Reading through some of the coverage pertaining to the ongoing tuition crisis in Québec, I've noticed certain people arguing vociferously against the students' demands. Let's call them "Team Race to the Bottom."

Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, has been a very busy man as of late. In less than five months, he has sought to redefine Canada’s threshold for asylum seekers and to tighten the handshake that welcomes them to their new home. For those in the medical community providing care for and advocating on behalf of refugee patients, these efforts have caused considerable consternation.

I recently returned from a university-sponsored junket to New Orleans, where I attended the 2012 meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.  I learned a few things, met a few people of interest to me, and took a stroll or two through the displays in between sessions. In one (smaller) hall, there were daily displays of posters from academic institutions all over the world. In the larger hall (at the very back of which we were served a soggy and repetitive lunch), scenes like these were to be beheld:

Braden Holtby is the 22-year-old rookie goaltender for the Washington Capitals. He is the sensation of the first round of the 2012 National Hockey League playoffs. Like all goalies, he wears a customized protective mask that marks his identity. But it's what's on the back of Holtby's mask that's truly unique: the symbol of Kaizen, or continuous improvement. Holtby observes, adapts, and implements small changes to his game to improve the odds of stopping the puck. The province of Saskatchewan wants everyone in healthcare to be a Braden Holtby. It has committed to implementing the culture of Lean pioneered by Toyota and adapted to healthcare by organizations such as Virginia Mason Health Systems. Whether in the form of a Stanley Cup or better patient care, Kaizen produces winners.

My name is Wajid Sayeed. I graduated from UWO medical school in 2010, and started a Neurology residency program at the University of Manitoba shortly thereafter. When I was approached about writing for the Open Medicine blog, I was on vacation, said I'd think about it, and then fully intended to dally an hour or two away watching YouTube videos.