Organizers of the 2016 Rare Diseases Conference
A rare disease is defined as a condition that affects fewer than one in 2,000 people. Rare diseases affect 10% of the Canadian population, and cause significant morbidities and mortalities.
In preparation for Rare Disease Day on February 29th, a team of VFMP Medical students organized and hosted the first annual Rare Diseases Conference for UBC undergraduate students in health disciplines. Over 60 students from medicine, nursing, social work, PT/OT, genetic counseling, speech audiology and pharmacy gathered and had the opportunity to learn about developing an approach to rare and neglected conditions. They attend talks by healthcare professionals and family members who care for individuals with rare conditions and joined in on multidisciplinary small group session discussions.
Hirmand Nouraei (VFMP 2018), one of the event’s organizers, believes rare diseases are an important facet of medical education.
“My previous experience with interviewing patients with Arthrogryposis, a condition that causes congenital joint contractures, taught me the importance of raising awareness for rare and neglected conditions among future healthcare professionals,” Nouraei says. “I think this event was a great first step.”
There are plans to make the Rare Diseases Conference an annual event for UBC health profession students.