Muslim Medical Association of Queen's
15 Arch Street Kingston, ON, Canada

With a virtual return to medical school and restrictions placed on in-person gatherings, the Muslim Medical Association of Queen's had to think of a unique way to welcome their new Muslim medical students. Last Monday, MMAQ hosted a virtual trivia night (brothers vs sisters) with a sugar cookie decorating contest and a virtual campfire. Prior to the trivia night, they prepared some customized bags for their members consisting of a pocket prayer mat, a s'mores kit, a sugar cookie decorating kit, gummies, and rice krispie treats. The theme of the welcome bag was 'hard to find halal treats in Kingston' and prayer essentials. The night was filled with many smiles, laughs and great advice from upper year students.

A highlight and reminder from one of our panelists, Lisa Grant on how acknowledging a patient's religion makes accessing healthcare easier.

When spiritual care is involved, a large body of research suggests that this saves healthcare dollars. The occasional media coverage of that one ‘religious patient’ who refuses to pull the plug does a disservice to the reality of religious people accessing healthcare. By in large, people who receive spiritual care are more accepting of the end of life [1]. When spiritual care is involved, patients tend to want less aggressive medical treatment. Involving spiritual care early produces better outcomes not only for patients but for the healthcare system as a whole - Chaplain Kate Johnson Last week, we brought together patients of different faiths to discuss the role of faith in their experience of their illness. Throughout the next week, we will share with you their stories. [1] harvardmagazine.com/2017/01/connecting-body-and-soul