A Trio of Twins

No, you don’t have double vision. Among the students studying in U of T Medicine are three sets of twins. Let’s meet them.

Amanda and Jessica Huynh
Year: 3
Hometown: Ottawa

Amanda and Jessica Huynh liked science from an early age, but it was their mother’s experience with breast cancer that ignited their passion for medicine. “Standing by our mom as she battled cancer was tough. We wanted to be more than just daughters—we wanted to help in a direct way,” says Amanda. Lucky for the inseparable duo their similar applications and interviews made the cut, and they were accepted into U of T’s Faculty of Medicine. “It was important for us to go to the same medical school and stay together,” says Jessica.

Now in their first year of clerkship, Amanda and Jessica are thinking ahead to residency and plan to specialize in internal medicine, a decision they made together. “I knew right away internal medicine was what I wanted to do even before I did my other rotations. Amanda, on the other hand, fell in love with every rotation she did. It took her a while to decide on internal,” says Jessica. “I considered doing my residency in everything from obstetrics to paediatrics, but Amanda always brought me back to internal medicine,” adds Amanda.

Going through medical school with a twin is a huge help, but it can also pose some challenges. The two do their clerkship rotations at different times and hospital staff often mix them up. “People Jessica worked with expect me to say hello or strike up a conversation, and are confused when I don’t. They don’t realize I’m her twin. It can hurt her professional relationships because staff think she’s being rude,” says Amanda. “Too bad we can’t do our rotations together,” adds Jessica.

Dylan and Taylor Kain
Year: 3
Hometown: Toronto

Dylan and Taylor Kain can’t seem to get away from each other no matter how hard they try. “We’re like an old married couple who has the same job and friends. We argue a lot when we spend too much time together,” says Taylor. Despite their best efforts the two identical siblings ended up at Queen’s University for undergrad and then U of T for medical school. “There’s a lot of competition when you’re twins, especially when people compare you. I think it would’ve been awkward if one of us got in and the other didn’t,” says Dylan.

Residency could be the be the perfect opportunity for both to take on different challenges—Taylor wants to become a surgeon whereas Dylan wants to specialize in internal medicine—but they’re interest in global health may keep them together. The duo worked in a Ugandan paediatric hospital as part of the international CREMS program. “The opportunity made us realize how differently the rest of the world lives, especially in resource-constrained counties. I want to do surgery, but with a global health lens,” says Taylor. “There are so many opportunities to participate in global health activities in Toronto. It’s a great city for me to practise internal medicine from a global health perspective,” adds Dylan.

The brothers share a passion for theatre outside of the classroom and clinic. They’ve taped into their creative side by acting in and designing sets for many plays including the Faculty’s annual Daffydil production.

Connor and Geordon Avery-Cooper
Year: 2 and 4
Hometown: Barrie

Breaking multiple bones and tearing ACLs while playing sports meant Connor and Geordon Avery-Cooper spent a lot of time in the company of doctors growing up. It was their positive interactions with various health professionals, coupled with a love of science, that sparked their interest in medicine. They applied to medical school after completing undergraduate degrees in bio medical sciences and graduate  degrees in cancer biology and human health and nutrition, but their near-identical applications, GPAs and MCAT scores had very different results.

Connor got accepted to U of T on the first shot, but it took Geordon two more application cycles to get in. “It was really frustrating, but I didn’t give up. Hearing about Connor’s experiences in pre-clerkship only motivated me more. In the end I had a few options to choose from, but I picked U of T because it offered everything I was looking for. Having Connor here and seeing how much he enjoyed it influenced my decision as well,” says Geordon. “It was hard for me when he got rejected. We had the same application—how did I get in if he didn’t? I felt like I slipped through the cracks. It motivated me to work that much harder in my first two years,” says Connor.

Having a sibling a couple of years ahead of you in medical school is beneficial.. Connor hopes Geordon can learn from his experiences as he leaves U of T and Toronto behind to complete his residency in rural family medicine in Kelowna, British Columbia. “I did a family medicine elective in Grand Forks and was hooked after the first three days. Training in a rural environment gives you a lot more practical experience. The scope is greater. The family physicians I worked with during my elective did internal medicine, emergency medicine and cardiology. Plus, I’ve always wanted to live in the mountains so it’s just a great fit,” says Connor. 
 

Geordon is still undecided about what he wants to do, but is looking forward to starting his clerkship.