Homeless Project earns Student Award in Social Accountability

Posted January 31, 2012

By Aisling Gamble

Dave CampbellThe 2011 winners of the Faculty of Medicine Student Award in Social Accountability are Aravind Ganesh and Dave Campbell for their work helping the homeless, marginalized and under-served of Calgary. The two medical students, in collaboration with the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre, designed, developed and implemented a mental health screening tool – a project that will form a database for scholars in Alberta and Canada to address the many issues of the homeless.

The Student Award in Social Accountability recognizes a student or student group in the Faculty of Medicine whose work within the faculty or with the community is having an impact that is visible and has contributed to one or more of the priority health needs of Albertans.

Both Ganesh and Campbell are extremely humbled and honoured to receive this award. "In medical school almost all students are involved with worthwhile extracurricular activities. Given that there are so many great student projects, it is an honour to receive this in recognition of our work with the homeless," said Campbell. In describing the project, Campbell, a third year medical student, hopes the recognition will bring added faculty and policy-maker awareness to this problem and to the study's recommendations.

Aravind Ganesh

Ganesh, also in his third year of medical school, says the award speaks volumes not only about our medical school's commitment to the health of the homeless population, but also of the faculty's unabashed dedication to nurturing new ideas, which is key to real progress. "As a young man with no letters after my name, my ambitious, perhaps audacious idea of a screening project may easily have been laughed off at other institutions," he said.

Dr. Scott Patten, a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences says students such as Ganesh and Campbell deserve such recognition. "The fact that they have focused to such an extent on political, social, clinical and research activities related to social accountability is a real credit to them, and to the Faculty of Medicine."

Dr. Janette Hurley, lead physician at the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre echoes Patten's sentiment. "Their project has already made a visible impact at the Drop-In Centre by reaching out to marginalized individuals and lending an ear to their mental health issues.” Hurley notes both Ganesh and Campbell are involved in other pursuits beyond their project with the Drop-In Centre, making them even more deserving of this distinction.

Both Ganesh and Campbell will be recognized at the faculty-wide Celebration of Excellence event on February 15, 2012.