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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 25, 2006 - 35 S u p p o rt g ro u p m e e ts last M o n d a y o f m o n th Continued from page 34 ALTANAhelps doctors Oakville-based ALTANA Pharma has announced the 2006 recipients of its Family Medicine Scholarship. The recipients were recognized at the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP)'s Annual Scientific Assembly in Toronto. ALTANA's scholarship initiative is a small step in helping Ontario produce more family physicians. In the wake of Ontario's family doctor shortage, the scholarships provide extra incentive for medical students to pursue.family medi cine in the face of overwhelming student debts. The scholarship announce ment marks the second round of recipients for this award. The fund gives five medical stu dents each year from across the province a $5,000 scholarship to pursue a specialty in family medi cine. The 2006 recipients were hon oured Friday night at a reception in Toronto at the 44th Annual Scientific Assembly of the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP). The 2006 ALTANA Pharma Family Medicine Scholarship recipients are: Heather Zimcik, University of Toronto; Carol Mills, that there will be little mini supports with "I just thought that our road was a lit in the big system. So that we can do some tle bit bumpy, but doesn't that make mentoring, maybe one on one." She would also like an experienced somebody' s road a little even?" she said. The group meets on the last Monday of social worker to come and be a part of the every month, and had its first meeting in group to answer questions and provide January. T\vo other couples Esperanza and counseling. McDonald claims that rejection is the Brad Peacock, and Sonja and Richard main issue that Spikman came on "I just thought that our expands into other board and became part problems ners with Janice when road was a little bit "The bottom line is bumpy, but doesn't that she decided to form the rejection. And when support group. make somebody's road a they feel rejected, it The group took a little even then?" comes out in that they break from May to are not going to attach. August and resumed Janice McDonald, It comes out in differ again in September. adoptive parent ent types of behaviour, McDonald original or different kind of disorders, or dysfunc ly wanted the group to be for parents tion. Rejection is the core." with adopted children, but realized oth With proper knowledge and counsel ers could benefit as well. ing these children can have great lives, The group sessions have been joined by said McDonald. `Belonging' usually focus parents looking to adopt, birth moms and es on speakers and the guest speaker this people who had been adopted themselves. month is Janet Ralph from the Hamilton "It's for anyone that has been touched, CAS. The group is also in the works of by adoption," she said. building an adoption library and will have McDonald and her husband told their a mini book review every month. This children when they were thsee that they month the featured book is 20 Things were adopted, but claims they didn't real Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents ly understand until they were about six or Knew by Sherri Eldridge. seven. The next meeting is Monday, Nov. 27 Karen spoke at the last meeting of and anyone in Halton is welcome. `Belonging' about her experiences with being adopted, and spoke about the posi tives and negatives of the situation. "My mom was really young when she had me, she was like 17,18, the age I am now, so she wouldn't have been able- to give me a real good life," said Karen. She added that her birth mother would have probably had to drop out of school and welcomes Psychotherapist wouldn't have been able to get a good job. ' B.Sc., m.a. "The fact that she carecl enough to do to Oakville and to our team! what was best for me, that' s positive," said Karen. C hatelaine magazine's "A sk an E xpe rt" in m ental health co lu m n ist. ; "The negatives is that I have issues with trusting people, and mom and I have A n xio us, depressed, overwhelm ed? had problems in the past," said Karen. S tru gg lin g w ith addiction? "I'm pretty open about it, but it' s difficult C o u nse lling & Psychotherapy fo r teens & adults to talk about the hurt. In d ivid u a ls, C ouples, Families. "I don't trust people because it's diffi cult to explain it. No one really under for more info, go to www.taraoconnell.com stands." or call (416) 500-5314 As a child, Karen was teased and called names because she was adopted. She also has difficulties with the unanswered ques Anxiety & Depression tions in her life. are serious and "It's just difficult not to know really treatable conditions. where I came from. If I have my mom's nose or her smile, or my dad' s eyes," she Cognitive Behaviour said. Therapy (CBT) provides When Karen turns 18 she will try to a short-term treatment take the necessary steps in contacting her that is as effective as birth mother. medication. McDonald' s goal is to bring awareness to the community to let them know that CBT gives people the they are not alone, that there is support. sk ills that they need to "I really want to get the knowledge out there in the community that there is sup manage Depression and port, if you've been touched by adoption in Anxiety. any way," said McDonald. For additional information contact: "My dream is for two things, first one Dr. Ian Shulman, Psychologist that there will be enough people that will 466 Speers Rd., 3rd Floor come that we can have sub groups. All Oakville, ON L6 K 3 W9 couples that are adopting, birth moms, 905.849.1288 www.shiftct.com Cognitive Therapy parents of young children, teenagers. So "We hope this scholarship provides an incentive for students to enter family medicine." John Suk, President/CEO ALTANA Pharma Canada McMaster University; Lucas Cockburn, Queen's University; Martha Klosevych-Holt, University of Ottawa; and, Noah Ivers, University of Western Ontario. An estimate by the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Professional Association of Internes and Residents of Ontario (PAIRO) says the average Canadian medical student gradu ates with $100,000 in student debt -- a figure that continues to rise. In September, the two associa tions called on the Ontario gov ernment to. defer interest on stu dent loans to new doctors until after they have completed their post-graduate training. This would bring Ontario in line with other provinces that cur rently have such an interest-defer ring program in place. "As the cost of medical educa tion increases, financial chal lenges may influence the specialty medical students choose," says John Suk, president and CEO of ALTANA Pharma in Canada. "We hope this scholarship pro vides an incentive for students to enter family medicine, as we are facing a severe shortage of family doctors in Ontario." The ALTANA Pharma Family Medicine Scholarship resulted from a forum sponsored by ALTANA Pharma and the Ontario College of Family Physicians which addressed the shortage of family physicians in the province. ALTANA Pharma created the ALTANA Pharma Family Medicine Scholarship to help put at least 25 more family doctors into the sys tem in five years. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine was also invited to ^participate in this program, and will begin selecting recipients once their first group of students are closer to choosing a specialty. "Family physicians are the cornerstone of our Canadian health care system, yet 1.4 mil lion Ontarians remain without a family doctor," says Jan Kasperski, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario College of Family Physicians. C A LL TH ESE PROFESSIONALS T h e W e lln e s s C o u n s e llin g G ro u p GALL & ASSOCIATES OPTOMETRISTS Tara O'Connell, Our^oal is clear comfortable vision. 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