“We do all of this because we want to see each other succeed,” said Nitesh Sanghai, a PhD student and program coordinator. “When you are finishing your program, it can feel like you are at the edge of a cliff.” 

The program, launched in 2024, aims to provide support and inspiration to pharmacy graduate students as they prepare to enter the workforce, following the lead of those who have been there before. 

On September 9, the student-led initiative invited  Dr. Harsha Blumer, associate director of research and analytics at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (MCHP), to share her own unconventional career trajectory during a program session. 

“Some people grow up not knowing what they want to do,” she began. “But I always did. I knew I wanted to be an astrophysicist.”  

Originally from Kerala, India, Blumer pursued a PhD in astrophysics at the University of Manitoba. She then took on a postdoctoral fellowship at West Virginia University, where she worked with the Green Bank Telescope for high-energy astrophysics research. “It was what I always wanted,” she said. “It was my passion.” 

Despite her love of astrophysics and the rewarding research she was undertaking – which included collaborating with various international teams such as NASA – her life wasn’t just about work.  

During her studies, she got married and she and her husband had their first child. Studying and parenting at the same time is challenging enough, but her husband stayed behind in Canada while Blumer pursued her dream in the United States.  

“My child said ‘Mommy’ for the first time over FaceTime,” she remembered. “If I talk about it too much, I’ll cry.”   That was when she knew it was time to come home.  

“There were so many rejections,” she said, remembering the career hunt. “Oh, you’re an astrophysicist? What does that have to do with anything?” 

Finally, she landed a position at the University of Manitoba as a research facilitator and technology transfer manager, then moved into her current position with MCHP five months ago. “I am good with data and I managed a team,” she said matter-of-factly. “Here it’s applying the same thing on the public health side.” 

For Blumer, that’s the key takeaway she wanted students to absorb.  “You may see a job that doesn’t directly relate to your field, but what you learn as a PhD student, all those skills are transferable.”  

Throughout the presentation, graduate students were nodding and smiling. “Life is not going to be a straight road,” affirmed master’s student Burak Berk, highlighting the importance of resilience.  

 “When I heard the speaker was the associate director at MCHP, I was curious about how she built her career,” said Floriane Houenagnon, also a master’s student. “I came to learn some of the key advice that she didn’t know back then.” 

As Blumer concluded her talk, she urged students to embrace the twists and turns of their career journeys. “I took a chance,” she said. “If you don’t take the chance, you won’t know.” 

That’s how Simranpreet Dhaliwal described receiving the Passion and Commitment Award at the College of Pharmacy’s Welcome to the Profession Ceremony.

He credits his parents’ support and their life-lessons not only for this achievement, but for helping him build the strong foundation he will need to succeed as a health-care professional.

“You need to be passionate; you need to be kind, you need to be dedicated,” he said. “That’s what they taught me and that’s what I’ll use in my career as a pharmacist.”

Along with Dhaliwal’s proud parents, family, friends, faculty and staff celebrated the 40 students launching their professional careers as pharmacists at a ceremony held May 16 preceding UM spring convocation.

The newly minted pharmacists were formally cloaked in their white coats and recited the Oath of a Pharmacist.

“In my many encounters with your class, I was inspired,” said Dr. Jamison Falk, associate professor at the College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, in his address to the new pharmacy graduates. “These qualities that you possess: intellectual understanding, compassion and the confidence to challenge the status quo, can only make our profession, and ultimately the care we provide, better.”

Due to COVID-19, the graduating class was required to face uncertainty and ever-changing protocols as they began their studies in 2020.

“It was certainly a unique situation because we started in the pandemic,” said new grad Mark Livingston. “We are a front-line accessible type of profession that really works best in-person. I think it really speaks to our professionalism that we were able to keep going and keep progressing throughout.”

For pharmacy gold-medalist Randi Frost-Hunt, the four-year program was full of memorable moments, from the friends she made to the demanding (but satisfying!) coursework.

 “In my last rotation I was able to do an elective in renal transplant,” she said. “I was able to follow patients from the moment they had a kidney transplant and see the course of their progression. I could directly see the impact. That was really special.”

Now that she is entering the workforce, Frost-Hunt is looking forward to a career in community pharmacy, where she will continue to work closely with patients and primary care providers. “For me the best part is that you get to form relationships,” she said. “You get to know the patients and all aspects of their care – I think that makes a really big difference.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night,” said Nitesh Sanghai, coordinator of the peer-to-peer student group in the College of Pharmacy and a student in the PhD program. “You just call.”

Sometimes a master’s or PhD student might reach out over something simple, like asking a classmate to read over a proposal before they hand it in. Other times, they may need the kind of support only possible from someone who has been in their shoes. That’s where the peer-to-peer student group comes in.

“I worked in safety science back home in India before I came here,” said Sanghai. “I knew how everything worked. Here, I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know anybody.”

For international students, the issue may be something a native-born student might take for granted, like how to speak to a professor. “In India, and in many other Asian countries, you say ‘sir.” You would never address them by their name. But here it’s okay.” That’s something Sanghai didn’t realize until he started studying at the University of Manitoba and a fact he now shares with new students.

But it’s not just the local culture that a new student might need help with – it could be anything.

“On my first day here, I fell and hit my head,” said Nitesh. He found his way to the Health Sciences Centre, bleeding. He pointed to his head, showing a scar from the stitches. At home he might have called family or a friend, just to help him get settled and focus on school.  “I was very helpless; I didn’t know anybody yet.”

It’s a different story for Billy Vuong, a PhD candidate in the College of Pharmacy, who was born in Winnipeg. “I haven’t really experienced the struggle international students have. I did my master’s program at UM and I know how things work. “

For Vuong, it’s just natural that he would lend a hand when someone needs it. He doesn’t even consider it mentoring. “If anyone needs help with something, I would help out,” he shrugged.

Despite his casual attitude, Vuong’s contributions have made him a valuable member of the peer-to-peer program. So much so that he received an award from the program at Research Day this spring  “I really wasn’t expecting it. It’s something I viewed as a normal responsibility. “

“I’m so proud of these students,” said Dr. Lalitha Raman-Wilms, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “This came from them, because they care about one another’s well-being and their success. This exemplifies the compassion, empathy and leadership we want to see in all our learners.”

Peer-to-Peer was started by graduate students for graduate students, but it also comes with training from UM Student Services, so they know when and how to reach out to the experts. “We take student wellness very seriously,” said Raman-Wilms. “We want to be sure students get the right kind of help when they need it.”

The 24-hour aspect of the support group began this year, with a core group of graduate students willing to accept the responsibility of picking up calls whenever they come. They’re still dreaming big and are planning to add some funds so that mentors can take a mentee for a coffee or lunch without being out of pocket.

These casual meetings are for peers to share research opportunities, support each other and diversify the peer mentorship program. They’re also working towards what they call the “Inspire Mentorship Program,” where senior students and postdoctoral felllows discuss science, work-life balance, professionalism and motivation.

“We do all of this because we want to see each other succeed,” said Nitesh. “We want to empower each other and bring each other up.”

Asian Heritage Month is celebrated at UM with stories and events that highlight members of various Asian communities, along with the research, teaching and advocacy work they do.

 “Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to increase understanding and appreciation of the diversity and richness of Asian cultures, communities and individuals, and to recognize the impactful work and accomplishments of so many at UM,” says Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity) and Distinguished Professor of Chinese History.

“Asian Heritage builds solidarities amongst different Asian communities as we continue our work to dismantle oppression and eliminate anti-Asian racism, and all racisms, on our campuses. At UM, we commit to carrying forward the work from the National Forums on Anti-Asian Racism.”

UM research, teaching and community engagement advances critical understanding of the lives and cultures of Asians in Canada and globally. During her time as director of the UM Institute for the Humanities from 2018 to 2024, professor of English, theatre, film & media Hee-jung Serenity Joo has created models that centre community knowledges and creative projects in post-secondary learning, research and action for anti-racism. Another example is the interdisciplinary project Dried Fish Matters (anthropology), which focusses on a fisheries sub-sector particularly important in Asia and Africa, where women comprise a significant portion of this workforce. Asian Studies courses in the Faculty of Arts further provide opportunities to learn Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages and to study the cultures, politics, and histories of Asian nations, people, and diaspora.

Read on for stories, resources and upcoming events that are open to all.

Celebrating our unique stories

Watch for related content on UM platforms through May in celebration of Asian Heritage Month.

The Racial Equity and Inclusion Alliance (REIA) is a student-led community group founded last year by fourth year Faculty of Arts student Allisther De Castro. She is proud of her Filipino heritage and eager to promote multiculturalism and inclusion within the university. (Learn more about Allisther’s story!)

This year REIA hosted its first Empowerment Gala to recognize the diverse cultures at UM. The gala, which took place Sunday, Mar. 31, awarded racialized students and staff based on accomplishments in athletics and sportsmanship, academics, visual and performing arts, and advocacy and representation. 

As a first-generation academic and former international student in Canada, assistant professor of pharmacy Abdullah Al Maruf supports justice, equity, diversity and inclusiveness in his personal and professional life. He co-founded a research network to connect scientists interested in pharmacogenomics research in Bangladesh (BdPGRN) and also founded Prospective Bangladeshi Students in Canadian Universities, a not-for-profit, virtual peer-to-peer support and discussion platform. 

Wayne Chan [BSc/93, BA/00], who works as a data analyst at UM, is also a bit of a history detective — his passion for tracking down stories and tracing unknown histories has led to gems like Winnipeg’s forgotten song and Lost campus, a Google Earth tour that recreates historical UM spaces. His latest, about decoding cryptograms in an antique silk dress (CBC), came from his hobby in cryptography and codebreaking and made world-wide news.

Dr. Gigi Osler [BSc/92, MD/92] is a UM assistant professor of medicine who in 2018 became the first female surgeon and racialized woman elected as president of the Canadian Medical Association. Born in Winnipeg to immigrant parents from India and the Philippines, she was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2022. “We have to be advocates for justice, racial justice, equity and social change,” she says.

Associate Vice-President (Administration) Raman Dhaliwal [B.Comm/07] is the first racially marginalized woman to hold the position and was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2022. “Most of the time when I’m at different meetings, there aren’t a lot of people my age, my colour and even my gender sitting around the table with me,” she notes. Dhaliwal counts her parents, who left their homes in India to start a new life in Canada, as her biggest inspiration.

You may be familiar with the colourful artwork of acclaimed Winnipeg artist Takashi Iwasaki [BFA(Hons)/06] — including UM tunnel murals) — he and his wife Shih-Han Iwasaki are currently pursuing graduate degrees at UM. Iwasaki, who is back doing his MFA, grew up in northern Japan and arrived here at age 20, while Shih-Han, who is pursuing her master’s degree at Asper, is from Taiwan. Their two children speak both Japanese and Mandarin, along with English. (Watch for Takashi’s story later this month!)

Community events and resources

Join the learning journey on advancing equity, diversity, accessibility and anti-oppression at UM.

Support the work being done by the Office of Equity Transformation, UM’s Anti-Racism Taskforce and the Office of Anti-Racism (Rady Faculty of Health Sciences).

Check out the many ethnocultural student groups on campus.

Events

Stop by Taste of Asia – Asian Pop Fest! CN Stage at the Forks, May 25 and 26, 2-7 PM daily. Food, music, dance, art, fashion and more! Organized by Foodtrip and Asian Heritage Society MB.

Enjoy special screenings at the FascinAsian Film Festival, coming to Winnipeg May 24 to 26. Celebrating Asian perspectives, culture and integrity in film and media.

Check out additional local events throughout the month listed at Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba.

Watch CanAsian Arts On the Move: An online tour of Canada through its Asian artists in one evening! May 29, 8 P.M.

Upcoming: National Asian Heritage Symposium in Winnipeg. Nov. 6 to 9, 2024.

Resources

See “A Brief History of Asian Canadians,” “Asians in Early Canada,” and “Demographics of Asian Canadians in Manitoba” (Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba).

Winnipeg Public Library Guides: Asian Heritage. Deepen your learning about Asian history and heritage, with information that focuses on Manitoba and Canada. Resources including historical events and timelines, book recommendations!

Visit the Virtual Museum of Asian Canadian Culture and Heritage. 

Jaspreet Bhoondpal

“It felt good to have the support of my family and everybody here. That’s what calmed me down,” he said. 

On September 18, Bhoondpal and his 59 classmates that make up the PharmD Class of 2027 took part in the College of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony in the Brodie Centre atrium on the Bannatyne campus. The event welcomed the students into the pharmacy profession with the cloaking of their first white coats and the recitation of the Pledge of Professionalism.

First-year pharmacy student Ashna Joseph said the event was exhilarating and donning her white coat was exciting.

“It’s a moment we’ve all been waiting for. It felt good,” said Joseph, who was a recipient of the William G. Eamer Community Leadership Undergraduate Scholarship.

Ashna Joseph

Joseph chose to pursue pharmacy because she wanted to go into health care and was interested in biochemistry.

“I thought a career in pharmacy would be a good fit,” she said.

Bhoondpal, who was born in India and immigrated to Canada in 2008, became interested in UM’s pharmacy program when he was in high school.

“I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, but I didn’t necessarily know what. Pharmacy piqued my interest because all the prerequisite courses grabbed my attention,” he said.  

In her welcoming remarks, College of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Lalitha Raman-Wilms told the students that donning their white coat is an important milestone in their growth as health-care professionals.

“In a pharmacy tradition, the white coat is a symbol of dedication to responsibility, inspiration for excellence and a professional designation,” Raman-Wilms said.

Lanette Siragusa, vice-dean of education for the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and chief executive officer of Shared Health, shared in her welcoming remarks some of the lessons she learned climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

“The motivation that brought you here today will carry you past any obstacles that you encounter and propel you towards your destination.” Siragusa said. “Keep your vision focused on the summit that represents your hopes and your dreams and your goals.”

Jane Lamont, president of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba, advised students to develop meaningful relationships with their peers and mentors because these connections will sustain them through the challenging days as a student and into their careers.

“Embrace this journey fully,” Lamont said. “It will challenge you, inspire and shape you into the pharmacist and professional you aspire to be.”

To begin the event, Elder Charlotte Nolin gave a blessing. Dr. Christine Leong, associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, led the students in the recitation of the Pledge of Professionalism, and Marc Herrera welcomed students on behalf of the University of Manitoba Pharmacy Students’ Association.

The clinic was founded in 2003 at UM’s Bannatyne Campus and moved to Riverview Health Centre last year. For 12 weeks a year, physical therapy students run the clinic under supervision as part of their fieldwork experience. This year, pharmacy, nursing and occupational therapy students also joined for various lengths of time.

“At the clinic, we are helping real people do real things in real environments,” said Sarah Conci, physiotherapist, clinic coordinator and program instructor. “Physical therapy has a certain scope of practice, and it alone can’t meet the needs of everything that clients have going on in their lives. Bringing in other disciplines is helpful to address health gaps and needs for the whole person.”

This year’s clinic ran from April 3 to June 23. As in other years, two groups of eight physical therapy students in their final year of the program ran the clinic for two six-week blocks, this time joined by six pharmacy students, two occupational therapy students and two nursing students.

Braden Dyck, physical therapy student

“We had some students who are about to graduate and others who are still going to be in university for a few years. So, the knowledge level is different, but we were able to tailor the clinic to make it a good learning experience,” Conci said.

Conci, who has been working at the clinic for five years, said she hopes the interprofessional approach will continue next year.

“Overall, I’d say the trial was successful. The students benefitted and the patients did, too.”

Physical therapy student Braden Dyck worked at the clinic for his final clinical placement in the program. He said this was his first experience working with other health disciplines.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I think it really extended the care that the patients were able to receive,” he said.

Rachel Hyrsak, pharmacy student

“I sat in on a couple of the assessments the pharmacy students did with patients that I was working with, which gave me a better understanding of challenges they were facing as a result of side effects of certain medications. Overall, I got a better picture of what some of my clients were facing.”

Students from the College of Pharmacy came to the clinic twice – first to interview patients about their medication history while observing the physical therapy students, and then returning to make recommendations.

“It was interesting to observe the physio students and learn more regarding their scope of practice. I was surprised by how many questions and concerns patients had regarding their medications,” said fourth-year pharmacy student Rachel Hyrsak.

Kyla Atchison, nursing student

College of Nursing students were onsite mostly to observe and determine how their role could be applied to the clinic in the future, said fourth-year nursing student Kyla Atchison.

“Our focus is on how the clinic can address any health care gaps or needs the clients have, how nursing can be incorporated into addressing those gaps, and what recommendations can be made at the clinic to build beyond the scope of it being just a physiotherapy clinic, as a way to more holistically serve the broader needs of the community.”

First-year occupational therapy student Elsa Gurney said the experience was much different from her previous work placement in a hospital. She appreciated learning about the other health occupations, as well as the trust given by the onsite supervisors.

Elsa Gurney, occupational therapy student

“Our clinical instructors provided guidance instead of supervision. This approach encouraged student leadership and provided opportunities for us to develop our own clinical reasoning and interprofessional relationships,” she said. “Overall, I left the clinic with more confidence and pride in my skills and professional identity, as well as a deeper understanding of how each profession can work together to provide the best client care.”

“I really like the process of collecting data and seeing the story behind it,” Leong says. “When I started the PharmD program at the University of Toronto, doing various clinical rotations, I noticed a lot of gaps in knowledge. I felt like research was a great tool to address those gaps.”

Leong grew up in Winnipeg and earned her bachelor’s degree in pharmacy at UM. She joined the faculty in 2013, is cross-appointed in the department of psychiatry, and is a researcher with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. She appreciates that Manitoba has a world-class repository of rich, anonymized health data.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Leong wanted to determine what impact the virus was having on prescriptions for psychotropic medications.

Using health databases housed at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy at UM, she and her team found that in the three months after pandemic public-health restrictions took effect in 2020, new prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications significantly declined.

Then, near the end of 2020, as they reported in the study in Frontiers in Pharmacology, the researchers saw a spike in new prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-psychotics in women and older adults.

Leong suspects that during the uncertain times early in the pandemic, patients were seeking stability, and that made them less likely to switch or start new medications.

“Then, near the end of 2020, the increase in prescriptions for women may reflect that women’s mental health was under more strain than men’s from pressures such as home-schooling children, juggling child-care and working from home.

“A possible reason for the rise in prescriptions for older adults is that during the pandemic they had reduced access to non-drug supports, such as companionship and psychosocial therapy.”

Although the data can’t reveal the reasons for the dip and surge in prescriptions, Leong says, this kind of study is important for uncovering whether a global event like the pandemic changes prescription patterns. This knowledge can point researchers to questions for further study.

The next step in this project, she says, is to try to understand why certain populations are accessing medications but not going for follow-up care.

“In older adults, for example, antipsychotic drug use has to be evaluated every three months because of the risk of side effects. Since we saw a rise in antipsychotic prescriptions toward the end of 2020, we want to know whether those prescriptions were evaluated regularly.”

Leong’s overall goal is for her research to influence public policy and improve access to services like mental health care.

She is currently training 25 community pharmacists in mental health first aid. This form of care aims to help a person who is experiencing worsening mental health problems until they can find long-term treatment.

“Pharmacists often encounter patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis. I wanted to provide this training so they can identify when someone is experiencing a deterioration in mental health and connect them to resources.”

“Your journey has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Raman-Wilms, dean of the College of Pharmacy, during her address at the May 18 afternoon Convocation ceremony on the Bannatyne campus.

The ceremony recognized 108 graduates representing the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, the School of Dental Hygiene and the College of Pharmacy, all within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Graduates in the PharmD program focused on clinical practice, experiential learning and pharmaceutical sciences.

Forty-nine graduates made up the University of Manitoba’s first PharmD graduating class. PharmD, which replaced the bachelor’s in pharmacy, is a four-year undergraduate doctoral program that focuses on clinical practice, experiential learning and pharmaceutical sciences.

“As the graduating Class of 2023, you are a remarkable group of highly trained pharmacists who will help lead the profession to new heights,” Raman-Wilms said.

“You’re well prepared to enter a changing health-care environment. You’ve grown as professionals. You’ve gained a strong foundation in pharmacy practice and have the skills to effectively contribute to the profession by meeting the medicine-related health needs of Manitobans.”

PharmD graduate Christine Vaccaro remembers the first day of the program, when everyone was shy. Five years later (because this class uniquely completed one year of the previous program before transitioning to the PharmD program), she said they’re now close friends. In an interview, she had a message for her classmates.

“I hope that in your next journey, in your career, you remember the power our unity and our advocacy had and continue to apply that when advocating for your patients and the profession,” Vaccaro said.

PharmD graduate Grace Okunnu said that when she started the program, she second-guessed herself because it was challenging.

“I learned how much capacity I had to grow and to stretch because honestly, you never know what you can accomplish and what you can do until you get into certain situations,” Okunnu said.

UM President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Michael Benarroch spoke at the ceremony and thanked the graduands for their hard work throughout the exceptional challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many of you stepped into leadership roles, volunteered and helped where you could,” Benarroch said. “What you did as students for the health of Manitobans is remarkable and important.”

Before the students received their parchments, UM Chancellor Anne Mahon challenged them to do great things in their future endeavors.

Twenty-four students graduated from the School of Dental Hygiene.

“You’re extraordinary students forged in extraordinary times,” she said. “Never, ever forget this. And be proud of yourselves.”

The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry honoured 27 doctor of dental medicine (DMD) graduates, eight graduates who earned DMDs through the International Dentist Degree Program, and 24 graduates from the School of Dental Hygiene.

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of dentistry, said that graduating under normal circumstances requires endless hard work, perseverance and dedication, but the challenges the Class of 2023 faced made their accomplishments even more commendable.

“Despite a pandemic impeding your in-person learning and a faculty strike affecting your course sequencing, you successfully completed your requirements and competencies on time,” Kelekis-Cholakis told the grads. “And even beyond that, I’m proud to say that the Dentistry Class of 2023 was able to challenge a brand new national dental exam in March with a 100 per cent pass rate.”

The dentistry Class of 2023 included 27 doctor of dental medicine (DMD) graduates, and eight graduates who earned DMDs through the International Dentist Degree Program.

Dr. Berardino Petrelli was one of the graduating dentistry students. When he crossed the stage to receive his parchment, he was thinking back over the past four years of dental school and everything his class had been through.

“It’s a great feeling to be done and now give back to society with what you know. In my case it would be oral care,” said Petrelli, who was also working on a PhD in biochemistry and medical genetics while training to be a dentist.

When dental hygiene graduate Nikhita Arora tossed her cap in the air after the ceremony, she felt exhilarated.

“Just tossing that hat, I felt relief because we worked so hard,” Arora said. “Just releasing that hat was releasing all that stress that’s been building for so long. It felt really good.”

Dr. Hedyeh Samady, an International Dentist Degree Program graduate who was a dentist in Iran before coming to Canada, said the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry did a very good job of preparing her for the next stage of her career in dentistry.

“I’m a proud alumna of the University of Manitoba now,” Samady said.

The 214 graduates represent three colleges at the University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – Max Rady College of Medicine, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry (including the School of Dental Hygiene) and College of Pharmacy.    

The Max Rady College of Medicine ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, School of Dental Hygiene and College of Pharmacy ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. 

The ceremonies will take place on the UM Bannatyne Campus in Brodie Centre, 727 McDermot Avenue. The ceremonies will also be livestreamed: 10 a.m. ceremony and 2:30 p.m. ceremony. 

“Congratulations to the Class of 2023,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (health sciences) and dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. “I commend your hard work and determination in your pursuit of a career in health care. It hasn’t been easy, but today marks the end of one journey and the exciting start of another. I wish you all the best in your future as a health-care professional.”

The Max Rady College of Medicine Class of 2023 includes 106 graduates. Of these, 77 will complete their residencies in Manitoba. The class includes nine students of Indigenous ancestry and three French-speaking students who are graduating in the college’s bilingual stream. Forty-three of the graduating class are from rural Manitoba or have rural attributes.

The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry’s Class of 2023 is made up of 27 doctor of dental medicine graduates with eight in the International Dentist Degree Program. There are 24 graduates from the School of Dental Hygiene.

The College of Pharmacy’s first PharmD class is made up of 49 graduates. PharmD is a four-year undergraduate doctoral program that focuses on clinical practice, experiential learning and pharmaceutical sciences.

Honorary degree recipient at 10 a.m. ceremony

Dr. Thomas Quinn is a world-renowned scientist known for his groundbreaking HIV/AIDS research. He was one of the first researchers to identify the AIDS epidemic and its cause, the HIV virus. As one of the top clinician-scientists in the world, he has been a leading light in the world’s response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, working to decrease the rate of illness and the number of deaths, with a focus on developing countries. Dr. Quinn is currently a professor of medicine and pathology at Johns Hopkins University, and is the founding director of the university’s Center for Global Health. He is also chief of the International HIV/STD Section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The following graduates of the Class of 2023 are available to speak with the media after the 10 a.m. ceremony:

Max Rady College of Medicine graduate Jayelle Friesen-Enns, 27, grew up in Rosenort, Man. Friesen-Enns, who is Cree and Métis, co-founded the Indigenous Medical Students’ Association of Canada in 2021 and has been a member of the Leadership Circle since then. She will be completing their residency in emergency medicine in Calgary, and chose this area because it’s fast-paced, requires a breadth of medical knowledge and she would like to make the emergency room a safer and more inclusive space for their community. She would like to help create a space within the health-care system where Indigenous people are able to access culturally safe care.

Max Rady College of Medicine graduate Fredy Mansour, 25, grew up in Morden, Man. Mansour is excited to be heading home to do his residency in family medicine in the Morden/Winkler area. Being able to train in the community he grew up in means a lot to him. His father is a physician in Morden and seeing how much he loved his job and his patients inspired Mansour at an early age to want to pursue medicine. He chose family medicine because of the ability to provide long-term care for patients, allowing him to develop a strong patient-doctor relationship built on collaboration and trust. 

Max Rady College of Medicine graduate Tegan Turner, 26, grew up in Winnipeg. Turner was a national level gymnast for a decade before competing nationally as a sprinter for the UM track and field team. Turner feels her sporting experience prepared her for medical school and a career in medicine. After the growth and learning medical school had to offer, she says she feels like a different person. Highlights of medical school included the first time she delivered a baby and first time assisting with a fracture. She will be doing her residency at UM in emergency medicine and has an interest in motorsport medicine. 

The following graduates of the Class of 2022 are available to speak with the media after the 2:30 p.m. ceremony:

School of Dental Hygiene graduate Nikhita Arora, 31, was born in India and moved to Canada when she was 13 years old. With a bachelor of science degree and a master of science degree in laboratory medicine and pathology, she chose to become a dental hygienist because she understands the value and impact that one’s oral health can have on one’s life. Arora has realized her dream of donning a white coat. She plans to become involved in local programs that create awareness and promote oral health practices to less fortunate communities that face barriers in accessing dental hygiene care.

Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry graduate Berardino Petrelli, 32, grew up in Winnipeg’s West End. Petrelli completed all his schooling within two kilometers of where he lives – including high school and what will eventually be four university degrees. While in dental school, he was also working on his PhD in the department of biochemistry and medical genetics which he hopes to complete next year. His research is focused on understanding the underlying cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. He hopes to stay in Winnipeg to pursue a joint career in dental private practice as well as conduct craniofacial research at UM.

International Dentist Degree Program graduate Hedyeh Samady, 33, grew up in Iran. Samady practiced dentistry for two years and got into a specialty program in oral medicine, however, she made the difficult decision of quitting the program to join her husband in Canada seven years ago. Samady’s family dentist was her first inspiration to become a dentist because he was a skilled and kind man. After graduation, she will begin a specialty program in oral medicine at the University of Washington. In the future, she would love to conduct clinical research and her dream is to help medically compromised patients with oral complications.  

PharmD graduate Sabina Ozog, 25, grew up in Winnipeg. Ozog wanted to become a pharmacist because it combined her passion for chemistry and human physiology with her desire to work in an area where she could have an impact on the health and well-being of others. She said it’s an honour and a privilege to be in UM’s first PharmD class. Ozog is excited to be starting her career as a pharmacist at St. Boniface Hospital. In the future, she hopes to train future generations of pharmacists as a preceptor and instructor at the University of Manitoba.

PharmD graduate Christine Vaccaro, 26, grew up in Winnipeg. Vaccaro was surrounded by the field of pharmacy growing up. Her mother is a pharmacist and she worked at a community pharmacy in high school. This year, she was the president of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns.  Vaccaro spent the past five years working as a pharmacoepidemiology research assistant. In September, she begins an ambulatory care residency program with the Centre for Family Medicine and the University of Waterloo. She plans to return to Manitoba and specialize in geriatric health.

“I’m extremely happy to win this prestigious award,” she said. “It’s an achievement.”

Research Day, which took place earlier this month, gave participants the opportunity to show off the projects they’ve been working tirelessly on. Aboulatta was one of four learners who took part in the invited oral presentation, and 18 participants in the poster competition.

Aboulatta, who received her doctor of pharmacy from Alexandria University in Egypt, is examining the impact that COVID-19 measures and restrictions in Manitoba had on pregnant individuals and perinatal care. She’s working to determine whether adverse perinatal outcomes, like preterm births and stillbirths, can be caused by factors exaggerated by the pandemic measures – like stress, anxiety and socioeconomic factors.

“The actual causes of preterm births and stillbirths have puzzled researchers for decades,” she said. “With the measures that took place during the pandemic, it gives us an opportunity to dig more and find the real causes.”

Aboulatta’s advisors are College of Pharmacy assistant professors Dr. Sherif Eltonsy and Dr. Kaarina Kowalec.

Dr. Luis Perez Davalos won the poster competition at the College of Pharmacy’s Research Day.

For College of Pharmacy master’s student Dr. Luis Perez Davalos, winning the poster competition was unexpected.

“I was trying to really tell a story that portrayed the work we’re doing,” he said. “It went well, and that led to winning the award. I wasn’t aiming for that.”

What Perez Davalos is aiming at is the development of a placenta-on-a-chip model to test nanodrugs to treat preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy. Perez Davalos, who received his medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, is working to replicate the conditions that happen in preeclampsia in the placenta, but on a chip.

“By creating a placenta-on-a-chip it will possibly accelerate the development of an intervention and instead of taking us 15 years to develop a new drug, maybe we can do it in a third of the time,” he said.

Perez Davalos’ advisor is Dr. Hagar Labouta, an assistant professor at the College of Pharmacy.

“I wish to congratulate the winners of the College of Pharmacy Research Day Presentation competition,” said Kowalec, who chaired Research Day and helped organize the event. “I would also like to say a warm congratulations to all the students, trainees and postdocs who contributed to an engaging and high level of scholarship during the day’s presentations.”

Research Day was combined with the College of Pharmacy’s annual graduate studies celebration and the Morris D. Faiman Lectureship. Dr. Christine Allen, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, gave the lecture on the technological approaches to accelerate development of advanced drug delivery strategies. Allen is an expert in drug formulation and the co-founder of Nanovista Inc., a company focused on high-precision, image-guided cancer therapy.