Final Year MScPT Students Showcase Their Critical Reflexivity at the Third Annual Gallery Walk

Last month, our final year MScPT students participated in the third annual Virtual Gallery Walk to showcase the artwork they created as part of their Social, Political, Ethical and Cultural (SPEC) curriculum. Inspired by Profs. Stephanie Lurch and Martine Quesnel, the works of art aim to build critical reflexivity regarding power, privilege, identities, social location and systems of inequality. 

During the Gallery Walk, guests joined different “rooms” to view artwork – poems, sketches, paintings and videos – created by our students as they reflect on what they have learned about themselves, their assumptions, and their impact on others. 

Prof. Stephanie Lurch says, “Reflective thinkers look in the mirror and learn how they can change their behaviour. Critical reflexivity is a deeper process that examines the iceberg of what we don’t see – our biases and preconceptions that shape our world view. In health care, these can have dire consequences.” 

One of the featured artists, Emily O'Quinn, created a piece called The Mask I Wear, which she described as symbolic of her distinct identity in all its complexity and fluidity. Using the coin model of privilege and critical allyship (Nixon, 2019) to reflect on her position in the health care system, Emily says, “I am committed to taking a biopsychosocial and patient-centered approach as a physiotherapist...The goal is to be curious, courteous, and get to know patients on a personal level to avoid consequences like strained therapeutic relationships, lack of psychosocial considerations, inability to obtain appropriate resources, and more.” 

Andrew Lam, creator of The Trial of Learning, says, “Being curious and seeking to understand facilitates the relationship between us and the client. Consistently wanting to learn more about our clients will help us build the client picture, create a working hypothesis and evaluate the efficacy of our treatment. Listening, understanding and reflecting on the things that our client tells us prevents us from making faulty assumptions and jumping to conclusions we make on our own.” 

The Gallery Walk provided an opportunity for students to apply creativity, critical analysis, compassion and collaboration to generate meaningful discussions about the responsibility health care providers must have to address inequities and injustices in health care. We look forward to next year.