Back to School Series

Alexander Rudecki
SMP Class of 2020
Hometown: Prince GeorgeAlexander Rudecki (web)

What attracted you to your field of study or research?
Perhaps all the time spent in the ER from my plethora of childhood injuries attracted me to pursue medicine. Or perhaps it was my love for sciences in high school (which led me to a BCMB degree), or my interest in sports and physiology. I guess I will never know for sure.

What excites you about the upcoming year?
I’m excited about all the new people I’m going to meet, and to extend my knowledge of the human body.

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?
People might be surprised to know that I once modeled clothing for a TV commercial.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope in 5 years I will be doing a residency in internal medicine, anesthesiology, surgery, or family medicine (I’m still largely undecided).

Best piece of advice
“insert cliche quote here”… Everyone has their own way of doing things. Don’t forget to include your ‘spin’ on things.

Last vacation destination
Eurotrip (Belgium, Amsterdam, Greece and London)


Clara Hong
SMP Class of 2018
Hometown: Maple RidgeClara.Hong (web)

What attracted you to your field of study or research?
Everything- from learning about the pathophysiology of diseases, investigations and treatment plans, to ultimately applying this knowledge in the context of the patient as a whole. Also the resilience some people possess in the face of the most debilitating diseases.

What excites you about the upcoming year?
As a third year clerk I am in an exciting time in medical school. Transitioning from the classroom to the hospital has been absolutely amazing, but definitely not without its challenges. I am excited to continue through my rotations and learn as much as I can in every one of them.

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?
Last year I went paragliding and “survived” a four-day trek in Nepal (If you know me, this is surprising!).

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In the middle of residency in….?

Best piece of advice
Don’t let others tell you what you can or cannot do. Don’t let anyone else define your future but yourself!

Last vacation destination
Thailand!


Vincent Fung
SMP Class of 2018
Hometown: VancouverVincent.Fung (web)

What attracted you to your field of study or research?
Both of my parents had cancer when I was growing up so I spent much of my childhood in and out of hospitals (and clinics) with them. The health care teams that took care of my parents had a huge impact on the direction of my life, and I’ve always dreamed of ‘paying it forward’ somehow – this led me to pursue a career in health care.

What excites you about the upcoming year?
Being able to finally see patients, getting to know people, and exploring all the weird and wonderful things in medicine that only a privileged few get the chance to ever experience.

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?
I love watching cartoons.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Working in an inner city environment with marginalized populations. Planning a trip to do humanitarian aid somewhere in the world. Hopefully finding some time to sit on a couch and watch cartoons with little people that kind of look like me.

Best piece of advice
Do not let med school take over your life! Although there will be tough moments in school, keep in mind that 99% of all accepted applicants WILL finish with an MD in 4 years. Go travel, don’t do research unless you love it, get to know (and love) yourself!

Last vacation destination
London England… unfortunately before the Brexit currency crash.


Olivia Guerra
SMP Class of 2017
Hometown: North SaanichOlivia.Guerra (web)

What attracted you to your field of study or research?
I have always wanted a career where I could work closely with people and really feel that I am impacting their lives on a daily basis. I feel that there really is no better field than health care for me to do that as it combines my desire to help people with my interest in human biology, passion for team work and knack for problem solving.

What excites you about the upcoming year?
I am excited to further explore my areas of interest now that I have a better understanding of what each field of medicine is like to work in and where my strengths and weaknesses lie. I also relish the chance to continue touring BC and Canada as we move from elective to elective and apply for residencies!

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?
That I am slowly turning myself into a jack-of-all-trades. I love to cook, craft, paint, build decks, fix cars, refurbish furniture… basically get my hands dirty and learn new skills.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years I will be finishing up my residency program and I am hoping to be making my way home to Vancouver Island. I would love to buy a little chunk of land and slowly work on building my own home (with help of course!). I am also hoping that by then I will have myself a dog to keep me company while I’m out hiking and exploring.

Best piece of advice
Clerkship was a very difficult year for many reasons, but I think the most trying part of it was the constant feeling of insecurity as I started each rotation and once again felt unsure of my skills, knowledge, role on the team, preceptor’s expectations, culture of the specialty, etc. One thing my mother always tells me when I’m feeling overwhelmed is to remember that, “this too shall pass”, just hold onto the belief that you will feel better again soon. And I always did. By the end of each 2 to 6 week rotation I would feel happy, well adjusted and be enjoying my work and what I was learning.

Last vacation destination
Outside of Canada, my last vacation was to Panama. We explored both coasts from Panama City, up to Bocas del Toro on the Carribean side and across to David-Chiriqui on the Pacific. I was impressed by Panama’s beautifully diverse landscape, friendly, helfpul people and three-shower-a-day humidity!