Evan Watson

medical student | MSc @lsesociology | political economies of land and home | social medicine | accompaniment | speak fantasy to power | (he/him)

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

The happy faces of medical students that just found out we've been awarded a social innovation grant from the @UCalgaryMed Indigenous, Local, and Global Health Office, Innovate Calgary, and the @UCalgary Pluralism Initiative!

A 🧵about drug policy:

[UCalgaryMedicine @UCalgaryMed]

#UCalgaryMed student Evan Watson and emergency physician Dr. Eddy Lang, MD, contributed to an article about the social prescribing of housing in emergency departments, often the only health-care system resource for unhoused patients, they say. Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/5HyzuXD49Z

[Marliss Taylor @MarlissT]

I’m still getting my head around this. My team responded to 18 overdoses in 8 hours today. I’m so proud of them and grateful for their skill and caring. I’m also so angry that it has to be this way. And it’s only getting worse. We can’t 12 step our way out of this.

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

@corklezlaplante Wait was this Medicine Hat?

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

@jordanwitzel Love ya mate!

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

@DrewWeinerPR BC filled every single of their family medicine residency spots. Alberta has 42 unfilled spots this year. TLDR: New doctors do not want to train and work in Alberta.

Try again.

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

I’m a medical student in Alberta.

Not a single one of my classmates are international students.

85% of my class is explicitly comprised of people from Alberta.

If there is a doctor shortage, it’s because Alberta trained grads don’t want to work under a morally bankrupt gov.

[Alberta NDP @albertaNDP]

Instead of figuring out how to recruit more doctors...

... UCP candidate Scott Cyr says we have too many "foreign students" in medical schools?

[Andrew Longhurst @alonghurst.bsky.social @a_longhurst]

A large US health care investment advisory firm is putting together a prospectus for its clients (investors) about potential large-scale for-profit health care delivery opportunities in western Canada.

I can’t share where this intel comes from, but it’s credible. I’m worried.

[Eddy Lang @EddyLang1]

https://t.co/sCW9jwdI0j

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

The current toxic drug supply represents one of the most substantial and clearly remediable health concerns facing our province #abpoli

Shouldn't this be an urgent and direct priority for the Minster of Health? 3/5

[Darren Markland @drdagly]

Front line healthcare workers have never seen this many people die from opiate poisonings before. Last night in the ICU was nuts. Half of who came in are people succumbing to this plague. As desperate as we are to stop this, involuntary treatments exacerbate the problem.

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

An interesting update here: our colleagues at @momsstoptheharm reached out to @NACMilliken for a meeting (as @JasonNixonAB’s office suggested) and were told he was “too busy.” He was also too busy to meet with medical students in his constituency.

Unacceptable. #ableg

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

"..press secretary for Health Minister @JasonCoppingAB, said the minister was unable to schedule a meeting with students due to the election writ period coming up."

As the student who requested the meeting, this is actually not entirely true ... 🧵 1/5

https://t.co/4HK8eBAmTe

[Green Party of Alberta @GreenPartyAB]

We urge the Minister of Health @JasonCoppingAB to take this request seriously. #health #abhealth

[Dr. Shazma Mithani @DrShazmaMithani]

I debated posting this. But the article by @globeandmail about the proposed “Compassionate Intervention Act” in Alberta is just wrong. It’s hypocritical and wrong.

#ableg #abpoli #abhealth #harmreduction #drugpoisoningcrisis #opioids

[Elaine Hyshka @ehyshka]

As an emergency room physician Dr. Mithani is on the frontline of Alberta's drug poisoning epidemic. Doctors are not asking for the power to involuntarily confine people. Were they even consulted?

[Bonnie Larson @BonnieraeLarson]

@EvanTRT @JasonCoppingAB The health mins are always deflecting this to MH&A (that’s why they created a separate min). Copping is uninformed despite this clearly belonging in his portfolio. Hot potato policy. Keep up the pressure anyways. 💜

[Friends of Medicare @FriendsMedicare]

The fact that Alberta's future drs can't get a meeting with the Health Minister to discuss the drug poisoning crisis—"one of the most substantial & clearly remediable health concerns facing our province"—just goes to show where this government's priorities lie.

#ABhealth #ABleg

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

Our asks:

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

"..press secretary for Health Minister @JasonCoppingAB, said the minister was unable to schedule a meeting with students due to the election writ period coming up."

As the student who requested the meeting, this is actually not entirely true ... 🧵 1/5

https://t.co/4HK8eBAmTe

[Evan Watson @EvanTRT]

Our health and social systems continue to be overwhelmed by this crisis. As medical students, we acknowledge this as one the most pressing issues we will face in our careers. It is unfortunate that our Minister of Health was unavailable to hear our concerns. 5/5