www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, April 21, 2016 | 48 Oakville med student's web tool helps mental health education Tara Riddell's professional network, Beyond the Body, started off as a class project An Oakville resident is behind a new online tool that helps improve education around mental health. Tara Riddell, a second-year medical student at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, N.S., created Beyond the Body originally as a class project. Now, Riddell provides a professional network through www.beyondthebody.org where medical students can share resources and engage in open discussion and communication with their peers on mental health and psychiatry-related topics. "Beyond the Body acts as a hub for discussion on topics around mental health," Riddell said. "It also helps to address fear and stigma students and health professionals may have of psychiatric patients and diminishes the biases, stereotypes, and negative attitudes some healthcare professionals and students may have to- Health "Connected to your Community" Beyond the Body acts as a hub for discussion on topics around mental health. It also helps to address fear and stigma students and health professionals may have of psychiatric patients and diminishes the biases, stereotypes, and negative attitudes some healthcare professionals and students may have towards these patients, by increasing their knowledge, insight and understanding. Creator of Beyond the Body Tara Riddell wards these patients, by increasing their knowledge, insight and understanding." The project is now in its third year and a number of medical students are contributors. It's also been promoted by the Canadian Federation of Medical Students and received second place at the Canadian Psychiatric Associa- Why Do Oakville Families Trust Us with All Their Dental Needs? CosmetiC & Family Dentistry · implants invisalign · Dentures... From start to Finish! Oakville resident and second-year Dalhousie University medical student Tara Riddell wants to keep providing other students in her field opportunities to expand their understanding of mental health and give them a resource to refer to not only during their medical school careers, but into their residencies and future careers. | photo courtesy of Beyond the Body CROWN/DENTURE REPAIRS & RELINES, WHILE YOU WAIT Mon. - Fri. 9am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 1pm seniors DisCount Free Consultations New patients & ChilDren welcoMe OAKVILLE'S ONLY DENTAL OFFICE WITH A LAB ON PREMISES tion's annual conference poster presentation in Vancouver last October. While it all started as a school project, Riddell said she plans to continue running Beyond The Body to keep providing medical students with opportunities to expand their understanding of mental health and be a resource they can refer to not only during their medical school careers, but also during residency and even into their future practices. The project will ultimately help to improve patient care, she explained. "By helping others to better understand and appreciate patients, the stigma and fear that patients often anticipate will decrease and they'll be more comfortable seeking help and receiving care," she said. For more information on the online tool, visit Riddell's website or follow Beyond the Body on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ beyondthebodyeducation or @Beyond_The_ Body on Twitter. 2274 Lakeshore Rd. W. (at East Street) Oakville 905-827-2066 · www.brontedentist.com Dr. Michael Vo d.m.d · Kim Chung d.d. an active healthy lifestyle starts here DIAMOND Fabio De Rango Pharmacist/Owner Voted Oakville's Favourite Pharmacist & Pharmacy · Patient Counselling · Complete Diabetic Care · Home Visits · Consultations · Free RX Delivery DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 478 Dundas Street West | 905-257-9737 Canada Post · Physiotherapy · Massage Therapy · Athletic Therapy · Shockwave Therapy · Osteopathy, Acupuncture and Laser Therapy DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 2501 Third Line | 905-465-3000 Open 24 hours | 7 Days a Week 905.257.1904 www.beinmotion.ca 360 Dundas St. East Unit B2 at Trafalgar Rd., Oakville www.shoppersdrugmart.ca