Back to School 2022

Reproductive health can be overlooked for several reasons including stigma or barriers to accessibility. I didn’t realize just how little I knew until I focused on reproductive and developmental science while pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree. The knowledge I gained needed to be shared but I didn’t understand how I would be able to do that until I came across midwifery. My midwifery education will enable me to share the evidence-based knowledge I have gained directly with my community members. Additionally, the model of care is constructed to encourage culturally safe care, something I hope to bring to all my future clients, including Punjabi-speaking immigrants.

UBC has a beautiful campus, is situated close to home and is in the best province in the country. Apart from those very compelling reasons, the program utilizes a spiral curriculum – where key concepts are presented repeatedly with deepening layers of complexity. The program also incorporates many placement opportunities, which greatly appealed to my personal learning style.

Top on my bucket list is biking from Prague to Vienna!

My entire life has been influenced by the bridge between science and art. I graduated from UBC with a BSc in Cognitive Systems and was incredibly fascinated with learning about the relationship between our brain’s biological processes and behaviour. Simultaneously, I continued to develop my relationship with music as a composer and artist, and had always been fascinated by the role that music played in emotional regulation. This genuine curiosity as to how our brains process music and how music can be leveraged to help and supplement care in clinical populations, prompted me to pursue the incredible Graduate Program in Neuroscience at UBC.

Vancouver is and has always been home, and having one of the world’s top universities in neuroscience and behaviour right on your doorstep is truly a no-brainer.

My thesis aims to better understand the underlying mechanisms of receptive music-based interventions (music listening) towards alleviating lack of interest or apathy in Parkinson’s Disease. Apathy in Parkinson’s Disease is a prevalent clinical issue that currently has no targeted treatments. Its is thought to stem from a dysregulation of the dopamine-regulated reward system in the brain.

Music has been shown to increase activity and connectivity in the reward and auditory circuits, and listening to motivating/pleasurable music has been shown to alleviate apathy in people with dementia. Through this study, we hope to better understand the mechanisms in which a music-based listening intervention may target and alleviate apathy in patients living with Parkinson’s, as well as work towards validating the use of music as a supplementary clinical tool and developing future audio/music-based interventions for clinical populations.

Play a major international music festival and present my research on the same trip!

My path to medicine was inspired by my desire to provide representation of, and to give back to, the queer and Indigenous communities which I belong to. Indigenous and queer patients are habitually discriminated against and/or misunderstood, which can lead to inadequate care or mistreatment within our healthcare systems. I am eager to one day build my practice around inclusivity, guaranteeing patients a safe place to be heard, understood and respected by a physician they can personally identify with.

I chose to study UBC for two key reasons: Firstly, UBC’s commitment to Indigenous reconciliation and representation within medicine, secondly, being born and raised in B.C., UBC feels like home. I am looking forward to both studying and practising in this beautiful province.

Having moved to the prairies to complete my undergrad, I can’t wait to re-acquaint myself with everything that makes B.C. such a uniquely stunning province. I hope to start crossing off my B.C. bucket list by seeing Tofino or completing the West Coast Trail for the first time next summer.

I discovered anesthesiology during my third-year rotation as a medical student at the University of Saskatchewan. I was truly amazed by the significant role that anesthesiologists played in perioperative medicine – the care of patients around the time of a surgical operation. They possess a skillset that I find very valuable as they are able to use dynamic problem-solving skills to make clinical decisions in a time sensitive manner. From an inter-professional perspective, I also found myself drawn to anesthesiology because of the collaborative nature of the job.

In the summer of 2021, I traveled to Victoria, B.C. to visit a close friend of mine who had moved there. I instantly fell in love with the people and the province of B.C. I dreamt about coming back and exploring more of the province. During my residency application, the UBC Anesthesiology Residency Program stood out to me as a strong choice as it offered a wide range of robust learning opportunities throughout the province. Coming to UBC has been a dream come true and I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for me.

I hope to visit and explore more of the province. I plan to visit places such as the Okanagan and Tofino. I would also love to learn how to ski and snowboard during my time here!

I was drawn to the Medical Laboratory Science program due to the wide range of interesting topics that are taught – from clinical chemistry to histology and pathology – as well as the integration of practical hands-on experience in many of the courses. In addition, the small class sizes make it much easier to really get to know your classmates and build relationships with the teaching team.

In my senior year of high school, I took a tour around the UBC campus and immediately knew that UBC was my number one choice for university. In addition to the amazing campus and learning environment, family is a priority for me, so choosing a school that was close to home definitely played a big part in my decision.

Backpacking across Southeast Asia.

I have always loved the medical field and the passion behind dedicating a part of your life to helping people maintain their health and wellbeing. Occupational therapy gives me the opportunity to follow that passion, as well as the freedom to practice in a variety of professional health care settings with multiple client populations.

I chose UBC because of the holistic nature of the curriculum for my program which includes a balance between in-class and hands-on learning throughout the 24 months. The UBC Master of Occupational Therapy program provides students with supports to fully understand the realities of our profession beyond the walls of the classroom, evident from the multiple training placement opportunities engrained in the syllabus. The city of Vancouver is also a huge plus.

To try out hiking. I’ve been in B.C. for about a year and I still haven’t gone on a hike, so I’d love to do that as well as a cross-province trip next summer.

Throughout my previous studies, I always had a passion for genetics. After doing a research master’s degree, I could not imagine doing lab research exclusively long-term. I realized I was missing social interactions while working in a laboratory setting. When I learned about the role of a genetic counsellor, I immediately knew it was a perfect fit for me. I wanted a career where I could work directly with patients, where I have major role in advocating and supporting them. Genetic counselling allows me to accomplish these goals and develop the skill set to work in a variety of settings.

I chose UBC’s Genetic Counselling Program because I heard many good things about it from genetic counsellors who graduated from the program. I also wanted to experience the West Coast lifestyle during my studies. I enjoy taking study breaks in nature by being active, so I thought Vancouver would be the perfect place to study.

My top bucket list item is to get a sailing license and travel around the Mediterranean on a sailboat.

All four of my grandparents were very involved in my upbringing and watching them navigate the health care system as they aged and faced various health issues was very eye opening. Due to language barriers, they faced significant challenges in communicating their concerns, getting information on their health issues and were limited in their ability to advocate for themselves. My interest in geriatric medicine is driven by ensuring all members of our aging population, including the community I grew up from, have access to equitable and culturally appropriate care.

British Columbia has been home to me and the opportunity to train in and serve the community I grew up in has been a privilege. I appreciate the UBC Geriatric Medicine Program’s breadth in training where our experience can range from acute inpatient medicine to community-based outpatient care. The diversity of experience offers a more well rounded and complete training opportunity.

From a career perspective, I’m just looking forward to finishing my last exam this upcoming spring and finishing residency! In my personal life, I’m looking forward to checking off hiking the Torres del Paine in Patagonia, Chile, in the fall.

I chose to enter the field of physical therapy because I strongly support the notion that movement is medicine. Exercise has supported my health over the years physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Movement looks different for everyone however, regardless of background and experience it can improve one’s quality of life which is ultimately what I want to support. I also value the interdisciplinary collaboration that physical therapists are often a part of. It is amazing to work with supportive and inspiring individuals so closely, and to have the opportunity to build client-centered treatment plans with numerous perspectives to truly meet a client’s aspirations.

I chose UBC for many reasons including the beautiful land that B.C. offers. UBC’s efforts to incorporate education in rural practice and Indigenous health were very appealing to me. During my undergraduate degree at UBC, I had the opportunity to participate in courses which emphasized the Indigenous perspective of health and wellbeing, and courses that provided insight to the discrimination and barriers that Indigenous individuals face in the healthcare system. These courses had a powerful impact on my perspective of the type of healthcare provider that I want to be, and it encouraged me to continue my education with UBC.

Number one on my list is to ride a horse along a beach in Australia.

There are a few factors that inspired me to pursue medicine. Of course, there is the fascination with human biology and all the science behind the field, but the biggest factor for me is the relational experience. Medicine provides a unique opportunity for connection with individuals in very complex situations. It’s a very special thing to bear witness to these situations and to be able work alongside these individuals who are often at their most vulnerable. Having had a previous career in nursing allowed me to explore the relational aspect of healthcare in a much more meaningful way, and really encouraged me that medicine was the right path.

Prince George has always been home for me. I was born and raised here, did my undergraduate degree in nursing here, and worked as a registered nurse both at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia and at the University of Northern British Columbia. For me, it really only made sense to have this be the place to learn medicine. Though there is much to be said about going somewhere else and experiencing a new setting, I think such a strong familiarity with the local community will help tremendously as I learn this practice. Not to mention you are provided a range of diverse, hands-on experiences, and have a much smaller and close-knit class at the Northern Medical Program.

I’d love to do some big-wall rock climbing in Yosemite Valley. This particular goal is one that seems so unattainable, but is the most fascinating to me. I’ve been a rock-climber for a long time, but have never done anything of that magnitude.

Prior to getting into the program, I worked one-on-one with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The diagnosis alone overwhelms families with questions, challenges and fears. Entrusting their children to a support network of clinicians, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), help relieve their anxieties. These families require a team of compassionate and competent people who understand their circumstances, particularly families of diverse backgrounds. For SLPs, every day is an opportunity to share families’ hopes and dreams for their children.

My experience as a classroom teacher also inspired me to pursue a program which emphasizes therapist-teacher-family collaboration in assessing students’ communication needs.

UBC’s program at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences appealed to me because it offers opportunities for theoretically-informed applied research and evidence-based clinical experience. I was a research assistant during my undergrad at Simon Fraser University and I enjoyed doing research. I was drawn to the research aspect of UBC’s program, particularly with respect for its cultural and linguistic diversity, including their work on the language and cognitive abilities of bilingual children with ASD. I am passionate about pursuing research with this population to help develop techniques to better support multilingual homes of children with developmental disorders.

To visit Greece has been at the top of my bucket list for many years now. Greek food is one of my favourites and I am fascinated by Greek architecture and mythology. Plus, thanks to movies like “Mamma Mia” and “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants,” I’ve always dreamed of visiting Santorini or Mykonos.

I have always loved working with children and so pediatrics seemed like the perfect fit. The patients and families I interacted with during my time in medical school – along with some outstanding mentors and role models in pediatrics – inspired me to pursue my residency in pediatrics. I chose the Community Impact Stream (CIS) because I wanted the opportunity to train in a smaller setting, and to be equipped to serve the diverse patient population in communities across B.C.

B.C. is my home, and part of the reason I chose UBC was to stay close to my family and friends. It is also a beautiful province with so much to see, do and explore – living here helps me stay well outside of my education. The CIS program offered at UBC is fairly unique in Canada, and I hope to practice as a pediatrician in B.C. once I finish my training.

I would love to travel to Ireland one day to see where my family is from. I’d also love to see the northern lights which I am hoping to experience while I am in Prince George for several months this year for my training.

I always loved science, but medicine grew on me over time. Initially, I learned about the world of medicine from being a patient. Thankfully, I have had many amazing physicians who inspired me to be where I am today. Completing my Bachelor of Science only further solidified my pursuit of the MD program. I really enjoyed the labs and learning about human genetic diseases. Graduating with my Bachelor of Education was the final piece, because I realized that I could not tell my students to follow their passions, if I did not do the same.

I have always lived in British Columbia. I was born in Prince Rupert, but grew up in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Therefore, it was natural to want to attend the University of British Columbia and Island Medical Program (IMP). I also chose the IMP because of the class size and its proximity to family and friends.

I want to see the Northern Lights some day!

The excitement to learn about embryonic development and stem cells is what inspired me to pursue my PhD. I am always curious and wondering about how decisions and communications are made at the cellular level to make a successful fetus. UBC and the School of Biomedical Engineering allow me to explore such questions in a collaborative environment where I can chat and discuss ideas with a group of people who have interdisciplinary backgrounds.

I think UBC is one of the leading Canadian universities in the field of stem cells. Further, knowing the exciting research program of Dr. Nika Shakiba’s lab made me excited to move to Vancouver. Her lab studies the dynamics of multicellular stem cell systems.

I am interested in exploring the genetic basis of how stem cells develop into a final cell type such as brain cells, in developing embryos. Since cells live in multicellular communities, I plan to identify key genes that will influence the lineage trajectory of individual cells due to their interactions with neighbouring cells. Throughout my degree, I am using an interdisciplinary approach combining genetic engineering and stem cell-based models to study how stem cells develop.

I would love to participate in an international competitive chess tournament.

Many little moments over the years led me to pursue a career in medicine. As a child, I always loved science classes, through performing I loved seeing people smile and laugh, and during college, biology and psychology courses were my favourite. Medicine is a career where I would be challenged to continue to grow and evolve. It incorporates lifelong learning, problem solving and patient care. Before starting medical school, I worked supporting individuals after brain injury. I was moved by their stories and felt privileged to help them on their recovery journey. This solidified my hope to work in a helping profession and my passion for advocacy for people with disabilities and people living on the margins. I was inspired by some of my own physicians and those I worked with who were both impressively smart and truly kind. I saw the impact that their care had on their patients and hope to have the same positive impression.

UBC was always my dream medical school. I had many friends attending UBC Medicine who described an inclusive and diverse educational environment brimming with opportunity. Additionally, B.C. is home; I was born in Squamish, raised in Whistler and on Vancouver Island. I love connecting with the outdoors whether it’s downhill skiing, hiking, or spending time on the water to recharge. I’m so happy to be studying and learning medicine in my home province and hope to practice medicine here in the future.

I am very excited to assist with a childbirth this year. One day I would love to hike Machu Picchu and go scuba diving in Thailand.

My inspiration for public health was a combination of professional exposure, working style, and a ceaseless drive to look at the margins for the next problem to solve. I started working in public health as a teenager in tobacco prevention and loved talking to people about how a small change, like reducing smoking in movies, could save lives. I enjoy working with data, especially when the story that the data tell can drive policy change. I chose the Master of Public Health program because it enables me to pursue a career where I feel I can work every day to improve health systems for the people that need it most.

I completed my undergraduate degree in microbiology at UBC, and the people here are what truly make a difference. I have had fantastic mentors, professors and colleagues who have taught me more than a textbook ever could. I originally chose UBC because I felt it embodied a willingness to promote change and had an institutional instinct to persistently look onward. I couldn’t imagine an environment that aligns better with how I think, learn and work.

With Dr. Craig Mitton I am currently working on a cost analysis of alternative treatments for those with a mental health diagnosis or end of life care. At BC Children’s Hospital, I work on understanding COVID-19 risk within the B.C. school system with Dr. Pascal Lavoie. With Dr. Louise Mâsse, I study how the transition from elementary school to high school impacts adolescent health outcomes.

I would love to see the northern lights!

I don’t have to look much further than my own family to find great role models in providing patient care. My mother and aunt are career-long nurses and my cousin, who works as a hospital pharmacist, dispenses crucial medications to organ transplant recipients. During my undergraduate sophomore year at UBC, I wanted to find myself in a health-oriented career like them but at the same time, I wondered how I could do that with an undergraduate course of study in linguistics. UBC offered a related specialization in speech sciences that I transitioned into easily while broadening my coursework. I started building an understanding of how the brain processes auditory information in speech and other sounds. Specializing as an audiologist would offer me the opportunity to become knowledgeable about the sense of hearing as well as improve others’ lives with hearing aid technology on a day-to-day basis.

As a UBC alumnus, the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences allowed me a seamless transition to postgraduate studies without having to give up old favourite campus study spots. More importantly, I would not have to relocate far away from friends and family that I remained near to during my undergrad years. Additionally, with my aim of staying in the Vancouver area, the professional relationships that the school maintains with Vancouver audiologists meant that I felt it could offer me strong networking opportunities for local job-finding after graduation.

I’m on track to graduate at the same time as my partner in the UBC Okanagan nursing program. After that, we hope restrictions ease up for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan to take in the food and sights we’ve only been able to marvel at on travel shows and in the movies.

Physiotherapy combines my passion for learning with my love of sport. I love that it’s both mentally and physically demanding, and revolves around helping others. I’ve seen the impact physiotherapy had on my quality of life throughout personal injuries as a varsity rower. My experiences as a patient inspired me to pursue training as a practitioner.

After completing my undergraduate degree at the UBC School of Kinesiology, I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else for my master’s degree. UBC has a beautiful campus, world renowned professors and state of the art facilities. Living in Vancouver also has so many perks – I love spending time outdoors on the slopes, trails and beaches.

During my research placement, I wrote a manuscript for submission to the Journal of Sport Sciences. Our paper serves to further the International Paralympic committee mandate for evidence-based classification in para rowing. This experience solidified my interest in neuroscience and specifically in paraplegic athletics.

Biking Iceland’s Ring Road! I love a challenge and Iceland looks gorgeous.

I was inspired to pursue psychiatry during my third year of medical school’s clinical psychiatry rotation at the University of Alberta Hospital. During that time, I worked with a number of incredible psychiatrists who believed in my abilities and gave me the autonomy early on to make decisions for my patients. Further, the core emphasis of psychiatric care via the biopsychosocial model – the interconnection between biology, psychology and social factors – was something that intuitively made sense to me, and something I felt was not as emphasized in other disciplines.

Prior to medicine, I was passionate about my work volunteering with at-risk youth in my hometown. Many of these experiences brought me in close proximity to issues of mental illness, substance use, poverty and marginalization, which are issues that we deal with frequently in psychiatry. While this background “set the frame” for my interest in the field, I will never forget my very first and memorable patients during my psychiatry clerkship rotation whom we were able to help through treatment and care. A profound aspect of this work is being able to walk alongside our patients as they heal. It is the stories and experiences of our patients, and our ability to reduce their suffering in such meaningful ways that continues to draw me to this field.

I specifically chose UBC as I was highly impressed with its track record as a medical and psychiatric training institution; its reputation superseded itself as many other residents and psychiatrists I had worked with had recommended UBC during my clerkship years. Moreover, I think that UBC has also chosen me to some extent and for this I am incredibly grateful. Thus far, my experiences with clinical preceptors in various fields of medicine and psychiatry has been wonderful. The opportunity to train and learn from both world-class experts, as well as attending physicians who are recent graduates of the program, brings a wide breadth of teaching exposure that is invaluable to a junior resident such as myself.

My current research interests within psychiatry are at the intersection of mental disorders and the law, which I am undertaking under the supervision of Dr. Tonia Nicholls. Specifically, I wish to study childhood adversity and concurrent substance use disorders in patients who are diagnosed with a mental illness, while being in conflict with the law. My research work will address the impact of adverse and positive childhood experiences, and the development of childhood resilience.

As I’ve alluded to, matching to UBC for psychiatry has quite honestly been a dream come true for me. However, I think the next thing on my bucket list would be to go skydiving, as well as attaining my private pilot’s license. I think had I not become a physician I would have likely become a pilot, and so I’m excited for the opportunity to be able to pursue these interests in the future.

Growing up in a rural town, I saw the health care disparities that our communities faced. My friends and family had a hard time traveling long distances to see doctors. I want to take my love for science and health and apply that to my future career as a doctor while helping rural communities gain the proper health care facilities they deserve.

UBC’s distributed sites help students stay close with their friends and family while they make their way through the challenging experience that is medical school. This opportunity gives me the chance to become a doctor while staying true to my roots. Having the support of my loved ones while serving in and close to where I grew up made UBC’s medical program the best choice for me.

I’m looking forward to meeting everyone in the program and getting started with my journey through medical school! Along with school, I’m hoping to get involved with the community and join some of the different clubs that UBC has to offer. I’m excited to be moving back to the Interior after spending the last few years in Vancouver pursing my undergraduate degree.

Trying out the best restaurants in the Kelowna area!