Faces of U of T Medicine: Rukia Swaleh

Q: When did you decide you wanted to be a doctor?

I decided I wanted to be a doctor in Kenya, where I was born and raised until my family moved to Canada in high school. My mother worked as a pharmacist. The practice of pharmacy in Kenya is very different. A lot of medications are available over the counter, so a lot of pharmacist do diagnostic work and prescribe medications. I remember sitting in my mom’s pharmacy after school and over the weekends. I’d see patients coming in and describing their ailments. My mom would figure out exactly what was going on and provide them with the right medication. They’d come back a few days later and tell her that they were feeling much better. I thought this was so rewarding and decided I wanted to be gain that knowledge and be able to help people.

Q: Were you concerned that your race could be an impediment to being a doctor?

I think being an African immigrant makes my experience a bit different than those who grew up in Canada. In Kenya, race did not matter. All the doctors around me were Black, so I did not see race as an impediment to me being a doctor.

I did not have the concept of being different because of my race, until we moved to Canada. I was in Grade 11 and at that time we were required to choose college vs. university courses. The guidance counselor was encouraging me to pick college courses, as there were more jobs in trade. I went back to my parents and told them this, and they were infuriated, as they knew my goal was to become a doctor. Even though we were new to Canada, they had done their research and knew that I could not apply to medical school without a university degree. So, they encouraged me and told me to register for the university courses.

I thought this was an isolated incident, but the same thing happened to my sisters and many other Black students I’ve spoken with. This is a big impediment and removes the possibility that medicine would be an option for Black students in this country.

Q: How was your experience as a Black student in U of T Medicine?

On my interview day, I remember looking around the room and I saw that I was the only Black student interviewing that day. I was not really shocked, because sadly enough, I was starting to get used to be the only Black student in a room like that. But what was most striking that day was that they mentioned the different student clubs, and one of them was called Black Medical Student Association (BMSA). I had not seen this in any of the other schools that I interviewed at, and frankly, this was one of the many reasons (along with it being a top school) that I chose to come to U of T Medicine. I was excited that I would have a small community of Black students and we could support each other. U of T Medicine also developed a mentorship program that allowed me to meet one of my mentors, Dr. Lisa Robinson, who is phenomenal. I also met another Black physician at U of T, Dr. Onye Nnorom, who has been a wonderful mentor.

Q: You are a previous co-president of BMSA. Why did you get involved in BMSA and what are you most proud of during your time with that student club?

For me, being involved in BMSA was not really an option in my mind but rather essential. It was a platform where we would be able to share freely instances where we felt we had been treated differently because of our race, make long lasting friendships, and have a shoulder to lean on. More importantly, it was a chance for us to contribute to the increasing diversity in the medical system. Our patients are diverse and I feel that there should also be diversity among health care providers for us to be able to provide patient-centered care.

Q: You’re now an internal medicine resident. How is that experience?

Internal medicine is an incredible career. Sadly, I’ve had experiences where patients have called me a “coloured doctor,” where I have been mistaken for a nurse by both patients and physicians who didn’t know me. I have had instances where the male, white medical student beside me has been taken for the doctor when I was the senior resident in the case.

Being a Black female physician is challenging but certainly, but I would not change my career for anything else. These experiences are not the norm. I really feel a responsibility to be a role model and show Black medical students that a career in internal medicine is possible. A couple of residents and I are currently in the process of putting together a Black Resident Physician Group to continue the work done by BMSA at the resident level.

Faces of U of T Medicine introduces you to some of the interesting people 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? Contact us at medicine.communications@utoronto.ca.