Medicine was part of Dr. Du Toit Visser’s world long before he chose it as a career. Raised by a physician father and a nurse mother, he saw firsthand the relationships they built and the impact they had on their community. That early exposure left a lasting impression. Seeing how deeply they were woven into the lives of the people they served ultimately drew him into the profession.
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Dr. Christa Aubrey was drawn to work that was both hands-on and meaningful. Raised by a nurse and a carpenter, she grew up valuing practical skills, problem-solving and a sense of responsibility. “I liked to work with my hands and loved to be ‘in control,’” she says. While she never imagined herself in surgery at first, that changed early in medical school. “In first year, I realized I loved the OR because of the technical aspect of it.”
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As a child, she was cared for by a pediatrician who left a lasting impression. The physician was one of the first female graduates from her medical school - top of her class, intelligent, kind, confident. At the time, Dr. Stang didn’t have the language to describe why that mattered. Looking back, she understands how powerful it was to see a woman excelling in a role she admired.
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Beyond the lab, Dr. Tyrrell played a key role in expanding the University of Alberta’s medical and research infrastructure. “We added the Li Ka Shing building, the Katz Pharmacy building, the Mazankowski Heart Institute and obtained the commitment for the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy and the Kaye Edmonton Clinic,” he says. “It was a time of great expansion for clinical and research space.”
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Being a resident physician is an immense privilege.
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Dr. Michele Foster’s path to medicine was shaped by equal parts curiosity, compassion and lived experience. She was drawn early to the idea that a career could blend science with human connection, a balance she later found in psychiatry. Eating disorders, in particular, called to her. “It involves both physical and psychological medicine,” she says. “And the opportunity to walk alongside patients and families during some of their most vulnerable moments.”
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When the opportunity came to stay in Alberta, Dr. Martow says it felt like the right fit both personally and professionally. “I came to Alberta for Internal Medicine residency because I appreciated the strengths of the program,” he says. “I also found that Alberta’s single provincial health system helped avoid wasteful competition for resources and overcome boundaries that plagued other provinces.” The decision was also personal: his wife’s family is in Edmonton, and when a position opened in the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, “it was easy to say yes.”
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Dr. Duimering first discovered radiation oncology through a medical physics research project during her undergrad at the University of Victoria. “It’s a dynamic specialty that offers diverse and meaningful days; time with your patients, continually evolving radiotherapy planning skills and the opportunity to be part of a big team working towards important goals.”
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Dr. Yiu’s connection to Alberta runs deep. Her family immigrated to Edmonton from Hong Kong in the late 1960s, sponsored by Dr. Harry Gunning - then a chemistry professor, later the president of the University of Alberta. “We have deep roots with both the city and the university,” she says. “It’s home for us, for our kids and now our grandchildren.” Over the years, she’s come to appreciate how staying in Alberta has shaped both her work and her life. “Being in one place allows you to build trusting relationships over many years,” she says. “It helps to know the system and the people in it - at the university, in the health system and in the community.”
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