Third-year student at northern med school receives Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award
Receiving extra reassurance that she is on the right path, a third-year medical student at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is the latest recipient of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame award.
“It was honestly just such an honour and so, so humbling to receive that email that said I had been considered because, you know, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, it’s a big deal,” said Danica Desjardins.
“It's an organization that recognizes so much important work in medicine. So to have my name appear along side other medical students who have won this award in the past and are also recipients of this award this year, as well, is really such an honour.”
The award is given out to second-year students who show perseverance, community leadership and other promising skills in the medical field.
'It's a struggle'
“I find that in medical school I’m not at the top of my class you know, like I’m doing fine academically, you know, I’m plugging away,” Desjardins said. “It’s a struggle. It’s a hard time, but I find that I really set myself apart in ways that have more to do with advocacy and more to do with talking about the social determinants of peoples' health, rather that being that student who can remember every single detail about any given medical condition. So kind of being recognized for those efforts is really motivating and really inspiring to continue.”
She said she didn’t know her name was being put forward and she was nominated by NOSM facility.
“As somebody who kind of got into medicine because I’m really passionate about diversity and inclusion, I’m really passionate about advocacy in medicine as well," Desjardins said.
"It’s really exciting for me to be recognized for some of those advocacy initiatives. For example, I’m currently working on a project at NOSM to include or 2SLGBTQ health curriculum in our medical school curriculum.”
Desjardin is currently in Hearst, completing a year of clerkship where medical students get to shadow physicians and interact with patients. She said that wherever her career ends up taking her, she hopes to continue to advocate for the PRIDE community and stay in northern Ontario.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.