I started my practicum at ALTUM Health on May 1st, 2019. This was the second time for me taking a practicum course in Canada. The first one was during a bridging program for internationally trained medical doctors in which I attended a practicum and worked as a teacher assistant at the U of T. This time, the practicum is a considered a very important requirement for my Master.
All of the courses that I had at the U of T were new experiences for me and this practicum is not an exception. Here, I am supposed to build a standard for the future learning and development model at ALTUM Health. I have built several online courses and have prepared curriculums for undergraduate and graduate student. But all of them had been related to my field of study which is ENT- Head and Neck Surgery (Navid Ahmady Roozbahany, n.d.). This is the first time I am trying to do such a work for a discipline other than my specialty. By the way, during the past 18 months, my life has been changing dramatically and I have studied topics and work at environments which I had no idea about them. Although it is not an easy condition, I believe I can learn a lot by having these new experiences.
My field of interest within the healthcare system is teaching and training. I have been an educator from the first day after my graduation. Having this practicum at ALTUM Health is not only relevant to my studies during my master, but also is relevant to the field of my interest.
At the U of T, I have learned about the Canadian healthcare system, teaching and training healthcare professionals, and educational technologies (MScCH: Family and Community Medicine., n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/program/mscch-family-and-community-medicine-fcm/. There is an opportunity for me to use my new learning during my practicum, and also make new relation and connection that hopefully will help me for finding my dream job.
There will be challenges for me in completing this practicum. I should familiarize myself to a topic which I have never studied about. I should also try to make connections with people I have never met and attend in new environments and meetings. I have language barriers and I am trying hard to overcome this challenge. I have a busy work schedule, family issues, and my other courses which require many readings and assignments. I will not have an easy time managing all of these together. On the other hand, I have many opportunities. I have my course director who supports the students and provides valuable recommendations and guidance. My supervisor at ALTUM is also very supportive and her team members were extremely welcoming. It relived most of my stress and concerns. I have experience in designing courses and doing evaluations. I also have my new learning and experiences which will help me through this practicum.
My first step will be reviewing the learning materials and attending the meetings to learn more about this development model and be able to find my way to accomplish the objectives of my learning contract.
References:
MScCH: Family and Community Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/program/mscch-family-and-community-medicine-fcm/
Navid Ahmady Roozbahany (n.d.). Retrieved from https://research.sbmu.ac.ir/webdocument/load.action?webdocument_code=8000&masterCode=66000223
Navid's Practicum 