My dad came to McGill from Jamaica to do his Master's in Entomology. My mom was an executive assistant at CN. They filled me with positivity and optimism about the universe having boundless opportunity for me, should I choose to tap into it. They were also educated people, so we had conversations about science and Darwinism.
My dad was a science teacher (the first Black teacher at Lower Canada College) and had a lab. I remember being about four or five years old and climbing up onto the bench to see the various specimens in jars. My mom would say, “Don't show her that. It's going to give her nightmares.” But it didn't. My dad would say to me, “Notice the rat pups? They grow in bicornuate uteruses. Would you believe that women only have one uterus?” I was absolutely enthralled – and it was prophetic of my life today. Sometimes young kids are sheltered because adults are afraid that early exposure to certain concepts or images will upset them. But kids are sponges and science is fascinating – cool trumps fear.
I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. In Grade 6, I watched the first live broadcast of open-heart surgery on the PBS program Nova. I ate popcorn through it all and was fully enthralled. In Grade 10, there was a magazine article celebrating the 10th birthday of Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, and explaining that the future of medicine was in reproductive biology. “I'm going to do that,” I told myself.
I wanted to get in to McGill medicine. Once I was there, it felt surreal. When I did my rotation in OB GYN, things solidified. I was totally happy there.
The whole idea of mentoring, tutoring and teaching was a very McGill thing. Our class was the first one to test out a concept called problem-based learning. So, when I got my residency position in Toronto, I felt like I was considered strong because of what McGill had taught me.
The mission-vision at Anova is that everyone should have access to the best technology to build their family, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, or socioeconomic or family status. I wanted to create a place that would allow for innovation and advancement. Life is a continuum and there is always something to be learned. Science provides people with the opportunity to do great things every single day.
I was committed to the concept of being a lifelong learner before it was en vogue and am very grateful to McGill for instilling this in me. McGill laid the groundwork for who I am today.