Why did you apply to the research and scholarship fellowship?

“Throughout medical school and residency, I loved research and was involved with a number of research projects. In my PGY2 year, I applied for and got a grant to support a research project I was leading to examine the health impacts of being banned from emergency overnight shelters. It didn’t have any salary support, and as a new researcher without formal research training, I was looking for both salary support and mentorship to lead this project. The fellowship was a perfect opportunity to access the support I needed to make my project a success, and grow and develop as a researcher in the process.”

What project(s) are you focusing on during your fellowship year?

“My main project is Nowhere to Go, a mixed methods study to understand the health impacts of being banned from emergency overnight shelters in Hamilton Ontario, and what might be done to change them. We are recruiting 20 people who have been service restricted (banned) from shelter and conducting semi structured interviews with them, as well as reviewing their medical charts. We will use reflexive thematic analysis, basic descriptive statistics, and then mixing the data to identify meta inferences about this practice and its impacts. We will then share our findings with the community and decision makers to advocate for healthier public policy and shelter practices. I’m also supervising a number of undergraduate medical students and a masters student on their own scholarly projects, doing some self directed learning on mixed methods and community driven research methods, and contributing to a number of other primary care research projects examining safe supply programs, mortality among people deprived of housing, and the health of people who use drugs and are incarcerated.”

What have you gained from the research and scholarship fellowship?

“So much! I’ve been learning what it takes to be a principal investigator on a research project involving primary data collection from human subjects – the ins and outs of ethics approval, leading a large team, adjusting to unexpected road blocks, training new researchers, and more. I’ve learned a lot from supervising students – how much guidance do you give and how much do you direct the process, versus stepping back and letting them learn by doing (and making mistakes!). I’ve built new relationships with researchers working in the same fields or methodologies as me. I’ve developed skills to teach others’ about research and educational approaches. And the very practical support of a salary to allow me the time to do all of this, and funding to present at conferences.”

How do you think your next 5 years of career will be influenced by the research and scholarship fellowship?

“The fellowship has prepared me to be an independent investigator and lead my own research projects, to mentor and supervise students in the realm of research, and to develop the grant writing skills I need to continue pursuing primary care research. It’s also given me the time to reflect on the bigger questions of what kind of scholar and researcher I want to be, and how I can stay true to these values. All of this will shape the clinician-researcher I am in the next 5 years (and beyond!). Ultimately, I hope it will help me to make a difference in the world of primary care research and in the lives of patients and communities.”

What would you say to someone considering applying to the  research and scholarship fellowship?

“If you have a scholarly project in primary care that you want to pursue – research, medical humanities, medical education, and beyond – and you want the resources, support, and flexibility to accomplish it while building your skills and network for the future, this is the fellowship for you. Apply!”