February 5, 2024
At London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), residents play a critical role in delivering quality care to patients, advancing research and innovation, and training future healthcare providers. Each February, Resident Awareness Week is recognized as a celebration of the important contributions of medical residents to hospitals across the country. This year’s event takes place during the week of February 5-9.
Residents are physicians who have completed medical school, been awarded a medical degree, and are currently completing on-the-job training in a particular specialty or sub-specialty. As one of Canada’s largest research-intensive teaching hospitals, LHSC offers many unique opportunities for residents to advance innovations and discoveries while providing care to more than one million patient visits each year. Currently, there are approximately 780 residents learning and practising in 16 departments and 37 divisions across LHSC.
Dr. Victoria Turnbull is a second-year urology resident at LHSC and a representative on the Western General Council for the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO). Through her residency, she has found joy in her daily interactions with patients and realized the importance of staying true to herself and her passion for care.
“I think that it can sometimes feel like a long path with many different goalposts,” Dr. Turnbull says about the journey to becoming a physician. “My advice to other residents is to be yourself and stay true to your values along the way. I think this is important for maintaining a healthy balance and to help you stay mindful of the reason you got into this line of work. We are all here to help our patients be able to live their lives to the fullest and do all the things they love to do.”
“Resident Awareness Week is an excellent opportunity to show our gratitude to LHSC residents and the essential contributions they make to the way we deliver care to patients,” says Dr. George Dresser, Interim Corporate Medical Executive at LHSC. “These individuals work tirelessly to improve health outcomes for patients while showing incredible dedication to their role as learners. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to residents at LHSC and Children’s Hospital for all that they do to advance patient-centred care.”