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“Throughout the years of med school I realized that it’s important to stay grounded and to know who you are and what makes you happy.”

In a few words, tell me how you got where you are?

I was born and raised in Montreal. After a Bachelor’s degree in Biology at McGill University, I went to medical school at Université Laval, in Quebec City. Studying in French was challenging, but well worth it, because now I’m fluently bilingual and can easily communicate with patients. After my studies in Quebec, I came back to McGill and did the obligatory three years of Internal Medicine before joining the Cardiology program. It’s a long haul, but I really enjoy what I do and I know it’s going to be worth it in the future.

When did you decide to become a doctor?

I’ve always known I wanted to practice medicine. I remember talking about it in high school. I did question my choice and tried to keep an open mind, but medicine is what I’ve always been passionate about.

There are so many specialties in medicine. What made you choose cardiology?

When you’re a med student, you do rotations in different departments before you decide what you want to pursue as a career. When I did my Cardiology rotation, I identified myself with a few female cardiologists and saw myself in their shoes. They were outgoing, ambitious and were able to balance work and family life. They became a source of inspiration for me. 

As chief resident, you’re a mentor to other students? What do you like about that role?

I enjoy being in a leadership role. I teach and I represent the residents with the program director. I also try to support students psychologically. When they tell me about their fears I understand because I’ve been there.

Is there such a thing as a routine for medicine residents?

Not really! Every month I do something different. I can conduct heart echocardiograms – an ultrasound that allows us to see how the muscle works – or electrocardiograms. Right now, I’m doing cardiology consults in the Emergency Room at the MGH. I come in at about 7:30 a.m. each day. As a chief resident, I teach other residents for about an hour. Then, I do consults for the rest of the day, until 5 p.m. I’m also on call once a week, which means I can be at the hospital all night.

It’s certainly a demanding job. What do you like about it?

It’s continuously challenging, stimulating and fascinating. Every day, I deal with human anatomy and human lives, and I learn new things. I love the critical care aspect of cardiology: people come in with acute problems – heart attacks, cardiac arrests – and  we’re the first line, reviving them, giving CPR. It can be tiring, but it’s never dull. That’s a big part of what drew me to cardiology. 

How do you deal with the competitiveness in your field?

A little competition is good, because it keeps you motivated and working hard. But if you live your whole life comparing yourself to people professionally, financially, or personally, you’re never going to be happy. There are a lot of type A personalities in medicine, and you can always go higher. But throughout the years I have realized that it’s important to stay grounded, and to know who you are and what makes you happy.  

What do you see in your professional future?

I’m not sure yet. I’d like to stay in Montreal, because many of my friends and family are here. They’ve been a great support system to get through these crazy years of med school! I still have a couple of years before I make the big decision of where I will work.