Spring MD graduate uses pivotal experiences to become a better doctor
When Hannah Kenny crosses the stage at convocation this spring, the moment will mark the end of a journey marked by both joy and loss.
“My path to medicine was not a linear one,” she said. “Growing up, I never wanted to be a doctor.”
A lifelong resident of St. John’s, Ms. Kenny began business studies at Memorial in 2016.
Science was something she had always loved, but didn’t feel strong enough academically to pursue. However, in her second year, she realized she was feeling uninspired and unhappy.
“So, I took a big leap and dropped all my business courses midway through the semester and switched to science,” she said. “I ended up falling in love with behavioural neuroscience and eventually graduated in 2021 with a joint B.Sc. honours degree in biochemistry (nutrition) and behavioural neuroscience.”
A pivotal experience
An opportunity to work in the lab of the late Dr. Michelle Ploughman in the Faculty of Medicine was another pivotal experience at Memorial for Ms. Kenny
“It was very cool as an undergraduate to be involved in a lab that was so interprofessional,” she said. “I was working with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, physicians, nurses and researchers.”
“The last conversation I had with my mom was when I got my letter saying I got into medicine.”
Seeing the dynamic of one physician, Dr. Jason McCarthy, with his patients, solidified the idea of a career in medicine. The experience made her realize what she really wanted.
“I love people and my Nana is my best friend, so I thought perhaps a career in geriatric medicine.”
However, days after receiving her acceptance letter to medical school in 2021, her mother died from pancreatic cancer, just six months after being diagnosed.
“The last conversation I had with my mom was when I got my letter saying I got into medicine. Three days later, she was gone.”
Profound impact
The experience of caring for her mother at home in her final days had a profound impact on her personally and professionally, she says, helping her develop a better understanding of patients navigating illness and grief.
“I’m so thankful for that experience,” she said. “Obviously, it was terrible. But it made me realize that to experience grief is a blessing, because it is to live. I’m better for it, and it has made me a better doctor.”
Shortly after starting her first year of studies, Ms. Kenny realized she had delayed dealing with the grief of her mother’s passing and made the difficult decision to take a leave of absence from her studies.
“[The Learner Well-Being and Success Office] was such a collaborative, safe space to learn and become the best version of myself.”
“To slow down almost felt like failure,” she said. “But that time was amazing. It made me realize how much I had been struggling. And in medicine, you really can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself.
“The Faculty of Medicine, and in particular the Learner Well-Being and Success Office, were amazing,” she added. “Their mentorship and peer support were a big part of my medical training and I’m very thankful for that. It was such a collaborative, safe space to learn and become the best version of myself. The whole experience also allowed me to accept being vulnerable and see the beauty in it.”
This spring, Ms. Kenny matched to internal medicine at Memorial for her residency. She will spend the next three years in the program before choosing a further specialization.
“I’m very happy about my match,” she said. “I love working in the hospital setting and I love interprofessional teams. I’m very much a team person and I think that’s the future of health care.”
Dr. Kenny will collect her doctor of medicine degree at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre on Thursday, May 28.
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