In June 2023, as a first-year medical student at the University of Calgary (UofC), Carolyn Campbell sought out ways to make the most of her time and connect with her community. This search led her to the STARS (Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship) program. With a nursing background and strong interest in quality improvement and resource stewardship, Carolyn saw STARS as an opportunity to build on her knowledge and try to make a meaningful impact. 

Carolyn felt it was important to foster community-building and engage other medical students in resource stewardship activities. She achieved this through hosting three events at the medical school. The first was a presentation by Dr. Eddy Lang on relevant testing for chest pain. This received great feedback from students looking for further learning opportunities and led to a second event, a Q&A panel with experts in resource stewardship, which was aimed primarily at first-year students. In the most recent event, ‘Choosing Wisely in Primary Care’, Dr. Janet Reynolds shared insights on the Choosing Wisely Canada Family Medicine recommendation list and how to integrate shared decision-making conversations into practice. Each of these events averaged over 100 attendees and received positive feedback from participants in follow-up surveys. In turn, they created a platform for local resource stewardship initiatives at UofC, even leading to discussions of integrating Choosing Wisely into academic curriculum.

Students attending the Choosing Wisely in Primary Care event at the University of Calgary in July 2024.

Although her time as part of the Choosing Wisely STARS program has come to an end, Carolyn’s commitment to resource stewardship remains. She has recently begun a quality improvement certification course and hopes to participate in research in the field, at UofC and beyond. In 2024, she also received a small grant from the Alberta Medical Association to put towards resource stewardship efforts at UofC. Regardless of where her career takes her in the future, Carolyn is confident that resource stewardship will always play a role. Having seen firsthand the benefits to patient care and the positive environmental impact, Carolyn is committed to advancing the principles of Choosing Wisely in her future work.

“I am extremely grateful for my time in the Choosing Wisely STARS program,” she says. “I have learned many important lessons from the organization and I see the value of making thoughtful, intentional decisions about testing when providing care. I hope I can continue to be a voice for resource stewardship principles in medical school and future initiatives.”

Carolyn’s leadership in STARS highlights the importance of building connections in medical education. She sees education as an essential driving force for meaningful change and progress in Canadian health care systems. Drawing on her experience as a new student searching for community, she became connected with others who have a shared vision of the importance of resource stewardship in health care. Through her efforts, Carolyn is not only advancing resource stewardship in medical education but also inspiring the next generation of resource stewardship leaders.