Kinesiology students bring impact to West Winds Primary Health Centre

West Winds Primary Health Centre is a full-service Family Medicine Clinic and a teaching centre for Family Medicine residents. The doctors at the clinic are also faculty members of the Department of Academic Family Medicine at USask.

This placement is a part of the KIN 481 practicum course coordinated by professor Bart Arnold and was created with the support of Dr. Cathy MacLean in the USask College of Medicine. They both helped bring the practicum to life after a project was completed in 2020 by alumna, Sahya Bhargava. Bhargava believed in creating an opportunity for graduates with a kinesiology background to contribute in a positive way to the medical profession.

The College of Kinesiology is proud to offer practicum placements that provide kinesiology students the opportunity to gain real-life work experience. These practicums help highlight what kinesiology students and graduates have to offer a variety of fields.

“As I progressed through my degree, I realized the value that kinesiologists bring to the table, and that we are being underutilized in the healthcare setting. Having learned that only a few provinces are taking advantage of our expertise, I wanted to be part of the change that could see more kinesiology graduates working alongside healthcare practitioners,” said recent graduate, Christian Vermette.

Vermette felt like he was able to make an actual difference in people’s lives and was able to provide further education to the current physicians and staff at the centre. He noticed a lack the specific tools and resources to really provide patients with proper exercise prescriptions.

“Having autonomy within the practice to deal with patients how I saw fit gave me confidence in my abilities while still being able to consult with the doctors and other practicum students on various topics,” said Vermette.

The experience brought forward positive and rewarding experiences for the students. They were able to bring a positive light to a patient who was struggling with a torn ligament by providing them with exercises that helped build back strength and confidence in their life. That patient was able to lead with their right foot going up a staircase for the first time in over a year.

“It wasn’t what I expected. Normally people tend to take fitness advice with a grain of salt, but having the same sort of pull as a doctor does with exercise prescription, and having patients take you seriously and take your advice like that of a doctor, was very humbling and rewarding,” said fourth-year student, Austen Zentner.

Vermette had a similar experience working with a patient struggling with not only the physical limitations of an injury, but also the mental limitations. 

“I was surprised at the amount of mental coaching versus actual exercise prescriptions. A lot of my time at West Winds was spent getting my patients in the frame of mind that they can exercise, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Just giving them the confidence and someone who believed in them went a long way. Seeing the shift in demeanor and attitude towards exercising after our conversations was always rewarding,” said Vermette.

As part of the experience, USask Rec was pleased to provide exercise equipment such as yoga mats, dumbbells, exercise tubing and other training necessities that were valuable in helping these patients work through their rehabilitation and recovery.

Students in the College of Kinesiology are given many opportunities for practical and hands‑on learning. Practicums are an invaluable experience that many students at USask can enroll in through their academic programs.

“I believe that kinesiology or exercise therapy services should be a primary focus in our healthcare system. The role of exercise in preventative care, risk reduction, and symptom management is well known, but not well utilized in this country,” said Zentner. “This practicum is a great way to get the coming generation of doctors involved with hands-on kinesiology care from early on in their careers, and when those people move on to running their own practices and sitting on governance boards for medicine, I hope they'll look back and remember the positive experiences they had with kinesiology students during their residency and work to advance the profession.”