I consider myself extremely fortunate to have studied at McGill for 12 years. McGill challenged me, often pushed me to my limits where I sometimes succeeded and sometimes failed. Failure was always more instructive than success and through persistence, resilience and belief in myself, McGill made me into a scientist and doctor, enabling me to become an astronaut.
In space, especially during a spacewalk, it is profoundly humbling to see firsthand the spectacular beauty of the Earth, cast against the infinite void of space.”
There’s no question that the combination of my graduate studies in neuroscience, attending McGill medical school and becoming an emergency physician is a big part of why I was selected to become an astronaut. If you’re going to send humans to space for six months to a year at a time, it’s a good idea to have an astronaut physician aboard.
Unwilling to let others define my dreams, I held onto the hope that my childhood goal of exploring the two final frontiers, the undersea world and space, would one day come true. The journey took me on two space missions, gave me the opportunity to set a Canadian record performing three spacewalks, and enabled me to participate in two underwater missions to the Aquarius undersea research laboratory off the coast of Florida.
Throughout my career I’ve sought one primary goal, to make a difference. My time at McGill enabled me to do that in the academic world, as an emergency physician and senior executive in the GTA, and as an explorer. It gives me immense pride to say I am Made by McGill.”
In space, especially during a spacewalk, it is profoundly humbling to see firsthand the spectacular beauty of the Earth, cast against the infinite void of space. We live on a relatively small planet where there are no visible boundaries separating countries. We’re all in this together. I think every astronaut in some way develops a planetary perspective and understands that compelling message.
Throughout my career I’ve sought one primary goal, to make a difference. My time at McGill enabled me to do that in the academic world, as an emergency physician and senior executive in the GTA, and as an explorer. It gives me immense pride to say I am Made by McGill.