Co-op Corner: At the Architecture Firm, Concussion Centre and Medical Clinic

Greenwood students are consistently engaged in learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom, and “Creating Opportunities Through Co-op” combines both facets of learning into one course. Students choose their placements at the start of the course, attending classroom lessons every Wednesday and travelling to their placements Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings. 

The course encourages students to develop interpersonal and research skills, which they engage in naturally through their placements and the course’s integration days. A personalized placement learning plan is created during the course that allows students to manage what experiences they get out of their placements and the goals they set for themselves throughout the course. 

For its next two issues, Life @ Greenwood will highlight six students in the co-op course and their experiences working at their placements. In this issue, Luc Fletcher ‘27, Lucas JP ‘27 and Oliver Tryansky ‘27 share their thoughts on the course and what their day-to-day is like at their placements. 

Stay tuned for the final Co-Op Corner in the coming month!

Luc Fletcher ‘27

SvN Architects & Planners 

I work at SvN Architecture Firm, which is located downtown close to King Station. SvN is a commercial firm. They work on creating plans, which they pitch to the city to see if they get approved.

My task is to help out around the office with preparing for upcoming office expansions, helping clear floors and get the forthcoming workspaces ready, like setting up monitors and getting desk space ready, while also working with people in the different architectural field such as the planners, the designers, the social media people and people who handle the legal process of architecture.

The people I have met throughout have given me insight into what it takes to become an architect, such as which courses I need to complete during my university experience. I have learned how to act appropriately in a work environment, including how to talk and sound professional. 

Lucas Johnston Pickwoad ‘27

360 Concussion Care 

I work at 360 Concussion Care, which is a medical clinic at Yonge and Eglinton that focuses on treating patients with concussions while also building plans for them to return to their day-to-day life. The goal of this clinic is to research new ways to treat concussions and develop into a nationwide organization.

On Mondays and Thursdays, I complete some of the basic office tasks they need, such as faxing different medical documents to patients as well as invoices. I also reach out to patients for follow-up appointments depending on what the doctors have referred them to, which has been quite an engaging experience for me, as I enjoy interacting with patients.

I am setting myself up for a future where I have the skills needed to thrive away from school while being able to manage time between family and friends and being in new settings.

Oliver Tryansky ‘27

Bay Charles Medical 

This year in Co-op my placement is at Bay & Charles Medical. It is a small family clinic attached to a pharmacy in downtown Toronto. 

The admin worker gives me little tasks to start the day, after which I either work at the reception or log faxes into patients' charts. Then I go into the office's mailbox to get all our physical faxes and letters. I take these papers and scan them into the computer system. I have to go through all of the papers and log it into patients’ charts and label what type of fax it is. Sometimes when one of the receptionists isn't in, I take over. This means greeting patients when they come in and logging it into our system when they arrive. I also help direct patients into their rooms when the doctors are ready.

In my opinion, the real take away from my Co-op experience is the soft skills that I have learned. Since the first day at my placement, I have had to act professionally to the customers and my co-workers. This includes changing my vocabulary to be more serious when around patients and co-workers, and when sending emails. Another soft skill that I learned is how to talk to customers. When I am working in the front, I am the first one they see and talk to. I make sure to greet them with a smile, ask to see their health card, then let them sit down and wait for their appointment.