STUDENTS' CORNER
Surgical Exploration and Discovery (SEAD) Director Dave Cornell
Dave Cornell is a 3rd year medical student currently in
his orthopaedic surgery rotation with Drs Ferguson and
Wunder at Mount Sinai Hospital. He is the 1T6 student
representative for the Surgical Education Directorate
(SED), and participated in the SEAD program during
his 1st year before being selected as the Director of
the program for 2014. During his first year of medical
school, he was among 20 students selected to participate
in SEAD, a two week elective program that exposes
students to direct-entry surgical specialties through
observerships, workshops and seminars.
A Canadian National Track and Field medalist and
Canada Games competitor in high school, Dave coached
in the sport for six years. Prior to earning his undergraduate
degree in Molecular Biology and Chemistry at
Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia, he worked as a
tradesman for 10 years with his father’s plumbing company
specializing in diagnostic boroscoping (a technique
similar to guiding endoscopic surgical instruments) and
stenting pipes with epoxy liners. He spent 18 months
as a volunteer Firefighter and First Responder, being
dispatched to motor vehicle accidents, medical assists,
rescue-recovery missions, and structure and forest fires.
It was on an ambulance run, where he assisted the
paramedics with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and
dropped the patient off at a hospital, that he realized he
wanted to pursue a career in medicine. “I knew then I
wanted to be on the other side. I wanted to be receiving
the patient, so I did my Bachelor of Science and worked
as a phlebotomist in the mornings to prepare myself
for medical school. I loved the hospital work, and I was
fortunate to be accepted at the University of Toronto.”
Another defining moment that propelled Dave towards
medicine was his experience first on scene at a house
fire. He went in “on the hose” searching for a missing 5
year old, who was luckily found unharmed. [Artistotle
teaches us that “courage is the ability to act in the presence
of fear. It is not fearlessness which is foolhardy.”]
“I discovered I loved the stress and wanted to further
develop life-saving skills in a broader range of patient
settings”.
|
Dave finds great enjoyment in teaching. He served as
the Coordinator for the Medical Imaging Interest Group
and the 1T6 representative for the Cardiac Surgery
Interest Group. His leadership role as the 2014 SEAD
Director has been one of his most rewarding teaching
experiences. Participants observe in the OR, have opportunities
to speak with staff and residents, and practice
skills such as plating fractures and simulating aortic valve
replacements in pig hearts. He says the program helps
solidify the intent to pursue a surgical specialty for some,
and rule them out at an early stage for others. Dave is
carrying forward research that was initiated by Nada
Gawad, the founder of SEAD. The study will evaluate
the benefit of the SEAD program in terms of increasing
participants’ knowledge of surgical principles, understanding
of a career in surgery, and basic surgery skills.
It also follows SEAD participants through their CARMS
match to evaluate the impact of SEAD on career choices.
Dave found Drs. Rutka, Christakis, and Kodama to
be a wealth of support and guidance, and their insight
into the planning to be central to the success of the
program. “The mentorship I have received from leaders
in my community has played an integral part in shaping
the man I am today, and I strive to do the same for others”.
He has worked with Mike Wiley in the Anatomy
Division doing pro-sections for examinations and study
purposes. “Mike was a great friend and mentor. He
taught me how to use surgical tools and quizzed me on
my knowledge of anatomy”. Dave is providing the occasional
guidance to his successor, and he sees great potential
for the SEAD program going forward. “Medical programs
from Ottawa and Western have shown an interest.
We’re extremely fortunate to have some of the world’s
finest surgeons here in Toronto, who are happy to engage
with students and volunteer their time for educational
initiatives such as SEAD”.
Dave’s enthusiasm for enjoyable stress finds an outlet
in surfing, by far his favourite past time. He is an avid
sportsman who enjoys football, hockey, and exercise.
He also enjoys travelling, having spent 2 months in
South East Asia and visited several European countries.
Coming up next is a ski trip to the Swiss Alps.
M.M.
|