Just what the doctor ordered: more MDs

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This article was published 24/05/2018 (2877 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JUST 10 weeks after becoming a mother, Ananda Kuatsidzo received a second new title Thursday: doctor.

Kuatsidzo, 28, was one of 107 graduates from the Max Rady College of Medicine, who earned the right to toss their caps in the air during the 139th annual spring convocation at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus.

Her son, Elorm, was born two weeks late, but still arrived while classes were in session.

“I had the support of my family and the University of Manitoba. The university made so many adjustments for me, and they accommodated my schedule so I was able to satisfy all of my academic requirements while also having a baby. So I’m really overwhelmed with all the support I received,” said Kuatsidzo, who will complete her residency in internal medicine in Winnipeg.

“The university is really encouraging people to be able to balance work and life. So that’s a really important thing that I’m taking with me into residency.”

Her degree in medicine comes a decade after Kuatsidzo, who was born in Ghana, came to Canada after receiving an entrance scholarship to Dalhousie University in Halifax.

“For me, being an immigrant, I really want to highlight to the immigrant community that Canada affords you so many opportunities for you to achieve whatever goals you set for yourself,” she said. “I work a lot in the immigrant community, and I know there is a lack of positive role models and they (immigrants) don’t know where to find the resources they need.

“Being on this stage and part of the class of 2018 is a great opportunity for me to be able to help make some positive changes in that community.”

Kuatsidzo’s graduating class included eight students of self-declared Indigenous ancestry.

Janine Grenier of St. Leon graduated in the bilingual stream. She said her francophone heritage will figure prominently in her medical career, as she plans to have a rural, bilingual family practice one day.

“Being part of that community all my life gave me these roots and so much support from my community to any venture I decided to embark on, whether it was community hockey, clubs, schooling and then medical school,” said Grenier, 26, whose residency will be in family medicine in Portage la Prairie.

Samahra Singer wore her purple Graduation Pow Wow convocation scarf, denoting Indigenous identity, which she received earlier this month. Singer, 29, of Dene and Cree heritage, said she hopes to inspire other Indigenous students looking to go into medicine.

“Indigenous health and women’s health are the main areas I’m interested in, and I think the biggest difference I could make would be in northern communities,” Singer said. “My hope is to start working with some of these communities and start trying to address some of these inequities that they face by helping to support them.

“I’d like to help by working with them, providing resources for the solutions they’re working toward, advocacy. I think that’s really important.”

Martin Yaffe, an internationally recognized scientist and researcher in the field of breast cancer, received an honorary doctor of science degree Thursday. Yaffe earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science at the U of M, before heading to the University of Toronto for a PhD in medical biophysics.

Yaffe is considered a pioneer in digital mammography.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca