A First Nations woman is being highlighted as one of the success stories of this year’s graduates of the Northern Medical Program.
Randi George is from the small reserve of Hagwilget Village near New Hazelton, but also calls Prince George her home as she decided to pursue a career in mental health and wellness after noticing her family’s struggles.
Today (June 17), she can add ‘doctor’ next to her name, along with 33 other students based at UNBC in partnership with UBC’s Faculty of Medicine.
George was also inspired to become a doctor after losing her cousin to suicide at a young age.
She now wants to build lasting relationships to better the mental health of marginalized community members struggling with addiction.
“Having worked with Indigenous and other marginalized populations and seeing firsthand the health impacts of the painful history of colonization that still affects the health of many individuals, families, communities, and nations to this day, her hope is to help build connection and trust between Indigenous peoples and the medical community while continuing to be an advocate for mental health and Indigenous wellness,” reads a UNBC statement on George.
George was part of the program’s 13th graduating class of the Northern Medical Program, which took part in a virtual convocation ceremony today through UBC by virtue of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is set to begin her psychiatry residency down south with the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program.
Medical residencies often take two to seven years depending on specialty, the program says.
Fields varied within the 2020 grad class, including anesthesiology, dermatology, diagnostic radiology, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry and plastic surgery.
Three graduates are set to train in northern B.C. through family medicine.
