Student leader champions Program's growth

For Erica Hoe, MEDS 2016, the Windsor Program at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry is the right mix of exceptional education and close-knit community. "It's an incredible opportunity to be able to study so closely with 37 other people with similar aspirations," she said. "They become your support network and your family."

As Vice President Windsor for the Hippocratic Council, Hoe also gets an active role in student engagement. "There is so much flexibility for innovation here, it's easy to come up with a new idea and make it happen because we are such a small community."

Hoe, originally from Ottawa, graduated from Queen's University with an undergraduate degree in life sciences. From there she kept moving westward, completing her master's in physical therapy at the University of Toronto. She chose the Windsor Program for the family-sized classes and the hands-on opportunities in Windsor hospitals. For Hoe the milder temperatures in the city also mean more time outside. "If you want to get away from the cold for a bit, come visit us," she laughs.

As part of Schulich Medicine & Dentistry's Distributed Medical Education program, Windsor students are connected to main campus classes through videoconferencing. Hoe jokes that medical school is turning her into an expert on video technology, but she talks seriously about the impact the School has had on her education. "Schulich Medicine has given me so many opportunities to learn," she said. "The amount of knowledge is endless."

Aside from her Hippo Council duties, Hoe is running a Medical Skills Club this year with several other students in the Windsor Program. The group reviews clinical skills and creates summary sheets for classroom use.

Hoe's current interests are paediatrics and obstetrics, but she's waiting until clerkship to commit to a specialty. For now, she's focused on her leadership position with the Hippocratic Council and bringing Schulich Medicine & Dentistry's student experience to Windsor. "That's one of my favorite things about this role; I get to see the Program grow into its full potential."