UBC faculty of medicine student Armaghan (Army) Alam has been honoured with an award from the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF).
The awards recognize second year medical students with an established track record of community leadership, superior communication skills and demonstrated interest in advancing knowledge.
Armaghan (Army) Alam
Army is the co-founder of the Canadian Peer Support Network and has designed and delivered active listening training to over 500 individuals, bringing peer support resources to communities across Canada. He is an advisor for the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund which provides up to five million dollars of funding to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color mental health initiatives, and is also the youngest sitting member on the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, where he provides mental health insight on a national scale.
As class president at UBC, Army prioritizes the wellbeing of his peers, helping navigate ongoing curricular challenges posed by the pandemic. He is elucidating the ethical implications of genetic testing in children with epilepsy as a member of the Neuroethics Canada research team and the Pan-Canadian Neurotechnology Ethics Consortium.
Army hopes to make a lasting positive impact in medicine driven by innovation, collaboration, and compassion.
“Beyond this being a surreal experience and honour, I personally feel that this award is less about celebrating what you have already done as it is about recognizing what you intend to keep doing,” he said. “The pursuit of accessible and equitable mental healthcare at a systems level is something I have long strived for, but whose expanding need continues to indicate that innovative, collaborative solutions are necessary to confront this universal issue. Being recognized for this award and reading about the incredible impact previous CMHF inductees have had has inspired me to continue working to that goal.”
Each award recipient receives a cash prize of $5,000 and a travel subsidy to attend the 2022 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Ottawa where they will have the opportunity to meet CMHF Laureates and interact with health leaders from across the country.
The CMHF partners with donors, MD Financial Management Inc. and Canada’s medical schools to recognize young leaders who exemplify qualities of CMHF Laureates: perseverance, collaboration and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Each of Canada’s faculties of medicine and health sciences facilitated the review of applicants and recommended one award recipient. Three letters of support are required by applicants including a non-academic community reference describing their community impact, along with a 1,000 word essay describing why they should be considered for the Award and articulating the qualities of the CMHF Laureate who inspires them most.