Resident recognised for innovation in medical education
Programs: Postgraduate
Dr. Ariel Gershon is in the 3rd year of his Anatomical Pathology Residency in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. He has been awarded the RDoC Mikhael Award for Medical Education (resident category) by the Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC) which is awarded to a resident who with “enthusiasm, passion, and proficiency, has improved undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in Canada”.
Ariel contributes to medical education both within LMP and beyond, in a variety of ways.
As a graduate of LMP’s undergraduate Specialist Program in Pathobiology, he now enjoys teaching the undergraduate students about pathobiology of endocrine diseases in the program through LMP. He also teaches undergraduate neuroscience students in human biology and medical students in the MD Program about bioethics and qualitative health research.
The award particularly noted his involvement in MEDSKL.com. Launched by Dr. Sanjay Sharma, Professor of Ophthalmology and Epidemiology at Queen’s University, to provide free online education to medical students – supplementing their knowledge and exposing them to different specialties. Ariel first got involved as an undergraduate student helping develop quizzes and then connected again with Dr. Sharma when the COVID-19 pandemic started to impact medical education.
Due to restrictions, undergraduate medical students found their opportunities to interact with residents drastically reduced with little chance to complete shadowing or electives. Ariel and Dr. Sharma worked together to introduce residents to the platform to provide that essential link. “We’ve had a great response with up to 200 students from across Canada and the world attending sessions,” says Ariel. He is looking forward to teaching a month-long module in Pathology in May.
Ariel believes that mentorship is a vital part of education and offers mentoring to undergraduates through programs at New College and the MD Program. “I remember feeling pretty lost as an undergraduate,” says Ariel, “I was the first in my family to attend university and saw firsthand the value of guidance and mentorship. You can be doing everything right on paper, going to classes and studying as hard as you can, but there are many other things that are important which are hard to put down on paper. Mentors can help with that. I will always appreciate the mentoring I received as an undergraduate and as a medical student as it got me where I am today. I hope to pay it forward however I can.”
The RDoc award committee thanked Ariel “for all that you do for your resident colleagues”. As an elected general council representative in PARO, The Professional Association of Residents of Ontario, the official representative voice for Ontario’s doctors in training, he provides support to his colleagues. “I listen to any issues my classmates bring up and advocate for them, as well as help them navigate their resident contracts and benefits. It’s been a huge honour to be in this role and to be trusted by my co-residents like this.”
As part of his role, he is also involved in running a program called “Teaching to teach” where they help residents develop teaching skills. “As part of this, we also emphasize the value of residents across all specialties and what they add to the education of medical students,” says Ariel.
On winning the award, he commented, “It’s great to have this recognition but I'm not doing anything on my own – there is a whole team of residents working with me. I feel very lucky to be able to work with so many great people who support me.”
His nominator, fellow Anatomical Pathology resident, Cornelia Thoeni commented, “I got to know Ariel as a highly motivated resident and with an extraordinary passion and involvement within medical education. Ariel shows an impressive teaching record and an exceptional variety of teaching skills at his level of training. I believe he is highly deserving of this RDoC Medical Education Award for his outstanding contribution to educating medical learners.”
