Crystal Liu

The Calgary Student Run Clinic (SRC) is a student-run initiative that provides accessible and comprehensive health care tailored towards the needs of Calgary’s underserved populations. Our goal is to promote health equity where individuals can reach their full health potential without being disadvantaged by social class, financial status, or education background. By volunteering in the clinic, medical students are also given the opportunity to diversify their clinical experience through working with vulnerable populations. This, in turn, makes them better, more empathetic future physicians.

As the Vice-Chair of the Calgary SRC and with the support of my colleagues and mentors, I led the development of a new after-hours clinic in collaboration with the Mustard Seed Society. As a community partner, the Mustard Seed helped me develop a better understanding of the actions required to positively address the health needs of Calgary’s inner-city community.  

As a witness to the impact that student-led initiatives like the Calgary SRC can have on the community and how guidance from community partners have helped us engage with various communities more effectively, I support the funding and establishment of collaborative incubator programs. Such programs would help youth in the community to successfully run health initiatives by providing the workspace, funding, and mentorship necessary to transform their ideas into reality. I believe resources should be put towards helping individuals from all backgrounds to learn and build the capacity to create their own grassroot programs and organizations in order to tackle the health problems most prevalent in their communities.