All hail the Psychiatry Residents of PGY-3!
The PGY-3s were recently crowned the top team in the Department of Psychiatry's 5th Annual Residents' Clothing Drive.
They snatched the title from the current PGY-4 class, whose success a year ago marked the end of a multi-year dynasty by the current PGY-5 class.
After donating a mountain of mittens, toques, socks, sweaters, jackets and other needed items of clothing to Edmonton's Bissell Centre, the PGY-3 Residents amassed an impressive total of 754 points to win gold.
That gave them a comfortable margin of victory over the runner-up PGY-5 Residents, who finished with 419 points, good enough for silver. PGY-2 Residents took the bronze medal, with 253 points.
Besides earning bragging rights, the first-place PGY-3 team also won a $100 gift certificate.
"Historically it has been my (PGY-5) class that has won every single year, but this year the PGY-3 Residents took the lead and never looked back, so I have to take my hat off to them. They did a great job for a great cause," says Dr. Reji Thomas, who remained gracious in defeat.
The point totals for each class reflect both the volume of clothing and the specific types of items that were collected, with winter jackets, for example, garnering more points than socks.
In all, the Residents collected 381 toques, mittens, shirts, pairs of socks or items of underwear; 82 sweaters, pants or long underwear; and 12 winter jackets or pairs of winter boots.
"Our Psychiatry Residency puts together an Advocacy Committee each year, and we put a priority on doing a bit more for the people we often serve in Emergency Departments, including those without a physical home," says Dr. Thomas.
The members of this year's Advocacy Committee included: Dr. Megan Bach, Dr. Christina Maslo, Dr. Michael Martyna, Dr. Bethany Ostrowerka, Dr. Olivia Guerra and Dr. Thomas.
"We're trying to expand our activities on other fronts, but the Clothing Drive is the main thing we do every winter. Last year we contributed our clothing to the Bissell Centre and in the past, we've given to the Youth Emergency Shelter as well. This year we decided to give to the Bissell Centre once again," he says.
"The main things they need in the winter are socks and warm clothing. The Bissell Centre collects an astronomical amount of clothing yet they still run short every winter, so the need in the community is great."
Caitlin Beaton, the Bissell Centre's Director of Community Programs & Services, echoes those sentiments.
"In the winter months we probably serve upwards of 400 people a day who come in and access our community drop-in space. Within that space we have our community closet, where our adult clothing donations are collected and sorted," she says.
"Every day we see 40 to 50 people, minimum, who access clothing from the closet. That works out to about 250 people a week. Over the course of a full year we probably serve over 13,000 people, just through our community closet," she adds.
"So we are always very grateful and very appreciative to groups like the Department of Psychiatry and everyone else who organizes activities on our behalf and supports us through donations."
Dr. Thomas expects to assume a post at Grey Nuns Hospital in July, after he completes his final year of Residency.
Although he will no longer be a Resident, he has a specific message for Faculty members in the Department of Psychiatry: he invites them to form a team of their own to compete in next winter's 6th Annual Clothing Drive.
"The residents have learned a lot from those who lead us, and there are a lot of great philanthropists among the Faculty members in the Department of Psychiatry. I think the Residents should create an avenue for them to display their excellent philanthropic skills. It would be great to have the Faulty match the Residents' donations next year."
The PGY-3s were recently crowned the top team in the Department of Psychiatry's 5th Annual Residents' Clothing Drive.
They snatched the title from the current PGY-4 class, whose success a year ago marked the end of a multi-year dynasty by the current PGY-5 class.
After donating a mountain of mittens, toques, socks, sweaters, jackets and other needed items of clothing to Edmonton's Bissell Centre, the PGY-3 Residents amassed an impressive total of 754 points to win gold.
That gave them a comfortable margin of victory over the runner-up PGY-5 Residents, who finished with 419 points, good enough for silver. PGY-2 Residents took the bronze medal, with 253 points.
Besides earning bragging rights, the first-place PGY-3 team also won a $100 gift certificate.
"Historically it has been my (PGY-5) class that has won every single year, but this year the PGY-3 Residents took the lead and never looked back, so I have to take my hat off to them. They did a great job for a great cause," says Dr. Reji Thomas, who remained gracious in defeat.
The point totals for each class reflect both the volume of clothing and the specific types of items that were collected, with winter jackets, for example, garnering more points than socks.
In all, the Residents collected 381 toques, mittens, shirts, pairs of socks or items of underwear; 82 sweaters, pants or long underwear; and 12 winter jackets or pairs of winter boots.
"Our Psychiatry Residency puts together an Advocacy Committee each year, and we put a priority on doing a bit more for the people we often serve in Emergency Departments, including those without a physical home," says Dr. Thomas.
The members of this year's Advocacy Committee included: Dr. Megan Bach, Dr. Christina Maslo, Dr. Michael Martyna, Dr. Bethany Ostrowerka, Dr. Olivia Guerra and Dr. Thomas.
"We're trying to expand our activities on other fronts, but the Clothing Drive is the main thing we do every winter. Last year we contributed our clothing to the Bissell Centre and in the past, we've given to the Youth Emergency Shelter as well. This year we decided to give to the Bissell Centre once again," he says.
"The main things they need in the winter are socks and warm clothing. The Bissell Centre collects an astronomical amount of clothing yet they still run short every winter, so the need in the community is great."
Caitlin Beaton, the Bissell Centre's Director of Community Programs & Services, echoes those sentiments.
"In the winter months we probably serve upwards of 400 people a day who come in and access our community drop-in space. Within that space we have our community closet, where our adult clothing donations are collected and sorted," she says.
"Every day we see 40 to 50 people, minimum, who access clothing from the closet. That works out to about 250 people a week. Over the course of a full year we probably serve over 13,000 people, just through our community closet," she adds.
"So we are always very grateful and very appreciative to groups like the Department of Psychiatry and everyone else who organizes activities on our behalf and supports us through donations."
Dr. Thomas expects to assume a post at Grey Nuns Hospital in July, after he completes his final year of Residency.
Although he will no longer be a Resident, he has a specific message for Faculty members in the Department of Psychiatry: he invites them to form a team of their own to compete in next winter's 6th Annual Clothing Drive.
"The residents have learned a lot from those who lead us, and there are a lot of great philanthropists among the Faculty members in the Department of Psychiatry. I think the Residents should create an avenue for them to display their excellent philanthropic skills. It would be great to have the Faulty match the Residents' donations next year."