Student organization bridges gap between medical theory and practice

For students pursuing a career in the medical field, opportunities to gain practical work experience while in school are few and far between.

Established this past August, Pipeline to Success stands as a beacon for students navigating the transition from university life to their future careers.

The not-for-profit student organization is committed to offering programs that empower students through practical experience and career development.

“The road to a career in health care can be so long sometimes. And often, it can feel like there’s not enough support for students,” said Katherine Yu, president and founder of Pipeline to Success at the University of Guelph.

“I saw this as a problem, and so I wanted to do something to help students get the experience they need to actually achieve their career goals.”

Yu believes clinical experience is not as accessible in Canada as in other countries such as the U.S.

“It’s different there. You can ask any doctor, and they will say, sure, you can shadow me,” Yu said. “But in Canada, those opportunities just aren’t there. This is something that I personally experienced as I worked towards a career in medicine throughout my undergrad.”

Yu found it was really difficult to find, even clinical volunteer positions.

“Students would send resumes out, and they would never hear back from the clinics. So, it can be a really tough place to be in,” Yu said.

But her third year at U of G was a turning point for Yu.

“Things changed when I got a clinical position at the Health and Performance Centre (HPC) on campus,” Yu said. “HPC is an interdisciplinary sports entry clinic on campus, and they have a volunteer program built-in. I applied and I got in. It was such an amazing experience. I learned so much from the doctors and the physiotherapists.”

From that moment on, Yu sid she realized how transformative clinical experience can be.

“First of all, you get to understand what a career in health care is like. You get a chance to learn in the environment, and you develop real-world skills. That was really special to me because it’s so hard to get these opportunities, yet they are so valuable and necessary for students,” Yu said.  

Yu wanted other students to have the same opportunities.

“It all began last year, with me going door to door to clinics. I did get lots of no’s which was to be expected because until clinics have volunteers, they don’t realize how mutually beneficial they can be.”

Even if only one clinic out of 100 said yes, it was still worth it for Yu.

“That one clinic can provide an amazing opportunity to students. And that's what kept me going that day,” she said. “Out of 30 clinics I visited that day, we did get a yes from about four or five."

Yu graduated from U of G in June. In the fall, she will head to medical school at the University of Iowa.

What she began with only three students has now has grown into a national non-profit organization with more chapters opening in other Canadian universities.

“We have a team starting at other universities including a new chapter at McMaster University.  We are also hoping to expand to other universities including Western and the University of Toronto,” Yu said.

“The plan is to establish chapters at more universities across the country. We knew the demand was really high at Guelph. The first two volunteer positions we had available, we asked students to fill out an application, and we had over 80 applications in two days.”

The long-term goal is to expand to other health care fields such as dentistry, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, forensics, radiology, biomedical engineering, surgery and speech language pathology.

“Multiple students have said that the Pipeline to Success program provided meaningful mentorship and helped them during their time in undergrad. So that was great to hear. And that’s what motivates us to keep going with it.”

Pipeline to Success also offers training to volunteers.

“This has really helped students feel more oriented, more comfortable, and feel like they are not alone. So, they do get additional support as they go into a clinical volunteer position,” Yu said.  

"We also run MCAT study groups, and programs for students who want to get involved in research. We are interested in all kinds of programs that will be helpful to students as they move towards their career goals.”

Interested students can visit Pipeline to Success here.

Currently there are 13 clinics partnered with the student-run organization.

“We have 42 students who have been placed in volunteer positions. And we’ve also had two students who have gone on and received jobs through Pipeline. That was so exciting,” Yu said.

“That first day going door to door, I had no idea how this would turn out. I thought well, I might as well try because you never know unless you actually try it. That has been our attitude the whole time. That’s the attitude that has carried us through.”