Women in Medicine: Celebrating International Women's Day with our Students

In celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8) and Canadian Women Physicians Day (March 11), six medical (MD) students from the College of Medicine spoke with us about their journey into medicine.  

Learn about how they became interested in health care and their views on the importance of woman in medicine. Their stories are inspiring for anyone who wants to pursue a MD. 

Rebecca Hey  

Rebecca Hey (she/her) is a first-year student in the MD program from Saskatoon. She is a graduate from USask’s College of Nursing and worked as an ER nurse for a few years until deciding to return to school for medicine.  

Hey was always intrigued by the medical field, saying “medicine is something I can’t imagine myself not doing.” As both her parents are in health care, she was surrounded by conversations about medicine and saw the impact of medical care on patient lives. Hey said, “being in nursing allowed me to see the critical role health-care providers play and the breadth of knowledge they hold. I went into medicine because I wanted to further expand my knowledge base as best I can and take greater responsibility in patient care.”  

Hey’s overall goal “is to provide the best quality care to patients that I can.” While practicing nursing, she saw firsthand the challenges of accessing equitable care, especially in some rural and remote communities. With this in mind, Hey emphasized that “I want to gain the most knowledge I can in my field to ensure I can support equitable care.”  

She is avid that having women in the health-care field is vital, explaining “having women in leadership and other powerful roles is important so that women can have representation in their health.” She went on to comment how most medical studies have been completed with male participants.  Hey also emphasized the importance of having a range of different perspectives— “from my class alone, there are a lot of different perspectives brought to the table. My mom is an ICU nurse and lots of women family friends are in the medical field. The knowledge and passion they bring to the role is inspiring, and hopefully I can inspire other women as well.”   

Hey likes to stay busy. When she’s not studying medicine, she picks up shifts as an ER as a nurse which allows her to work with old friends and colleagues. She also volunteers for the Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan by going to schools to talk about mental health and how to access health care. Hey runs her own photography business, sharing she “especially loves to do weddings.” If there’s any spare time left, she can be found training for triathlons with her father and brother. 

Kailee Skinner 

Kailee Skinner (she/her) is a second-year student in the MD program. Prior to medicine, she completed an undergraduate degree in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota Duluth where she was also a NCAA hockey player. Skinner returned to Saskatoon to study medicine both to be closer to family and because she was inspired by the work ethic of doctors in Saskatchewan.  

From a young age, Skinner was sure she wanted to pursue medicine. Originally from the small town of Wilkie, SK, she admired how the local doctors helped people in the community. Skinner’s own compassion for helping others sparked her initial interest in medicine. As she got older, she became fascinated with the intellectual challenge. “In my undergrad, whenever elements related to medicine came up, I was really interested in the science which gave me that final push to study medicine.”  

Skinner takes special interest in the field of internal medicine and hospital-based care. “I really want to do something in internal medicine. When in the hospital environment, I am drawn to complex cases. Especially when related to cardiology or GI.”  

When asked about women in medicine, Skinner emphasized the impact of women in leadership roles. “We get to work with a lot of doctors within clinic and lecture settings. It’s nice to have women as role models. You can look up to them and know anything is possible.”  

In Skinner’s life outside the college, she is heavily involved in the Saskatoon hockey scene, saying “most of my time goes to coaching a U9 girls hockey team.” Having played hockey her whole life, she’s passionate about supporting girls in the sport.   

Sierra Lenoard 

Sierra Leonard (she/her) is a second-year student in the MD program from Saskatoon. While her first degree in kinesiology was completed at the University of Alberta, Leonard returned to Saskatoon to pursue medicine. Her academic career includes five years as a student-athlete competing in pole vault. 

Leonard has a long history of interest in medicine, saying “I was always kind of interested as a young kid and thought it was the coolest thing ever to be a doctor.” Throughout high school, Leonard became unsure of her career path and elected to first pursue a degree in kinesiology. She explained, “when I was studying, I started falling in love with the sciences, especially anatomy, biology and physiology. I’ve also always been passionate about caring for other people. Throughout my undergrad I was a direct support professional in group homes for people with disabilities.” It was this combined interest in medicine and passion for patient care that made Leonard sure that medical school was the right path for her. 

Leonard is very interested in pediatrics and family medicine. This interest comes from a place of compassion for patients and their families. “I want to be a pillar of support for patients and really get to know them, investing in patient care and involving families. Families are important in a pediatric setting.” 

Looking at women in medicine, Leonard said, “in medicine nowadays we’re seeing more women in leadership, this is great as female leaders often get overlooked and are underrepresented in areas like sports. Seeing medicine have a dominant female presence is inspiring and gives me leaders to look up to.” 

Even in her hobbies, Leonard actively engages with medical research. “This past summer I worked on a project related to risk prediction for lung cancer.” This research led to Leonard’s first publication: Comparing Artificial Intelligence and Traditional Regression Models in Lung Cancer Risk Prediction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Currently, Leonard is involved with another study in pediatric oncology, explaining, “the study is a survey looking at fertility experiences in long term pediatric cancer survivors.” In addition, Leonard balances coaching fitness classes at Thrive Active, a local Saskatoon gym, and participating in the College of Medicine Wellness Group running social wellness events like games nights, and physical wellness events such as spin classes and pilates. 

Genevieve Dietrich 

Genevieve Dietrich (she/her) is a third-year medical student in the MD program. All the way from Oakville, Ontario, she is now pursuing medicine at the College of Medicine Regina Campus. Prior to medical studies, Dietrich completed an undergraduate degree in molecular biology at McMaster and then a master’s in biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto.  

Dietrich’s personal experiences within the healthcare system is what inspired her to study medicine. After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age two, she was fortunate to have an amazing care team. In particular, she says her pediatric endocrinologist “was a good role model and fantastic. I grew up looking up to him. Eventually I also enjoyed problem solving and being in environments where I could interact with other people.” Dietrich had only been in medical school for two weeks before she called her family, saying “this is absolutely where I want to be; it’s exactly right.”  

Drawn to obstetrics and gynecology, Dietrich thrives in supporting women’s health. “It’s an environment where you can have such a positive impact, both in the good moments, and in the sad or distressing ones,” she explains. “You can be there for people in both those times, and they are important and memorable moments in their life.”  

When it comes to women in the medical field, Dietrich believes that they are important, especially in obstetrics and gynecology. “There are so many patients who are more comfortable with a female provider, which is why representation matters. Sometimes patients want to speak with someone who understands what they’re going through on a similar level.” Looking at the practice of medicine historically, she told us that “representation is huge for shifting away from old patriarchal systems. Women used to not be able to train and practice medicine, and we’ve come a long way.”  

Dietrich is also involved in medical research. She currently is part of a study looking at placental growth factors to improve perinatal outcomes in Saskatchewan. She also is an active part of the College of Medicine Wellness group, helping with its initiatives since her first year. Otherwise, she enjoys hiking in her spare time (her favourite trip being a hiking trip through the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia),playing board games, and going to spin classes. 

Danielle Gaultois 

Danielle Gaultois (she/her) is a fourth-year student in the MD program. While she’s originally from Snow Lake, Manitoba, her pursuit of a career in health care led her to study in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Gaultois first completed an undergraduate degree in biochemistry before going into nursing at MacEwan University. After practicing for a few years, she decided to take a new direction and chose to study medicine at the USask Regina Campus.  

Gaultois wasn’t always sure she wanted to go into health care. However, when she was 14 and tore her ACL at a basketball game, the care she received gave her a new perspective. “It was disheartening that pro athletes got care right away, and me and other normal people had to wait months if not a year. It made me think that I want to help regular people get access to health care.” When Gaultois began nursing, she struggled to enjoy the field until her emergency practicum in Leduc, Alberta. She started to love her work and the impact it made. Now, as a fourth year-clerk who matched to emergency medicine in Toronto, she’s excited to continue that work from a new angle.  

Gaultois wants to dedicate her career as a doctor to both help provide medical services to all those who need it and to help fix discrepancies in the health-care system. “When I was doing ER nursing, I was able to see all the flaws in the health-care system. When I came to Saskatchewan and did med school here, I noticed similar problems.” It is her goal to be part of the solution for these shortcomings. Gaultois is looking forward to being back in the ER, as it “feels like home and where I am meant to be, and where I can make the biggest impact.”  

Stressing the importance of women in medicine, especially in teaching and leadership, Gaultois spoke about her own experiences. “First and foremost, I love seeing women in the medical field. When doing rotations in emergency medicine, many of the best preceptors were women. They were methodical, intentional, and deliberate with their time and practice, and that’s what I aspire to do.”  

In her downtime, Gaultois loves to play volleyball. She is on two intermediate teams in Edmonton, flying back and forth from Saskatoon to play. She also plays intramural volleyball with her peers within the College of Medicine. Her eldest daughter plays as well and it’s a favourite activity they get to share together. 

Sydney Murray  

Sydney Murray (she/her) is a fourth-year medical student in the MD program. She is from Saskatoon  but has completed her studies both in Saskatoon and at the College of Medicine Regina Campus. Before coming into medicine, Murray completed an undergraduate degree in toxicology at USask.  

Murray has been sure she wanted to study medicine since grade four. Looking back, Murray shares what she believed drew her in—“now that I’m older, I am drawn to the team-based environment of medicine, accompanied by my love of science.”  

At the onset of her studies, Murray wanted to pursue a career in geriatrics. Having volunteered at the Saskatoon Community Clinic and the Sherbrooke Community Centre, she felt it would be well-suited to her. However, that all changed in her third year, sharing, “I did my pediatric rotation, and something clicked. I loved the relationships I could build with children and their families, and how interdisciplinary the specialty is.” 

Murray is excited to share that she has matched into the University of Saskatchewan’s pediatric residency program at the Saskatoon site, where she will begin her training in July. While she decided to do pediatrics later into her studies, Murray has received a lot of support from residents and mentors. “That’s what I aspire to be in my career. I hope one day to be the same type of physician and role model I had, who were excellent teachers, communicators and had an infectious enthusiasm.”  

Considering women in medicine, Murray shared she believes that “it’s so important to see women in positions of power, especially in medicine. Representation matters. Women supporting women is important because it’s not about fighting for one seat at the table; it’s about making a bigger table.”  

She told us, “research is also really important to me. It’s great for building relationships with faculty and learning how to be a curious student and scholar.” She has been involved in a plethora of research projects throughout her medical degree, including one of which is a published study: “Virtual Supervision of Third Year Medical Students Using Handheld POCUS Devices and Cloud-based Image Archiving Provides Opportunity for Feedback and Skill Improvement”.  

Outside of her studies, Murray is a voracious reader of both fantasy fiction and nonfiction. She also crochets, enjoying being able to make her own patterns like  a heart or a kidney.  

Concluding our conversation, she would like to give special thanks to all her mentors and teachers, especially Dr. Shauna Flavelle (MD), Dr. Lola Sotomi (MD), and Dr. Ayisha Kurji (MD)—pediatricians in the Saskatchewan pediatrics program who supported her journey towards becoming a pediatrician.