When I was growing up, my mother’s dream was for me to become a doctor. I took my chances and was accepted to one of the top medical schools: McGill’s Faculty of Medicine. Being in the city and at the University was fantastic: Montreal was at its prime in the late ’60s and early ’70s, and the student experience at McGill was excellent. I lived in a dorm where I would go to bed after dinner and wake up at midnight to study until it was time to go to class. It was quiet, meaning I would not be disturbed when studying. Other cities would be dead after 10 p.m., but the nightlife in Montreal went on and on: I remember enjoying some late-night cheesecake at Dunn’s on Saint-Catherine Street. I would sometimes go out until two or three in the morning – I always got good grades, so I got away with it!
Thanks to McGill, I met the right people, got the right training, and got to the right destination – McGill got me exactly where I was meant to be.”
After medical school, I met one of my first mentors: Dr. Paul Butt, a radiologist who convinced me to join the radiology program. I liked what he was showing me, but I was worried that I would not be able to find work. Back in ’73, jobs for graduating students were scarce. His answer inspired me: he said, “If you’re good at what you do, there’s always a job waiting for you.” In fact, EMI came out with the first CT scan when I started in radiology and radiology has been moving faster than any other specialty ever since. I was lucky to be exposed to both the clinical and academic sides of medicine and to work with many great professors, such as Dr. Fred Winsberg, a pioneer of ultrasound; Dr. Len Rosenthal, a pioneer in nuclear medicine; and Dr. Thomas Chan, who taught me basic science research. Thanks to my unconventional training, I was able to piece together my own program.
In the final year of my residency, I met my second mentor, Dr. Derek Harwood-Nash, who convinced me to move to SickKids, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Actually, he convinced my wife more than me! At the time, I had offers in Montreal and Vancouver, but Derek said, “Look, if you spend one year at SickKids, it will open more doors.” It was a one-year fellowship and there were no job openings, but I took the chance, and it paid off: a new staff radiologist position was created just for me. Later, when the Derek Harwood-Nash Chair was established at SickKids, I was chosen to be the first Chairholder.
Thanks to McGill, I met the right people, got the right training, and got to the right destination – McGill got me exactly where I was meant to be.