My name is Noémie Weber-Milot and I am a medical student at McGill University. 

My Medical School curriculum includes rotations in Psychiatry and Family Medicine which exposes students, like myself, to mental health issues. In addition, I completed the Suicide Sentinel training offered by Suicide Action Montreal, the goal of which is to become a resource person for other students in our program that might be in need and how to better intervene in specific situations. Although not specifically mental health related, I have worked in a stay-away canoe-camping summer camp, where while working with teenagers we have through the years made efforts to integrate more activities and sessions geared towards talking about self-esteem and mental health. 

For me CMH was a great way to start exploring the mental healthcare field, particularly because each member has a different view on the field, due to their field of study, their work and personal experience. I think collaborative mental healthcare is exactly that: a team of individuals with complementary skills and different perspectives, who, with good communication and understanding of each other’s roles, can integrate the patient or individual into the team and provide the best care for them. 

In terms of my aspirations for the future, I am not set yet on a particular residency or career path. However, I know that I would like there to be a mental healthcare aspect to my practice. In my view, mental and physical health are intimately linked and understanding both aspects of a patient’s life can only lead to better individualized care.