Resident Profiles
Palma Gubert
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Medical School: Queen's University
Current Year: PGY3
Q: What are some of your favourite things about Hamilton?
A: Hamilton is a very liveable city and there is something for everyone! I love to hike, run, and bike, so I love Hamilton's waterfront path and many great trails that are easily accessible within the city or just a few minutes away. Hamilton also has great restaurants which I love trying out with my new co-residents, and excellent breweries (my favourite is Fairweather Brewing Company).
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Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: I didn't get to do a visiting elective at Mac, but everyone I spoke to had such positive things to say about the program and the culture. So far, I have seen all those things to be true! The program is incredibly supportive and responsive to resident feedback. The program and the city are also the perfect size - big enough to keep you busy, but small enough to get to know everyone you work with.
Alex Norgaard
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Medical School: McMaster
Current Year: Graduated 2021!, now working in Oakville
Q: What hobbies did you continue in residency? Have you started any new ones?
A: My husband and I really enjoy travelling and have been lucky enough to take some pretty incredible trips in residency (Japan, Singapore, Australia, France, Austria, and Portugal to name a few). I also enjoy baking and regularly bring treats in to work to share with co-residents, staff, and the nurses (mostly so I don't eat them all myself).
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Q: What changed over your time at McMaster?
A: One of the things I love about our program is how much they listen and respond to feedback. In 5 years, we've been able to make some fairly dramatic changes to our rotations based on what we felt was better for our learning. The PGY2 gyne rotation is now split between McMaster and St Joe's, we've added a new 2 week block of high-risk OB ultrasound in PGY3, we've added a new PGY2 community rotation in St Catharine's, and we've gotten some new flexibility in some of the senior rotations to get more elective time if needed for fellowships or networking in the various surrounding communities.
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Q: Where is he now?
A: Alex spent a few months as a locum before starting a position at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in December!
Catherine Friedman
Hometown: Vaughan, ON
Medical School: McMaster
Current Year: PGY4
Q: Why did you choose McMaster?
A: I chose McMaster because I felt a true sense of belonging when I worked with the many encouraging, intelligent, and fun-loving residents and staff during clerkship. As someone who wants to work as a generalist in the community, McMaster was also really appealing for its excellent balance of academic and community exposure in residency. Since starting residency, I can honestly say that I couldn’t be happier to be at McMaster, where I feel incredibly supported by our program director, staff, and my co-residents.
Abi Kirubarajan
Hometown: Storrs, Connecticut
Medical School: University of Toronto
Current Year: PGY3
Q: What hobbies did you continue in residency? Have you started any new ones?
A: I’m still a huge bookworm so please send me any recs, especially for thrillers or murder mysteries! I’ve started cooking and baking more so I’m hoping to keep going!
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Q: What are some of your favourite things about Hamilton?
A: My amazing co-residents, friends, and family! Because of the people, I can really call Hamilton home.
Q: What are you most looking forward to during residency?
A: Helping patients in their times of need, and improving my surgical ability.
Allie Davidson
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Medical School: University of Toronto
Current Year: PGY4
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: Even without having done an elective in Hamilton, I was confident that this was the right fit for me. I was luckily able to meet several recent McMaster graduates as a clerk, I saw how they practiced and listened to the things they had to say about their program, and then I reached out to several (then) PGY1s, who further echoed positivities around the program and city. A quick google can assure you that McMaster OBGYN is a fantastic well-rounded program; not too big, not too small, the perfect balance of urban and community exposure, a reputation for their commitment to teaching and education, and the list goes on…But why you choose a specific residency is really very personal. Being able to walk down to the waterfront for an afternoon stroll, explore a new trail on the weekend, and even just appreciate a tree in my backyard post call were enough to sell me on the city…but it is the people and the energy you connect with that will ultimately sell you on the program. It only takes a handful of humans from the Mac family to show you that McMaster OBGYN is one of the most welcoming, inspiring, and supportive environments you can find. So reach out, ask questions, get personal! :)
Sam Shiplo
Hometown: Brantford, ON
Medical School: University College Cork, Ireland
Current Year: PGY5
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: I truly feel like McMaster chose me and it was the perfect fit. Through the ups and downs of residency my co-residents, nurses and staff have been super supportive. When making the decision I thought about where I felt most at home and that was McMaster! Our program is filled with amazing teachers who really care about you.
Q: What are some of your favourite things about Hamilton?
A: Hamilton has so many great restaurants, cute coffee shops and local markets. I love that it is not a huge city, but also not a small town. They have lots of events like supercrawl/art crawl (art festivals), beer fests, tiger cats football games, and many more! I'm so happy to call Hamilton home.
Becky Jones
Hometown: Waterloo, ON
Medical School: McMaster, Niagara Regional Campus
Current Year: PGY3
Q: What hobbies did you continue in residency? Have you started any new ones?
A: Pre-residency I loved exercising, going for long walks and hanging out with friends/family. I have definitely been able to continue all of these hobbies in residency, and have loved experiencing the new trails Hamilton has to offer so I can combine these hobbies and go for nice long hikes with friends on post-call days and days off!
Q: Why residency at McMaster?
A: I think Mac is truly one of the best Ob/Gyn residency programs. It is a mid-size program with amazing staff that give us great learning opportunities. All the residents are so wonderful and they truly make you feel so comfortable as a new resident entering the program! I also really like Hamilton as a city to live - there are lots of activities to do, great restaurants, and easy access to many surrounding cities.
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Chunyi (Christie) Tan
Hometown: Thornhill, ON
Medical School: Univeristy of Toronto
Current Year: PGY1
Q: Why did you choose residency in Hamilton?
A: I did my undergrad at Mac and it was a no brainer for me to continue my residency here! It's the perfect mix between city and nature, and the sense of community at McMaster is palpable. Seeing how close knit the residents in the program were, and how they supported each other through the good and hard times of training resonated with me. As PGY1s, we make an effort to celebrate each other's milestones and be present for each other as co-residents, and as friends.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I have been horseback riding since undergrad and try to go once a week! Horseback riding taught me how to manage controlled chaos, which is something that helped me tremendously through ups and downs of medical training. I have also been painting watercolours since COVID started, and draw inspiration from the natural sites around Hamilton.
Nancy Vu
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Medical School: McMaster
Current Year: PGY4
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: While I'm biased having completed medical school here, I do strongly believe in the teaching and learning culture at McMaster. Our OBGYN program consists of a committed, professional, and very approachable team of faculty and residents. Resident feedback is taken seriously; changes to the program are timely and well thought-out. There is a strong sense of collegiality and social advocacy. The catchment area and patient volume allow for ample practice and exposure while not being too overwhelming.
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: Food continues to be the great equalizer. I love to cook so having dinner parties with friends is something that makes me happy and keeps me connected (and fed) during a busy residency. There are various farmer's markets in Hamilton, a dense concentration of breweries, and a short drive to wine country. Lots of great local restaurants if you're too lazy to cook but want to treat yourself on a post-call day!
I'm also a big fan of art and live music so the annual Supercrawl festival is always something I look forward to. Hamilton is also very conveniently connected to other large music hubs. Unfortunately, post-COVID festivals are unlikely to take place for a while... There are still galleries and smaller outdoor concerts at parks to attend!
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Emalka Fernando
Hometown: Matale, Sri Lanka
Medical School: Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Current Year: PGY1
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: Since I came to Canada in 2020, I have heard only wonderful things about McMaster and I wanted to be a part of it.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Playing the piano, singing and dancing
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Julia Hollingsworth
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Medical School: University of Toronto
Current Year: PGY3
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: I chose it for the people! OBGYN, regardless of where you do it, is an incredibly challenging specialty, with long hours and tough outcomes. For me, I wanted to train in a supportive environment, where my co-residents would be my friends and support system. As well, the program is incredibly receptive to feedback and constantly making adjustments to make the program work for us.
Q: What hobbies did you continue in Residency?
A: I love exploring the food scene in Hamilton. I’ve kept up with my book club and regular yoga. I’ve always loved going for walks and Hamilton has some beautiful hiking trails to explore.
Katy Bartlett
Hometown: Charing Cross, ON
Medical School: University of Western Ontario
Current Year: Graduated 2023 - now working in Windsor!
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?A: Something I picked up more in residency was hiking, exploring all the amazing trails and Waterfalls around Hamilton and taking advantage of the amount of nature so easily in reach.
Q: What are your plans after residency?
A: One thing I want to do after residency is take the skills I've learned at Mac and bring them back with me somewhere in Southwestern Ontario to be close to home and give back to the community that got me here.
James Wang
Hometown: Scarborough, ON
Medical School: University of Toronto
Current Year: Graduated 2022!, now working in St. Catharines
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: McMaster University has established itself as one of the leading institutions in Canada focused on innovations in academic curriculum. In the department of OBGYN, we have established clinicians with various areas of expertise who are always willing to dedicate their time to resident education. Furthermore, the city of Hamilton has much to offer for both the city and country folks. We have a deep bucket list of restaurants to try for the food connoisseurs, countless hiking trails, waterfalls, and conservation areas for the outdoors men and women, and plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy including mini-theme parks, waterfronts, parks, and best of all - ribfest.
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: I enjoy spending time outdoors whether it's going for a hike, playing tennis, or going to the batting cage. I follow the Raptors religiously and nearly lost it when they won it all in 2019.
Q: Describe a memorable event / quote from a staff person
A: First block of PGY2: Dr. Oliver "James, not everything is your fault. Stop apologizing!"
Erica Pascoal
Hometown: Kingston, ON
Medical School: University of Toronto
Current Year: Graduated 2023 - now doing MIGS at U of T!
Q: What hobbies/interests did you continue in residency?
A: I came to love road biking in medical school and I was happy to discover the beautiful bike routes around Hamilton when I moved here!
Q: Describe a memorable staff person event
A: I will always the remember the call shift when I accidentally slept through morning handover. My phone died and I continued to snooze. Thank goodness for my life-saving co-resident who crept into the call room and woke me from my slumber. Upon entering our handover room, I was mortified. Dr. Shea, the Ob on call that night, recognized what had happened and simply gave me a big hug and burst out laughing.
Mehdiya Hemani
Hometown: Stouffville, ON
Medical School: McMaster
Current Year: Graduated 2023 - now locuming in the GTHA!
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: While this is an innovative program that graduates incredibly skilled OBGYNs, I chose McMaster because of the people. From my co-residents, staff, the interprofessional team - everyone is extremely supportive, intelligent, kind and fun to work with. I had the pleasure of meeting many members of the program during electives in clerkship and I knew it was where I wanted to be!
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: I love to travel and eat - both I have been able to do lots of during residency, including improving my cooking skills. Hamilton also has a ton of excellent restaurants and beautiful sites to explore!
Shikha Kuthiala
Hometown: Lasalle, ON
Medical School: Queen's University
Current Year: PGY4
Q: What hobbies/interests dud you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: Tennis is one of my favourite sports and Hamilton has a great tennis club and courts all over the city to play! Hamilton is also full of beautiful waterfront trails so I’ve taken up more running and cycling during residency. Cooking, having dinner parties or going out to eat on a patio has been a great way to catch up with friends during busy rotations.
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: McMaster OBGYN was the program for me because I felt at home in the supportive environment created by the residents and staff, who are encouraging, approachable and incredibly knowledgable. The program also seeks out and is receptive to resident feedback, and as such the program is always growing and adapting to our needs as learners. I’ve also found that the size of the program allows for lots of hands-on time while also having a great group of colleagues to support you through a busy residency!
Rachel Blair
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Medical School: Queen's University
Current Year: PGY4
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: I felt like McMaster was the perfect size for me. McMaster is large enough that I could see large patient volumes and complex presentations, but small enough that I could develop a sense of community and get to know my co-residents and staff.
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: I love to be outside so I’ve enjoyed exploring the trails and country roads around Hamilton. My dog also loves the trails and dog parks!
Lisa Yang
Hometown: Saskatoon, SK
Medical School: McMaster
Current Year: Graduated 2022!, now working in St. Catharines
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: All my experiences in Ob/Gyn as a medical student at McMaster were super positive, especially the very warm learning environment created by residents and staff. As a senior resident now, I feel very grateful to be able to work with and learn from such supportive and accessible staff, as well as my own awesome co-residents. Another strength of the program is we get to work at a lot of the surrounding community sites throughout our residency and I think that really enhances our ability to learn different ways of doing things.
Q: What hobbies / interests did you pick up during residency
A: I've definitely been able to find more of a work/life balance during residency (...probably going to eat my words in PGY5, haha) and there is so much to do in the Hamilton area! There's a lot of green space around including many conservation areas so I've found myself hiking a lot more and also going on a lot of fun day/weekend trips. Along a different vein, I'm getting a puppy in the coming month so that will definitely be an interesting adventure!
Q: Describe a memorable quote from a staff person
A: Common sentiment from countless staff is "I still get humbled all the time at this job" = Definitely an ode to life-long learning and the crazy/amazing specialty we've chosen!
Lara Des Roches
Hometown: BC
Medical School: UBC
Current Year: PGY5 - Soon to be doing REI Fellowship at McMaster
Q: What has it been like moving from outside of Ontario?
A: I was born and raised in coastal BC, moving to Hamilton was a big change. My partner joined me in my move to Hamilton, from Brazil! Having no family nor roots locally in Hamilton, we have developed our own network of supports here. The residents and nurses have become our close friends, and during the delivery of our daughter during the pandemic, the familiar labour and delivery staff became our biggest supports. On days off you can find us exploring the waterfront at Confederation Park, Bayfront Park or The Burlington waterfront park. With some good winter gear, we have loved getting outside to adventure in the colder months – minus our first winter when we fell through ice on the edge of Lake Ontario!
Q: What are your plans after residency?
A: Being from the LGBTQ+ community and having gone through fertility care to grow my family, I have dreams of giving back by becoming a leader in LGBTQ+ Fertility Care. I am very excited to be continuing at McMaster for an advanced residency (fellowship) in Gynecologic Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility starting summer 2023. My resident research project looking at Trans Peoples’ Interest in Reproduction and Barriers to Care is the first of many ways I hope to advance care for the LGBTQ+ community.
Vanessa Kay
Hometown: Orillia, ON
Medical School: Queen's University
Current Year: PGY3
Q:What are you most looking forward to during residency?
A: I'm most looking forward to the learning! I'm excited to develop and become confident in new skills. I'm also looking forward to building relationships with my co-residents and with the faculty over the next five years. The teaching here is excellent and the people are so friendly and welcoming!
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Q: What is it like to live in Hamilton?
A: I completed my undergraduate degree at McMaster as well so I've lived in Hamilton before. It's a great city and is known for its waterfalls. There are also many fantastic restaurants and bars. It's not as small as Kingston but it's not too big either.
Giuliana Guarna
Hometown: Stoney Creek, ON
Medical School: McMaster
Current Year: PGY5 - soon to be working in Grimsby
Q: What has changed most over your time at McMaster?
A: I came to McMaster in 2011 for my undergraduate degree in Biology and then I just never left. This city has changed so much in the 10 years that I've been here. Downtown was once a post industrial deserted part of town and it is now an exciting space filled with shops, resturants, and lots of pedestrian friendly walking space! I think one of the most notable things about Hamilton is it's every evolving arts and restaurant scenes. Every September we host a massive event called SuperCrawl where all of James Street North is shut down for an entire weekend so that musicians, artists, and local shops can showcase what they do! You'll find musicians performing on multiple stages all weekend long, food trucks, art stalls - anything you can think of, it's there! Additionally, we have SO many amazing restaurants and it seems like new ones are opening every other week. Whatever cuisine you want, from cultural foods; like Tomah which makes Syrian food, to food restriction friendly eats; like Berkeley North, which is a pesceterian tapas style restaurant, there really is something for everyone. Above all else, I think of Hamilton like a city with a heart. All of the people and business owners are friendly and look out for one another, and there is a general sense of community, camraderie, and of course some good steel city grit to get us through the tough times!
Marinela Grabovac
Hometown: Kitchener, ON
Medical School: University of Belgrade, Serbia
Current Year: Graduated 2022 - locuming in the GTHA!
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: Cooking, baking and food photography have been a great passion of mine for many years, and I have been able to continue enjoying this hobby during residency. One of the new hobbies I have taken up is hiking the beautiful trails, visiting waterfalls and natural areas in Hamilton and surrounding areas.
Q: What are you most looking forward to during residency?
A: Obtaining the most out of residency in terms of learning, research and getting to know all of the amazing people who are a part of our program. There are ample learning opportunities, and so obtaining new knowledge, clinical and technical skills occurs on a daily basis. I was always keen on research, and am fortunate to be at McMaster ObGyn, where I have been enabled to continue doing research and attend several conferences in residency. The McMaster ObGyn program consists of a cohesive group of residents, nurses and faculty, which allows you to get to know the people you are working with and demonstrates the importance of working as a team every day. It has also been a pleasure to learn from my peers, the nurses and the faculty, but also being able to teach more junior colleagues and residents.
Q: What has changed most over your time at McMaster?
A: McMaster ObGyn has always been an excellent program with amazing people, but a huge change has been the program’s shift toward a much greater focus on resident wellness. Hence, we have had wellness academic half-days with yoga and mindfulness sessions, as well as a two-day (overnight) retreat, all of which have been a fantastic experience.
Q: Describe a memorable event / quote from a staff person
A: Dr Brennan on the sequence of events in an emergency (in this case it was a talk on what to do in case of an unexpected breech delivery at term): “the first thing I would do in my own mind is to take a breath and try and calm everyone”. This quote stuck with me because in any emergent situation, you truly do need to take a breath, collect your thoughts and then act even if only for a few seconds!
Mackenzie Grisdale
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Medical School: University of Calgary
Current Year: PGY5 - Soon to be working in Peterborough!
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: I love kayaking and paddling in general but just this year have started learning more about sailing. The bay is the perfect place to learn and practice crew overboard drills by rescuing a Pantene Pro V container on a rope (true story).
I'm also growing an alarmingly large patch of basil so if you like pesto...
Q: What are you most looking forward to during residency?
A: Continuing to ride the learning curve. It is so exciting to improve at things that used to be intimidating or that seemed way too far out of reach. We are so lucky to be residents with supportive staff to help us build our skills as we work toward practicing independently.
Sarah Turvey
Hometown: Hamilton, ON
Medical School: Queen's University
Current Year: Graduated 2022, now working in Belleville
Q: What hobbies / interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: My husband and I love to cycle. The escarpment (tiny hill that we like to call the “mountain”) provides tons of exciting climbs to conquer on a bike.
Q: What has changed most over your time at McMaster?
A: I'd have to say my relationship with my coresidents. Residency is a grind - fun, exciting, fulfilling, but definitely a grind. McMaster OBGYN creates an environment which encourages residents from all years to develop relationships with each other inside and outside of work. My coresidents were there when I got married, always around to debrief on a bad day, and even there to help deliver my baby.
Tiffany Chih
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Medical School: Queen's University
Current Year: PGY2
Q: Why did you choose residency at McMaster?
A: Understanding that OBGYN residency can be demanding in nature, I knew I wanted to be in a program with a supportive culture and positive learning environment. I reached out to residents across the countries as a medical student and found that Mac OBGYN aligned with my personal values the most. Now as a resident, I feel constantly grateful to be working with the kindest group of nurses, residents, faculty, and PD. We also see diverse patient populations in both academic and community settings, which provides abundant clinical exposure and opportunities to explore different interests/career goals!
Q: What hobbies/interests did you continue from before residency / pick up during residency?
A: I’m honestly in awe of Hamilton’s food scenes and have been exploring all the restaurants and cafes with my co-residents! As a huge brunch person, I keep a long list of places to visit over the weekends. I am also a homebody and enjoy reading nonfiction and cooking on my post call days.