Toronto-based Patient as Teacher program exposes medical students to cancer patient perspective

St. Michael’s Hospital Patient as Teacher program has third-year medical students engage in interactive workshops with patients and each other over eight-week surgery rotations and reflect on their learning by creating art. The program, first launched in 2017, will be expanding to Sunnybrook and University Health Network, where over three-quarters of surgical clerkship students will participate. This past year had 10 patient volunteers, while next year’s program will include 30 patients across the three sites. The surgical oncologist who started the program says cancer survivors take ownership and pride in their journey and recovery and many of them find it empowering to share their stories. They can connect with other patient volunteers and develop an appreciation of the doctor-patient relationship while students gain a deeper understanding of the patient experience.