in Hamilton for the past 4 years. I’m passionate about advocacy and have spent most of my undergrad advocating for those with chronic diseases through research, volunteering, and clinical practice.
Outside of school/work, I love to dance! I’m currently learning to salsa, which is WAY harder than anticipated. I also love to host, cook for others, and create a warm and welcoming environment.
I’m a strong advocate, not only for myself, but for my peers, my colleagues, this class, and my future patients. I want to join the MMSC to build a strong medical school curriculum that focuses on advocacy.
My platform:
Hi! I am Alegria, and I’m running for VP Academic because I want to be a strong, approachable advocate for my peers. At McMaster, so much of our learning is driven by us through PBL, small-group learning, and self-directed learning. I believe our voice should have just as much of a place in shaping the curriculum. My campaign has two main goals. First, I want to create a practical PBL Toolkit. Many of us came into this program with different understandings of PBL and have benefited from mentors, peers, and tutors who helped us navigate the learning curve. I want to centralize those resources so they are available to everyone. Second, I want to strengthen the connection between students and faculty through a “Report Back” approach. For concerns brought forward by students, I want to make sure we follow up and communicate what happened with their feedback.
Your voice.
How do you plan to ensure that EDI is integrated in your role(s)?
I plan to integrate EDI into my role through humility, cultural humility, and a willingness to recognize that I do not have all the answers. I will actively seek input from other students and create opportunities to hear directly from those with different lived experiences, including through specialized meetings with EDI representatives. I hope to work collaboratively with others to identify gaps within our curriculum and learning environment and advocate for meaningful change.
I also recognize that our current systems are not perfect and that a medical education designed around a “standard” student may not adequately reflect the needs of our diverse student body. Rather than making assumptions about what students need, I want to listen, learn, and use the perspectives of others to help shape a more equitable and inclusive curriculum