Key points:
- Ensure an inclusive and accepting environment within the cohort
- Create safe spaces for discussion, open to all students of the cohort, and allow for new conversation topics to come to light through the use of survey
- You can reach out anytime, for anything!
Platform:
Hiya!
My name is Amina Ferroum, I am one of your classmates in the Medicine class of 2024, and I would love to be your Montreal class Med-1 President! It would be my pleasure to advocate for your ideas and embody the most accurate representation of your needs for the upcoming year, during which I will strive to create an atmosphere of inclusivity and acceptance in our cohort. I hope that I will be able to do so promptly by getting to know you all, since I love meeting new people!
As class president, I will always be open to hearing all your opinions and concerns, as there is no such thing as a trivial issue! To facilitate this process, I will be holding monthly Zoom meetings (yes… I know how it sounds but keep reading, it gets good, I promise!) where you guys can drop in to discuss any issues you may wish to address. In doing so, you will have access to a safe space in which your ideas will be heard. Bonus: It will be a great way to see each other in a more informal setting just to chat and get to know each other! And of course, you can always reach me via Facebook or email if there is anything you wish to talk about privately, and I will do my best to help you overcome the hardships you may face.
Another initiative I would like to take on is that of gathering suggestions and opinions on a variety of issues using surveys. These surveys would serve as topics of discussion, and their results would provide evidence and perhaps even solutions to ongoing concerns throughout the academic year in all faculty and committee meetings.
Last year, I served as Co-President of the Med-P and Dent-P Student Association here at McGill, and throughout the year, I was able to develop an array of skills that include keen problem solving and effective advocacy. This experience allowed me to learn to not only listen, but also to empathize with the concerns brought up by members of my previous cohort. It is such a fulfilling experience to be able to help my classmates, and it would be my honour to fill in those shoes once more for you guys.
I am aware that COVID has changed the way we live, and I am also aware that you have heard these same exact words a thousand times already, but it’s true! To the stress of our everyday lives, there may now be the stress of the pandemic we are living through (pretty sure the most riveting chapter of the 2050’s history books). Rest assured, however, that amidst all the craziness, we will stay afloat together and united we stand (no, but really)! Ah, aussi, je parle français, donc n’hésitez pas à venir discuter n’importe quand dans les deux langues !
And don’t forget: ça va bien aller (hopefully with yours truly as class president!)
Amina Ferroum