Program: Medical Laboratory Science
From a young age I was curious about human anatomy and how the body was able to perform so many functions at once. When I began to learn more about normal physiology and homeostasis, I wondered about how illness and diseases disrupted normal functioning systems and how that would present on a cellular level. After being introduced to the field of pathology in high school, I was intrigued by the notion that microscopic changes in the appearance of cells could lead to a diagnosis and determine the prognosis and treatment of a disease. Excited by the investigative work involved in forming a diagnosis, I decided that pathology was the career that I would pursue.
My favourite moments at UBC were those that I was able to spend with my sister who also attended UBC during the first three years of my degree. We shared lovely memories together like spending late nights at each other’s apartments, enjoying loads of sushi, cooking and baking (I made the food, she ate it), endless walks, and finally living together beside Kitsilano beach during the pandemic. On campus, our favourite thing to do was to get matcha lattes and scones from Great Dane Coffee.
For students entering the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, I would suggest identifying specific areas of interest within the course curriculum and pursuing those topics further by reading current research or speaking with related professors. For example, during PATH 305, I became interested in kidney physiology and pathology. When we were assigned projects that involved photographing and describing an organ’s normal histology, I decided to investigate the kidney and fulfil my curiosities. Similarly, in PATH 415, I became fascinated by organ transplant immunology and the logistical problems surrounding organ transplantation. By discussing the latter with the professor after class, I was able to learn more about the obstacles surrounding transplantation which enhanced my learning and retention.
After having recently graduated from the BMLSc program, I am now working as a Pathology Assistant. I hope to learn more about the laboratory work and tissue processing that occurs in the pathology department before a slide makes it under the microscope. In the next year or two, I will be applying to medical schools in Canada and I am aiming to pursue a career as an anatomical pathologist.