Posted May. 25, 2021
Stephanie McCann, Immaculata Class of 2016
Starting Medical School, Fall 2021
Where has life taken you since Immaculata?
I graduated from Immaculata in 2016 and then went on to complete a degree in medical and molecular biochemistry at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. In the fall, I will start the Southern Medical Program at UBCO.
What made you decide to go to medical school?
My initial interest in medicine definitely began with my father who is a doctor himself. I remember being a child and constantly begging my dad to take me to the hospital and show me around to see what he did throughout the day, and I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be in medicine just like him.
As I went through my education, I found that medicine was the only career that contains all the aspects of other jobs that I find the most appealing. I’ve always known I wanted a career that involves lots of interaction with people and directly helps improve their lives, but medicine also offers the opportunity to be involved in research and education which I would love to be involved in later in my career. Doctors are continually engaged in lifelong learning and are encouraged to be beneficial members of the community, and I look forward to having a career that will consistently challenge me while also being spiritually fulfilling.
What did you do to facilitate your accomplishment?
When I began my university degree, I was eager to get involved with research in the biochemistry field. I was lucky enough to be hired in a lab that focused on the biochemistry of wine throughout my undergrad, which was a really cool field to study while living in the Okanagan! I completed an honours thesis in my fourth year that lead to two publications in scientific journals, and I plan on continuing to work as a research assistant until I start medical school in the fall.
Along with staying on top of my studies and getting involved with research at my university, I knew it was also important to give back to the community. Since graduating from Immaculata, I have been lucky enough to coach youth soccer with Kelowna United, which has been an amazing experience as soccer continues to be a lifelong passion of mine. I also spent time at the Bill Nelems Pain and Research Center here in Kelowna as a volunteer coordinator, where I got to experience a clinical environment that centers around helping patients living with chronic pain.