K van Kampen

Doctor of Medicine Candidate at McMaster University, Class of 2023 | BHSc 2020

An aspiring journalist and future orthopedic surgeon exploring the crossroads of medicine, art and the humanities.

Published Works

What’s Important: Ditch the Script (Fighting Dragons in the Fracture Clinic). The Orthopedic Forum. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. March 2023. Accessible version.

A Careful Equilibrium. Breath: A Literary and Arts Magazine. December 2022. Pg 28.

Gallery’s ‘at-home’ apothecary exhibit holds a critical lens to the wellness industry. Healthy Debate. July 2022.

How music is providing a lifeline to seniors in care during the pandemic. CBC. May 2022.

Off Medicine, On Broadway: Lessons About Medicine in the Theatre. CMAJ Blogs. June 2022.

Heroes: The word we use to keep health-care professionals complacent. Health Debate. November 2021.

Reflection: Proving Myself Worthy of a Career in Medicine. OMA Scrub in. December 2021. Pg 30.

Academic Works

Investigating COVID-19 Vaccine Communication and Misinformation on TikTok: Cross-sectional Study: The objective of this study was to examine and describe the content within the top 100 TikToks trending with the hashtag #covidvaccine.

Off-Script, Online: Virtual Medical Improv Pilot Program for Enhancing Well-being and Clinical Skills among Psychiatry Residents: Virtual medical improv offers an innovative solution to the challenges of training psychiatrists to be proficient communicators, collaborators, and professionals capable of reflective practice.

Speaking Engagements

The Resident and the Rogue. Originally performed in Chicago, IL at the Women In Medicine Summit. A story about dungeons and dragons in the trauma bay. Listen here on Season 5 of The Nocturnists.

Tales from the Frontline. This 30-minute podcast highlights uncertainty in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with MacEmerg. Narrated by myself.

Theatre Credits

The Plague by Neil Bartlett. Director. Produced by the University of Toronto’s Health Humanities Program, performed at Tarragon Theatre, Toronto 2022. It centers around a town that faces an on-going epidemic, and illustrates the ways in which a plague can alter society’s expectations and desires.

Contact me: for questions, confidential tips, or for freelance writing. Or just to say hi.
katie.vankampen@medportal.ca