Category: 05: Advocacy

CDHA 2017 Job Market & Employment Survey (1)

I had the opportunity to take a course with Dr. Kanji who is the program director of my program at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Kanji specializes in professional practice and we went over many aspects of life following graduation. One of the classes I enjoyed the most was the one where we focused on the current job market in Canada and the statistics for each province. Dr. Kanji emphasized the importance of establishing an employment contract as well, and the documents we reviewed can be used in negotiation of the contract. I have always found it difficult to negotiate with past positions, but the use of evidence such as this survey to make my opinions known is a great way to start. This further solidifies my philosophy of using evidence-based information when decision making. Oftentimes, we get used to advocating for the client, but forget that we ourselves need to advocate for the profession as well.

410 Comm Reflection BYip

I had the pleasure of not only doing oral health promotion but overall health promotion in community at the Union Gospel Mission in Surrey. A gentleman from the New Westminster location came to see me and described his hesitation towards a new medication that was prescribed. He was very confused about the healthcare system and where to navigate to find more information. With both my knowledge of the healthcare system and prior experience in the pharmacy field, I advised him accordingly and he seemed very grateful. At this time, I realized how important my role of a healthcare provider is outside of the clinical therapy component. It was clear that the knowledge that I provided was appreciated and deemed credible, even when some times in more traditional practice settings, it seems repetitive. With this experience, I find that I can enter my career with more confidence.