Hometown: Campbell River, BC
Program: Midwifery
What attracted you to your field?
I worked as a dietitian in chronic disease management and wanted to shift my focus toward chronic disease prevention and health promotion. I was determined to continue providing direct clinical care, so when I learned about the midwifery model, it felt like the perfect fit. Midwives care for families during a transformative period, which allows us to promote health literacy, connect families with community resources and identify the evolving needs of the communities we serve. I am excited to enter a field that holds the potential to create long-lasting interventions and improve the health of current and future generations.
What is your favourite moment from your time at UBC?
My favorite moments in midwifery school have been learning hands-on skills alongside my peers. We would attend class by day and meet at night to practice suturing, physical exams and IVs. Once, we ended up at a table in the middle of Starbucks to practice suturing using needles and fabric, drawing some curious glances—not your average “community stitching group.” I’ve witnessed my peers transform into skilled primary care providers over the years and I’m so proud to call them my colleagues in this field now.
What is one piece of advice you have for students entering your program?
Capture your exciting moments somehow – record a video monologue, journal or write a poem when you start the program or after you catch your first baby. Keep a box of the letters you receive from families. When self-doubt arises or you have a hard week, revisit your keepsakes to remind yourself why you started. Create a list of people you can call: the listener, the cheerleader, the person who makes you laugh, and then make those calls. Stay connected to the mission you had when you started and the network you create along the way.
Tell us briefly about your research.
Dr. Cecilia Jevitt and I conducted two scoping reviews to identify safe, person-centered strategies that primary care providers can use to support nutrition counseling for optimal gestational weight gain during pregnancy. Our goal was to equip clinicians with practical tools for incorporating nutrition and health education into antenatal visits. I hope this work enhances providers’ confidence in supporting clients’ nutrition and lifestyle changes, ultimately leading to improved pregnancy outcomes and overall community health.
What’s next for you?
I’m thrilled to join a team of midwives in Chilliwack. UBC Midwifery welcomed a new Fraser cohort in the fall of 2023, so I felt drawn to stay nearby with all this excitement. In the coming years, I plan to pursue research in chronic disease prevention for individuals with cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors during the perinatal period. Additionally, I’m eager to stay connected with UBC as a preceptor one day to continue growing the field by contributing to the education of future midwives.