By Kieran Gill

After getting to know some of you over the past 2 years, it is clear many of you share goals, ambitions, and a vision of the future akin to my own. As a Student Board Member for the Centre for New-Immigrant Well-Being (CNIW), and medical graduate student working under the experienced mentorship of Dr. Peter Wang, I wanted to reflect on some of my recent experiences and perspectives on professional development and training for the health sector of tomorrow. My goal for this short reflective essay is to offer guidance, inspiration, or perhaps even motivation for those of you interested in contributing to the future of the Canadian health sector.

You cannot find your place in the world until you understand the world to which you seek to belong. This is as true for the health sector as it is for any other complex multi-faceted societal system. To this end I pose the question, what is health? A foundational 19th century understanding of health is captured in the biomedical model which equates health to merely the absence of disease and infirmity (Doyle & Link, 2024). By 1948 the World Health Organization defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, broadening the scope of our definition beyond illness (World Health Organization, 1948). In the late 20th century landmark studies were conducted which brought social determinants of health further into the spotlight, emphasizing lifestyle and the environment (Glouberman & Millar, 2003). Contemporary perspectives are dynamic, person-centered, and increasingly proactive, viewing health as an enduring societal commitment to creating the conditions necessary for preventing physical and mental illnesses before they can occur (Marmot et al., 2008).

Since 2019, CNIW has made a lasting impact through community programs and services, research, knowledge translation, and advocacy. This organization is emblematic of my conceptualization of what is needed to create a health sector in Canada that is more commensurate with the complexity of contemporary definitions of health. More specifically, just as prevailing definitions of health transcend disease-centered models, our health sector must continue to evolve from a reactive system characterized by treatment and management to a proactive system characterized by prevention and health promotion (Waldman & Terzic, 2019).

To be a champion of change, a competent leader, and an effective member of the Canadian health sector it is necessary to develop a skillset that corresponds to a health system which extends beyond hospital walls and clinical settings. This has been the underlying philosophy behind my current regiment of academics, extracurriculars, and community involvement. I have completed a Master of Public Health; this has offered me a foundational understanding of health systems, policy, and population-level interventions, as well as critical skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, and health equity. Presently, I am completing a Master of Science in Medicine to deepen my research capacity and further investigate the complex interplay between sociodemographic factors, health and health behaviors, and health outcomes. Concurrently, there are numerous clinical and community settings where leadership roles and diverse experiences teach me effective communication, empathy, teamwork, cultural sensitivity, and a practical understanding of social determinants of health through exposure to real-world programs and services. Additionally, I regularly contribute to public-health-, epidemiological-, and health-care-oriented research, allowing me to remain engaged with evidence-based practices, sharpen my analytical thinking, and produce work I hope can help inform equitable improvements in Canadian health sector knowledge and operations.

The path to becoming a health professional is often grueling — marked by late nights spent studying dense material, long days packed with lectures, labs, volunteer commitments, and more. It can feel daunting, even paralyzing at times, as the weight of expectations, the fear of failure, and the sheer volume of information converge to test your endurance and emotional resilience. The pursuit of higher education in medicine is not a straight line — it is a slow, uphill climb that demands sacrifices, self-discipline, and the ability to push forward even when the finish line feels impossibly far away. Yet, for many, the desire to help others, to understand the human body, and to be part of something greater than oneself offers just enough light to keep moving through the darkest hours. Eventually, as you continue to work hard recognition will come from your peers, professors, and academic units. For me this took the form of being honored as a Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Recently, I also became a recipient of the Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Building a Healthy Tomorrow Award (valued at $3,230CAD), the Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Fellowship Award (valued at $18,000CAD), the Dean’s Excellence Award (valued at $5,000CAD), and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Master’s Fellowship Award (valued at $27,000CAD). Such recognitions have a way of validating your hard work and dedication, while motivating the continued pursuit of excellence across academic, community, and employment domains.

These achievements, while humbling, are not endpoints — they are markers along a lifelong journey of service, learning, and leadership. In a health sector that continues to evolve in complexity, what we need most are professionals who can bridge evidence with empathy, systems with stories, and policy with people. As you chart your own path through late nights, rigorous training, and moments of self-doubt, remember that every volunteer hour, every research question pursued, and every challenge overcome is a stitch in the tapestry of a more inclusive, proactive health sector. The health professionals of tomorrow are clinicians, researchers, and community leaders, all rolled into one; bringing people together, and creating communities where everyone can realize their full health potential. If I condensed all I have learned along my journey of professional development into a single sentiment it would be that it is easier to stop something from happening than it is to repair damage after it has occurred. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

References

Doyle, D. M., & Link, B. G. (2024). On social health: History, conceptualization, and population patterning. Health Psychology Review, 18(3), 619-648. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2024.2314506.

Glouberman, S., & Millar, J. (2003). Evolution of the determinants of health, health policy, and health information systems in Canada. American Journal of Public Health, 93(3), 388-392. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.93.3.388.

Marmot, M., Friel, S., Bell, R., Houweling, T. A., & Taylor, S. (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. The Lancet, 372(9650), 1661-1669. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61690-6.

Waldman, S. A., & Terzic, A. (2019). Healthcare evolves from reactive to proactive. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 105(1), 10-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.1295.

World Health Organization. (1948). Summary reports on proceedings minutes and final acts of the international health conference held in New York from 19 June to 22 July 1946. New York: WHO, 35.