Medical student receives CaRMS leadership award

Canadian Resident Matching Service (CARMS)

OTTAWA, April 22, 2013 /CNW/ - Medical student Paxton Bach was recognized today for his outstanding leadership skills, as the first recipient of the Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership.

Bach, who is in his final year of medicine at Queen's University, has a strong interest in global health and health advocacy and has filled many local, national and international leadership positions during his time in medical school. He will be entering the Internal Medicine residency program at the University of British Columbia and hopes to continue working with disadvantaged populations both at home and abroad.

"It is an honour to be recognized with this award, and I thank CaRMS for their efforts in supporting the development of trainees with an interest in medical leadership," Bach said. "I have had the privilege of collaborating with an incredible collection of enthusiastic and capable individuals throughout my time in medical school. Medical students as a group are stricken with an admirable desire to effect positive change, and working with so many colleagues from across the country has been truly inspirational. I look forward to the opportunities this award will provide to allow me to continue these efforts, while also enabling me to pursue my interests in global health and health advocacy."

The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) Board of Directors launched the Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership this past year with the aim of encouraging the development of future leaders in medicine. The award of up to $5,000 in leadership development funding was presented to Bach by Dr. Richard Reznick, Queen's University's Dean of Medicine, during the CaRMS Forum at the 2013 Canadian Conference on Medical Education (CCME) in Quebec City on April 22, 2013.

Sister Elizabeth Davis, a member of the CaRMS Award Committee recognized for her outstanding leadership qualities, said the response to the inaugural award has been inspiring: "We received applications from medical students and residents across the country, and each submission demonstrated the unbelievable talent, commitment and ambition of this generation of medical learners. The content of the submissions reflects both a level of understanding of the broader issues which are fundamental to good health for persons and for communities, and a level of leadership which will help transform the Canadian health system in the years to come."

Applications for the 2014 Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership will be accepted starting in October 2013; the closing date for receipt of completed applications is December 15.  For information on how to apply, please visit carms.ca.

Backgrounder attached.

MEDIA BACKGROUNDER

CaRMS

The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) is a not-for-profit organization that works in close cooperation with the medical education community, medical schools and residents/students to provide an electronic application service and a computer match for entry into postgraduate medical training throughout Canada. CaRMS strives to ensure the highest standards of fairness, transparency and client service throughout its electronic selection and matching process. It also provides comprehensive data collection, analysis and research that supplies timely intelligence to health policy decision-makers.

Winner of the 2013 Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership: Paxton Bach

Paxton Bach is a final year medical student at Queen's University with a strong interest in global health and health advocacy.

He has filled various local, national, and international leadership positions over his time in medical school, including serving as the 2011-2012 Vice-President Global Health of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students, as well as the President of CFMS-Canada to the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations. In these roles he has helped support student-run programs, steer advocacy initiatives, and foster improved global health opportunities for medical students across the country.

He has represented the voice of Canadian students at national and international conferences, and looks forward to the opportunity for this award to help further his involvement in international health policy.

Mr. Bach will be entering the Internal Medicine residency program at the University of British Columbia, and hopes to continue working with disadvantaged populations both at home and abroad.

For more information on the Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership, please visit http://www.carms.ca/sandra_banner_student_award_e.html.

Image with caption: "The Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership was presented to Paxton Bach by Dr. Richard Reznick, Queen's University's Dean of Medicine, during the CaRMS Forum at the 2013 Canadian Conference on Medical Education (CCME). (CNW Group/Canadian Resident Matching Service (CARMS))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130422_C7653_PHOTO_EN_25872.jpg

SOURCE: Canadian Resident Matching Service (CARMS)

Lisa Turriff
Senior Communications Officer
1.800.227.6742 ext. 5900
[email protected]