Tuum Est!
Graduation 2021

I am from a small remote Indigenous reserve, Takla Landing, and my dad is currently chief of our nation. Throughout my life, he has instilled in us a sense of commitment to our people and our community. My husband is also an Indigenous doctor who cares for Indigenous populations across Northern B.C. They are both great role models, and I went into medicine so that I could provide culturally competent care to Indigenous communities.

I originally intended to become a rural family doctor who would serve Indigenous communities, but throughout my clerkship my interest in psychiatry grew. I was deeply touched and inspired by the many patients that I encountered during my psychiatry rotations. I remember meeting a young child who had already experienced significant traumas in their short life. I was so inspired by their resiliency as they had already overcome so much, and the child psychiatrist who was working with them had obviously made a positive impact on their life. I clearly remember walking home from work that day thinking, “this is what I need to do.” I was motivated by the opportunity to improve a person’s life trajectory through early intervention. I became confident in my decision to pursue psychiatry, and ultimately become a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

I can’t say that I have one favourite moment in particular. I do have many fond memories of our class in the lecture theaters at the Northern Medical Program. As a distributed site, we have very small class sizes. It kind of feels like being in elementary school all over again. We are with the same people every day for two years and so we all became really close. These friendships were invaluable to me during clerkship when times became stressful. It is nice to be able to lean on people who are going through similar struggles.

Try not to compare yourself to others. You are there to become the best clinician that you can be so that you can provide safe and compassionate care to your patients. In order for that to happen, you need to take care of yourself first and foremost. Make sure to schedule in a nonmedical self-care activity every day, no matter how small.

And never be afraid to ask for help. We have amazing faculty who only want the best for us. I started medical school with a 1.5-year-old and had two more children before I graduated. Student affairs was so supportive, they really went above and beyond to make sure I was cared for not only academically but also socially/emotionally.

As a mom of three young boys, if I’m not working or studying then I’m usually spending time with my family. We try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Being a parent during medical school most certainly had its challenges, but it can also be very grounding. It reminds me of what’s important in life and about why I pursued medicine in the first place.

I feel so lucky to have matched to UBC’s Psychiatry Program in Prince George. I get to train and live in my home community – close to my traditional territory near Takla Landing. I hope to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist with a special interest in addictions psychiatry. I intend to work with Indigenous communities in Northern B.C., through both outreach and telepsychiatry.

I’d definitely say my path to midwifery feels like a spiritual calling as I have been interested in pregnancy and birth since childhood. After working in a non-profit for HIV and reproductive health support, I wanted to increase my capacity to assist people in reaching their full health potential. I love the way midwifery combines the science and art of caring for people through their reproductive years, and that we can assist people in making informed choices that feel comfortable on an individual level.

I loved first year and that we got to delve into amazing detail in our sciences, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology classes. I have always been a curious person, and the higher level you get into the sciences, the more ‘hows and whys’ you have get answered.

Know yourself well and why you want to do this work. The program is challenging with many long days but maintaining your passion will help you reach your goal of becoming a midwife.

An ocean breeze on a warm summer’s day.

I will be joining Ocean Grove Midwives in Campbell River.

Overall, medical school has been a fantastic and diverse experience which has inspired me to pursue a career in internal medicine. Between team rounds, impromptu teaching sessions, procedures, and responding to ward emergencies, I have been captivated by the diverse and fast-paced environment. I highly value the team-based approach, the ability to work with colleagues in a close-knit group, and the opportunities to understand and investigate each patient’s medical issues. Each patient is unique and I enjoy the never-ending challenges and complexities of internal medicine.

My time at medical school has been full of fun and hilarious experiences. On one sunny March day, as Dr. Jonathan Tang was leaving the IMP after a pun-filled cardiology lecture, a few of us challenged him to a game of Spikeball. Even though he was Spikeball naïve, he accepted the challenge and we proceeded to engage in many intense games (he was even on the winning team for a few of them). It was a great afternoon, and now whenever I see Dr. Tang in the hospital I remind him that we are still waiting for a rematch.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and enveloped in the field of medicine, especially during the more intense times in your training. My advice would to be to keep life in perspective and to try and hold on to your hobbies. It is so easy to let your free time and hobbies fall by the wayside, but I would challenge new students to try and preserve that side of their life as best they can. Things will inevitably change, but life is more diverse than just the medical program.

During COVID, I have unfortunately stumbled upon some very addictive video games. Luckily, a lot of my friends joined me and we regularly play together (maybe a little too much). It is something small, but super fun. Aside from that, music and guitar have always been a huge part of my life and I hope to join a band during residency.

I am very excited to begin my internal medicine training on Vancouver Island, where I know I will be supported by a fantastic group of fellow residents, doctors, and staff. I recently acquired a paddle board and intend to work on my SUP skills. I am also hoping that I will be able to grow something on my little patio garden this year.

Prior to joining the Occupational Environmental Health program, I worked in a biotech company where I learned the importance of addressing and controlling health hazards in the workplace. I wish to apply the concepts and principles that I’ve learned in the program to benefit society by keeping workers safe in their daily lives.

I have always enjoyed interacting with others in my academic and professional careers. During my time at UBC, I have made some lifelong friends. When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in early 2020, it was a challenging time for everyone. But I was able to continue interacting with friends and faculty from school virtually. Throughout the turbulent year, it was inspiring to see everyone maintaining contact, working together, and celebrating victories remotely.

Be authentic. The program welcomes people from a variety of backgrounds. It is through this difference that we grow together and bring new perspectives to the profession. The faculty is very supportive of everyone’s differences. It is about adding to your skillset rather than changing who you are.

During the pandemic period I have rediscovered cooking as a way to calm my mind and bring joy to my family.

Throughout the past two years in the OEH program, I was instilled with a passion for health research. In September, I will begin the next stage of my career by pursuing a PhD in Population and Public Health at UBC to further my knowledge and skills in the field of health research. I wish to contribute to facilitating the implementation of evidence-based policies and mitigating health risks.

The field of genetic counselling aligns well with my values and interests. I had always wanted a career in which I could help people directly, while continuing to learn in the scientific realm. What made genetic counselling a great fit is that I am consistently being intellectually and emotionally challenged and stimulated to continue maturing as a professional and as an individual.

The feeling of relief and accomplishment upon finishing my graduation requirements – proof of our achievements and growth – alongside my five brilliant and lovely classmates.

There is a lot to do in our program and it can be overwhelming. I would suggest taking a moment to reflect and focus on what makes the work satisfying for you. As well, to make use of the supportive community around you, including your classmates and the program leadership.

Sitting by the window on a (rare) sunny day.

I’m looking forward to finding a suitable position and to continue developing as a “fully-fledged” genetic counsellor.

Before my graduate studies, I was a practicing physiotherapist working in neurological rehabilitation. After several years of working one-on-one with patients, I felt a strong desire to pursue research in stroke recovery to improve patient care at the population level. The opportunity to investigate cutting-edge robotic technology for stroke rehabilitation perfectly combined my clinical experience and professional interests.

I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all of the individuals who participated in my research studies. It is incredibly grounding to hear the stories of individuals who experience a stroke and to see their recovery.

If I had to choose a singular favourite moment, it would have to be competing in the Three Minute Thesis. It was exciting to hear so many fascinating research projects that are being conducted at UBC, and an excellent exercise in seeing the big picture of my own research. Taking the title was just the cherry on top!

Utilize all of the additional services and activities that UBC has to offer! There are countless workshops, seminars, and opportunities that can enrich your graduate studies. It is easy to be hyper-focused on your own work, which may not always be a positive experience, and the extracurricular activities may help to relieve stress, add perspective, and complement your education.

Seeing growth! Right now, that’s getting my puppy to listen more and be less skittish around strangers.

No set plans as of yet! After a summer to relax and recharge, I am hoping to apply my clinical and scientific skillsets in a role that is dynamic and fulfilling.

The diversity of the profession, the challenges that diversity presents and the absolute joy of helping someone as we navigate through these challenges. I always wanted to have a meaningful impact on my community, therefore I picked family medicine.

Cake-day, which is every academic Thursday. We would mingle in the resident lounge, share our ideas and concerns, and just eat cake.

Residency grants you a lot of opportunities to learn and grow. Maximize these experiences, they will pay dividends once you graduate.

Taro bubble tea with half pearls and half coconut jelly… yum!

I will be joining a full-scope family practice clinic in Maple Ridge. I am excited to start building up my practice in the coming year.

With extensive experience and a great passion for mechanical and electrical innovation, as well as an academic background in life sciences, I was very interested in pursuing higher education in a combined field. When deciding between biomedical engineering or biotechnology, I chose the former because it allows me to make meaningful contributions that have a direct impact on enhancing human health.

I will never forget the day that I made the national championships’ qualifying standard as a varsity track and field athlete while competing on my home turf. The outpouring of support I received from my fellow students and the UBC community gave me the encouragement I needed to achieve this great athletic accomplishment. This was truly a standout moment for me and I’ll cherish the memory forever.

I recommend that new students take on projects outside of the classroom and push themselves to new heights. Work hard, never stop questioning, and never turn down an opportunity. As they say, there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

I love spending time with my younger brother. You can’t really go wrong hanging out with someone funny, smart, and motivated.

I will be working as a manufacturing engineer at Medtronic by day, and will continue to innovate by night. Life should be good.

I discovered the area of public health during my undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser University, and changed my major to health sciences halfway through my second year. In my third year, I worked as a research assistant on a project supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, where I found my love for research and passion for Indigenous health. After graduation, I decided to pursue my master’s degree to further my research skills and knowledge.

I really enjoyed when my qualitative research methods class took a field trip to UBC’s Nitobe Memorial Garden for a field note taking exercise. It was a fun way to explore UBC and to gain a better understanding of what qualitative research consists of.

Be flexible and realistic with your research and timelines. I changed my thesis topic multiple times before I finally decided what I wanted to write about. The pandemic also caused a lot of delays and anxiety, which demanded flexibility. Clear communication with your supervisor and goal setting will help everything come together in the end.

I enjoy going for walks down to Kitsilano Beach, especially during the summer to watch the sunsets and to read.

I am grateful and excited to have recently begun working as a research coordinator at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. I hope to apply my skills and knowledge that I have learned throughout my degree to contribute to the health and well-being of those living with and at-risk for HIV. I also hope to work closely with communities and Indigenous Peoples to promote community-led and community-engaged research that centers around respectful and culturally appropriate research guidelines.

Having grown up in a large family with many nieces and nephews, I have always loved caring for kids. Childhood is truly a time of growth and wonder! I chose pediatrics for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of infants, children, and teens – not only from a medical standpoint but also from a psychological and social perspective. On the same day, you can attend a delivery to care for a newborn baby, counsel a teen on their depressive symptoms, and advocate for a family who cannot afford their child’s medications. Pediatricians have the privilege of supporting children and families in their unique journeys and advocating for their best interests in society, and I am humbled to be joining this incredible profession.

The most surreal moment was when I found out that I had successfully matched to a pediatrics residency in the same city as my wonderful partner, who will be entering UBC’s Internal Medicine Program in July. Alec and I went to Simon Fraser University together before completing our medical degrees at UBC, and we are so lucky that we will be able to continue our training together in this beautiful province we call home.

To all medical students and those who are considering medicine: the stresses are immense and real but you are not alone. Know that there is an incredible community of support within medicine that can offer help and advice, both professional and personal. Never hesitate to reach out.

Nothing is more refreshing than taking a walk down the Cambie Street Bridge and admiring the incredible skyline of Downtown Vancouver.

I am excited to start my residency in UBC’s Pediatrics Program this July, where I hope to learn how to become both an excellent clinician and a strong health advocate.

As a child, I was always very curious about science and the human body and this has carried over into my adulthood. The BMLSc program emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills – which combined with my interests in medical science and human disease – was a perfect fit for me.

While it is not a specific moment, my favourite moments have been with my fellow classmates in the program. Due to the program’s small class size, we have grown especially close to one another and together we have created many memories, including eating lunch together on campus and late-night study sessions (even on Zoom).

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow classmates and program staff. Your classmates can be a great support system. They are there to help you and to help make sure you have the best experience that you can.

Playing with my dog Mia.

In the fall, I will start my Master of Science in Gastrointestinal Science at the University of Calgary.

Helping others – it is an immense privilege to be a physician and I can’t think of a better field to be in the service of others.

I’ll never forget taking the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Sechelt to complete my rural family medicine rotation. I was absolutely stunned at the beauty of the fjord and overcome with gratitude at being able to live, work, and play in such an epic outdoor paradise.

Throughout your medical training, you will come to know the importance of having compassion for your patients. This importance cannot be overstated. I would just like to remind you to also have compassion for yourself as you navigate the challenges of medical school. It won’t always be easy – be kind to yourself!

Watching my six-month-old kitten, Nala, rip around the house during her evening “zoomies.” She is hilarious and it’s such a joy to have her company.

I’m beyond excited to soon move to Victoria to complete residency training in family medicine. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Interior and I can’t wait to continue exploring this amazing province as an Islander. I hope to incorporate enhanced rural training into my residency, with a long-term plan of practicing family medicine and growing roots in a small community in B.C.

Coming from rural northern Alberta, my perspective of the field of medicine was shaped by the lack of access to it. Access to health care remains a challenge in some parts of Canada, and seeing physicians come to practice in and around our community was rare. When it did happen, it was obvious how important it was to families that lived there. Positive experiences with physicians – and the leadership they provide for communities – convinced me that becoming a doctor was what I wanted in a career. I further got the opportunity to get involved in research during my undergraduate degree here at UBC, which allowed me to develop an interest in the basic science of medicine. Luckily, I managed to capitalize on both interests and joined UBC’s MD/PhD program, which has provided me with opportunities to build my leadership, research and clinical skills.

During my third year in medicine, I spent a month in Fort St. James where I was able to join a local clinic that visits surrounding remote First Nations communities. Armed with only a handful of equipment, we performed check-ups for a community two hours into the wilderness. Afterwards, a community member took us on a boat ride up their river to see the wildlife. Being invited into their community to provide care showed me how powerful meeting patients on their own terms, and in their homes can be in strengthening the therapeutic alliance. Experiences like this, combined with the stresses of the pandemic, have transformed how I view opportunities to make health care more accessible to patients.

The MD/PhD program lets you pursue two careers that most people would consider lifetime achievements in and of themselves. The opportunity to learn how to apply clinical medicine across a broad spectrum of diseases, while delving into scientific research, offer an exciting and fulfilling career. To those beginning their career in this program or hope to enter it one day, take advantage of your access to clinical experiences and research opportunities when they arise. You cannot predict what areas of medicine will interest you the most or which project will become the start and focus of your career. Your professional network is an asset that will keep pushing you towards your next success and it is easiest to grow that network while still working on your degrees.

Spending an afternoon at the dog park with my wife and our two chihuahuas.

Growing up, I knew I wanted a job where I could travel, work with people, and have the potential to create positive change in my community. In high school, I first thought that I would do a literature and political science degree and go into journalism (my dream job was the reporter from the movie Blood Diamond). Around that time, I started volunteering at the hospital in Prince George and became interested in the world of healthcare. I realized that with a degree in medicine, I could also work in different communities and influence change.

During my undergraduate degree, I learned about the history and current realities of Indigenous Peoples and colonization, the ongoing effects on health and wellness, and about my own identity as a white-presenting mixed heritage Indigenous person (I am Anishinaabe through my mother’s side and my grandfather came from the area around Kenora, Ontario, but grew up on Lheidli T’enneh territory in Prince George). The emotions I experienced going through this learning process helped me realize that I wanted to serve Indigenous communities, be an advocate to influence healthcare and policy, and become a rural family physician.

I have many fond memories from medical school, including living with an amazing group of girls in Vancouver during my first year, bonding with my northern classmates during boot camp and trivia night, and finding three lifelong friends during my Integrated Community Clerkship in Fort St. John. That said, one of the best things about being at the NMP was having the opportunity to work with Dr. Nadine Caron, one of my mentors. Through her, I discovered and attended a public health institute at Johns Hopkins University and completed the UBC Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health’s Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Public Health – which was launched by Dr. Caron and an amazing team at the School of Population and Public Health. These were life-changing events that shaped my personal and professional identity and provided me with an incredible group of mentors and peers. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the person I am now without these experiences.

Never give up on the passions and convictions that drove you to apply to medical school in the first place. Medical school can be tough and demanding – from hours spent over books during pre-clinical years to the days and nights spent at the hospital during clerkship. I did have some moments through medical school where I felt like medicine might not be for me because I could not picture myself doing the work some people around me were doing. But by connecting with doctors, residents, and students with a similar worldview, I realized it was possible to do the work in a way that felt right for me. On those tough days, remember to be true to yourself and seek out like-minded peers and mentors that keep you feeling inspired. Having that support network to listen to you and inspire you to keep going will be instrumental to your success.

Something that always brings me joy is being outdoors and connecting with nature. Whether it is hiking, kayaking, riding my mountain bike, bird watching, or sitting in a garden, I need to spend time outdoors each day to keep me sane.

I’ll be moving to Vancouver to start my residency in the Indigenous Family Medicine Program. I am so excited to be starting this next part of my journey and hope to return to Northern B.C. as often as possible during residency for outreach clinics to First Nations communities. After residency, my plan is to start practicing with a focus in addictions, maternity care, reproductive and sexual health, and rural outreach. I am also considering doing extra training in obstetrics and surgical skills to provide C-sections in smaller communities.

I have always been interested in human health and disease. I learned in undergrad that the immune system is involved in most diseases so I was motivated to learn more. This drew me to the field of clinical immunology and inborn errors of immunity where I have been studying how single gene mutations can impair the immune system and greatly increase a person’s susceptibility to infection, autoimmunity, cancer, and allergic disease. By studying these genes, we can then greatly improve our understanding of their role in the human immune system.

I have really enjoyed being able to work together with researchers and clinicians from diverse disciplines to understand how disease arises in each patient we study. Being able to inform the treatment of patients has been very rewarding. For me, my favourite moment at UBC was when I did a critical experiment that strongly demonstrated a functional defect associated with a genetic defect.

Make sure you make time for yourself so you don’t burn yourself out. Do things you enjoy and it’s okay to take a weekend off!

I love kayaking and exploring around B.C.’s coast and waters.

I have continued on as a post-doctoral fellow in my lab to finish up some work and will likely be pursuing another post-doc somewhere in the U.S.