Faces of U of T Medicine: Tara Justice
New parents describe the love they feel when they first gaze on their newborn child. Third-year medical student Tara Justice had a similar experience with the field of obstetrics and gynecology thanks to her rotation at Trillium Health Partners. The Mississauga Academy of Medicine student spoke to us about her experience between shifts.
Name: Tara Justice
Program/year: Third-year MD student
Role/position: Third-year Class Representative for the Mississauga Academy of Medicine
Tell us about your experience while participating in the obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) rotation at Trillium Health Partners.
During my second year, I spent a night shadowing one of the obstetricians (OBs) at Trillium Health Partners’ Credit Valley Hospital site. I had some interest in OB/GYN as a specialty, and the OB recommended I come to Trillium Health Partners Credit Valley for my third-year rotation. I couldn’t have received better advice.
The staff – both the OB/GYNs and nurses – made the rotation so incredible. The whole team worked to create an environment that fostered learning and that encouraged students to get involved. This attitude even extended to the early hours of the morning. OB/GYN is a highly team-based specialty, and that includes teaching. The whole team pitches in to teach you and develop your skills, whether it is in the labour and delivery ward, the clinic, or in the operating room. Call me crazy, but I didn’t even mind rounds at 6 a.m. or being awake to deliver babies at 4 a.m. – and I think that’s largely because of the team I had the opportunity to work with!
What do you find most exciting about your work?
Delivering babies is one of the best feelings in the world. And, unlike other experiences in clerkship, that feeling hasn’t changed for me as the novelty has worn off. You play a part in such an important moment of a family’s life, and the experience you create is one that will be remembered forever. It is such a privilege to help bring babies into the world and to be the first person to hold them.
As a medical student, you often find yourself thinking “I’m just the medical student.” We’re at the beginning of our careers and most of our patients’ outcomes are the result of the hard work of our residents and staff physicians. It wasn’t until a new dad approached me by name in the hospital a few days later to thank me for delivering his son that I realized the impact that I had in the delivery room. It’s a pretty amazing feeling!
What do you hope to accomplish?
Throughout my rotation, I had the opportunity to work with some incredible OB/GYNs, many whom I would consider role models. Their bedside manner, skills, and teamwork were some of the best I’ve witnessed throughout my clerkship. The amount I learned from them is immeasurable. The simplest and perhaps cheesiest way to put it is that I want to be like them when I grow up! If I can somehow combine all of their amazing qualities into one person, and then be 50 per cent of that doctor, I know my patients will be just as satisfied as the patients I’ve met while working with these great mentors.
How has this experience influenced your long-term career plans?
I started my OB/GYN rotation set on a different specialty and thought it would be hard for them to change my mind. Since the end of my OB/GYN rotation, I’ve thought about OB/GYN every single day. As I walk through the hospital now, my feet want to take me back to OB/GYN. I’ve even gone back for a few extra shifts, which didn’t even feel like work. It’s definitely one of my top career prospects at this point – and most days it’s my top choice. Sometimes I think I left my heart on OB/GYN.
What's your favourite thing about the Faculty of Medicine?
My favourite thing about the Faculty of Medicine is how geographically widespread it is. With more than 20 affiliated hospitals and hundreds of faculty — including international affiliations — each student in the Faculty of Medicine has a unique experience and the opportunity to connect with and be inspired by different faculty. It’s incredible that every student can have such a different experience despite being one of the largest medical schools in Canada. It wasn’t something I realized before coming to U of T, but it’s something I appreciate more and more each day.
Faces of U of T Medicine introduces you to some of the interesting men and women studying in the Faculty of Medicine. From advising political leaders to providing care to Toronto’s most vulnerable populations, our students are making an impact on communities at home and around the world. Do you have an interesting story to share? Send us an email at medicine.communications@utoronto.ca.
