Over the past 10 years, approximately 1,300 resident physicians have helped raise the standard of care in the Niagara region through a partnership between Niagara Health and the Niagara Regional Campus of McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
Dr. Leigh Skelley, a graduate of the DeGroote School of Medicine’s Niagara Regional Campus, is currently a resident physician at Niagara Health. To mark Resident Awareness Week (Feb. 9 to 15), we asked Leigh some questions to get to know her and her experience as a resident:
Q: Why did you want to become a physician?
A: I worked at a veterinary clinic and liked the work I was doing, and how I was able to provide care. Yet, I realized that I wanted to work with people instead of animals.
Q: What area of specialty is your residency, and what year are you in?
A: I’m in my third year of a general surgery residency.
Q: Why did you choose your current area of residency?
A: It’s a very diverse specialty, and I like the technical skills that go into performing surgery. I get to see people’s journeys from the referral from their family doctor, through their diagnoses, through the operation and post-operation. I like how broad the speciality is.
Q: What does a typical day-in-the-life for you look like during your rotations?
- 5:30 a.m. wake up
- 6:30 a.m. round to visit patients
- 8 a.m. head to the operating room
- 4 p.m. finish operating and complete ward duties
- 5:30 p.m. go home, unless on call
Q: What is your favourite part about the residency program at NH?
A: The people and the programs in general. Everyone is very welcoming, and there is so much opportunity to learn. You get a very hands-on learning environment, and everyone is willing to have residents.
Q: What is your biggest piece of advice for anyone pursuing a medical degree or completing their residency?
A: Keep your mind on how fulfilling the job is.
Niagara Health works with more than 90 academic partners to provide extraordinary learning experiences. Learn about academics at NH here.
