Mike Jackson | Evan Adams | Michelle Bryant | Candis Callison | Ian Campbell | Bernard Casavant | Stacey Edzerza | Lenny Fisher | Dave Griffin | Trevor A. Joe | Tewanee Joseph | Rose Lesner | Duncan McCue | Carey Newman | Cherie Joy Rochelle Peal | Jason Rock | Lisa Sam
Doctor In Training
A Prescription For Success!
A chance meeting with an Aboriginal doctor was just what Rose Lesner needed to put her on the path to a career in medicine. A member of the Squamish Nation, 26-year old Rose Lesner is of Wet’suwet’en ancestry and in her third year of medicine at the University of British Columbia.
Her route to UBC was long and varied. She first attended UBC after graduating from high school in Terrace, and then returned to the North to attend the Northwest Community College. Her love of French and fond memories of a student conference in Ottawa, led her to Concordia University in Montreal where she earned a degree in Biology.
While in University, Rose spoke with an Aboriginal doctor at a Woman and Wellness conference who inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. Hard work and support from the native students at Concordia helped her achieve the good grades she needed to get into medical school.
Rose also credits her participation in sports at high school as fundamental to her success today. Badminton and gymnastics kept her active and taught her discipline; an important quality for a doctor-in-training. Her long-time love of reading helped with the long study sessions, too.
When asked to prescribe advice to students Rose says, “Whatever you love doing and dream of accomplishing, try hard and go for it!” She looks forward to opening her own practice someday, ideally a native health care centre with a couple of other First Nations doctors. “Medicine is hard at first but it gets fun and you meet great people. Work hard. Stay in school. And we may be partners in medicine one day!” says Rose to future doctors.