Convocation spotlight: MD '23 grad Stephan Guscott

MD '23 grad Stephan Guscott. Photo supplied.

What initially drew you to this area of study?

Growing up with a dad who had chronic progressive multiple sclerosis gave me lots of exposure to medicine through many trips in and out of the hospital. Growing up helping assist with his activities of daily living helped teach me empathy and build perspective about people who live with chronic illnesses and accessibility challenges. After my undergrad, I worked for a few years for the University of Calgary Students' Union as vice-president academic and president and did some contract constituency liaison work for a few city councillors in Calgary. This gave me a lot of practice with complex problem-solving, communications, project management and advocacy. All important skills for modern physicians, and skills I use every day working with my patients to improve their care.

What achievement, accomplishment or moment are you most proud of from your time in the program?

Signing up for the Integrated Community Clerkship program to complete my third-year clinical rotations rural in Edson! I grew up in Calgary, and aside from doing some solo travelling after undergrad, have never really spent a lot of time in rural areas. After those amazing 10 months, it was pretty hard not to pick rural family medicine for residency given the tremendous variety of practice and impact on patients I experienced through my mentors.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

Volunteering as Medical Students' Association (MSA) president at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. The pandemic started about a month after the MSA election, and similar to everything else, medical education was also heavily disrupted. I spent a lot of late nights and long days in the spring and summer of 2020 advocating for the interests of U of A medical students. I don't think I would've gotten through that time without the amazing support of the other MSA executives, student class representatives, and prior MSA and CFMS student leaders!

How did you stay motivated and who helped you keep going when things got tough?

My roommates Elena, Emma and Erin are probably at the top of the list! Medical school, and especially clerkship, is hard — full stop. Having a group of close friends and classmates who understand what you're going through and help you relax after a tough day by going for a run, having a family dinner together, or just chatting, makes a world of difference.

What advice would you give to a student thinking of entering this program of study/specialization?

Getting into medicine is hard and requires a lot of hard work, reflection and luck. Advice for a strong application is also advice for living a good life: build a strong awareness of yourself, your interests and your goals. Pursue activities and hobbies and develop interests in things you're authentically interested in. Then no matter what kind of luck you have when admission decisions are made, you'll be positioning yourself for a rewarding career and life, in and outside of medicine.

What have you learned about yourself, and how will you use this going forward?

I've learned that pocket snacks (like granola bars in scrub pockets) and coffee are invaluable resources for boosting morale when rounds go long. And that being approachable and collegial are probably the two most valuable skills you can have as a physician. Medicine is a team sport, and being a person others want to work with and be around goes a long way to mitigating small problems before they become big ones.

What comes next for you in your career/academic journey?

I'm off to Red Deer to start my residency training in rural family medicine through the U of A for the next two years! Then I hope to move to the mountains, build a family, and practise as a full-scope family physician with an active lifestyle of mountain biking, trail running and cross-country skiing!