Two community service projects run by medical students at McGill’s Campus Outaouais have earned awards from Forces AVENIR.
Médecins pour le cœur Campus Outaouais (MedCCO), which aims to raise awareness among the general public about the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and heart disease, was honoured in the Paix et justice (peace and justice) category.
Coda, a cancer patient support group associated with the Canadian Cancer Society, was honoured in the Santé et saines habitudes de vie (health and healthy living) category.
Taking on heart disease
MedCCO’s team of 13 volunteers offers certifications in the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Heartsaver® CPR AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and Basic Life Support (BLS) courses. Course fees help fund information booths and free workshops on such topics as nutrition and meal planning, identifying symptoms of stroke, using Naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose and how to help a child who is choking.
“Our initial goal was to reach 500 people, and we ultimately increased our reach to 1,300,” said Daniel Josué Guerra Ordaz, a fourth-year medical student and Co-Founder of MedCCO. “We are really proud of our impact on the community.
“Here in the Outaouais, sedentary lifestyles, smoking rates, drug use and alcohol consumption are higher than in the rest of Quebec,” said Guerra Ordaz. “That’s why we want to raise awareness about the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and help the general public act quickly in the event of an emergency.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the world. CPR can maintain blood circulation when a person is in cardiac arrest.
“In Canada, 70 per cent of cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital and only 19 per cent of victims receive assistance from a witness,” said Laury Gueyie, MedCCO’s Director of Communications. “CPR following cardiac arrest can increase the chances of survival by two to three times.”
Supporting cancer patients
Coda began as a 2019 CEGEP project before it was relaunched by Omar Toubar and six Campus Outaouais colleagues. Since then, it has expanded to 13 universities and CEGEPS, with nearly 150 volunteers
“In big cities like Montreal and Toronto, the services are many. Our efforts are aimed mostly at the underserved populations,” said Toubar, a fourth-year medical student and Coda’s Chief Executive Officer.
“In med school we are made aware of several challenges within our community. Then it’s really up to each and every one of us to decide what to do with that information,” he said. “We decided to take action and come together to do something about this specific issue that affects so many people on a personal level.”
Coda offers services five days a week to cancer patients during their chemotherapy sessions. Its most requested service is psychosocial support.
“We don’t expect the cancer patients to come to us; we go to them at times when we know that they would appreciate our companionship,” said Toubar. “We are there in the Gatineau Cancerology Centre welcoming patients as they walk in.”
Now known as the Coda Foundation, it became a registered charity last spring.
“We hope to expand our services to multiple underserved cancer centres within Quebec, and hopefully soon within Ontario as well. We’re looking for a chance to make an authentic impact.”
The students were among those from across Quebec feted at the 26th Forces AVENIR university gala on Oct. 1, which recognizes outstanding social engagement work.
“The students at Campus Outaouais are a true source of inspiration,” said Danyèle Lacombe, Vice-Dean and Director, Campus Outaouais, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. “During a challenging period for the Outaouais health-care system, this new generation of doctors offers hope by spearheading various community-serving projects. The dedication, creativity, and perseverance of students involved with CODA and MedCCO make them well-deserving of this recognition from Forces AVENIR.”
With files from Timothy Gouldson and Geneviève Raymond.