Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom note The Temerty Faculty of Medicine invites alumni to share their Words of Wisdom with our students.

Words of Wisdom is an opportunity for alumni to write notes of congratulations and encouragement to medical students to welcome them to the U of T Medicine Community. Your Wisdom creates an immediate connection between students and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine alumni community.

Click here to submit your Words of Wisdom note

For Words of Wisdom inquiries, please contact Lola Cullen at lola.cullen@utoronto.ca.

"When I opened my Words of Wisdom letter last fall, I was surprised: I expected my note to be a generic statement telling me that I had just joined the greatest medical school on Earth. Instead, it was a personal message of one alum's lessons learned. As a student joining the University of Toronto from out-of-province, I felt immediately connected to the rich history of this program. I still have my card. Words of Wisdom welcomes students in a way that no administrative statement can, by connecting alumni and students. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with this year's incoming students."

— Connor Brenna, MD Class 2T1

Alumni Words of Wisdom:

David Ho

“It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of your experiments and get stuck in the never-ending lab work. Develop yourself outside of science. Network, and learn how to talk to people outside of your field about your ideas and research.”

— J.J. David Ho, BSc’06, PhD’13

“Look up ‘impostor syndrome’ and whenever you doubt yourself, read it. You belong here, no matter what you think. And remember the onion: you will learn everything you need to know slowly, and over time — peeling back the layers.”

— Dr. Kaitie Turchin, MD ’09

Pearl Gryfe

"It can be hard to be a good occupational therapist — but as long as you keep your patient at the centre of your work, you will never go wrong. There are no limits as to what you can do with an OT degree, although sometimes you have to work beyond the system. Learn, grow, thrive and do the best you can because you will be rewarded in the end."

— Pearl Gryfe, BSc (OT)’79, MSc (OT)’07

Amol Verma

“Find someone in medicine who you admire and whose career is appealing to you, and find a reason to work with them. This is the best way to develop strong mentors. Don't hesitate to approach anyone — you will find many doors are open to you simply because you are a U of T Faculty of Medicine student.”

— Dr. Amol Verma, MD ’09

“There is a sense in medicine that you need to put up a wall — a professional space between you and the patient — in order to protect yourself. The thing that has done me so well in my career is to break down that wall. So my advice is not to be scared of forming real relationships with patients and their families. When we strive to cultivate that connection, the quality of our work and our job satisfaction increases exponentially.”

— Dr. Adam Rapoport, MD ’02, PGME ’06, MHSc ’08

Laura Pasut

"The knowledge and skills you obtain in your nutritional sciences education is the first step to a wide array of opportunities that can make a difference in people’s lives. Diet and physical activity are the basis of good health. The food we grow, the choices we make in our diet, the environment and nutrition policies we support — all contribute to a long and healthy life. Don’t limit yourself in one area of nutrition but always look for the possibilities."

— Laura Pasut, BSc ’82, MSc ’84

Howard Ovens

“Medical facts have an increasingly short half life, pedagogy changes, grades fade in memory and importance. But some things endure: a love and skill for learning and caring, a sense of ethics and professionalism, and most of all the relationships and memories we create. And find humility, or the craft will teach it to you sooner than later — and repeatedly.”

— Dr. Howard Ovens, MD ’78