Syvanna McNichol '18 Recruiting Profile

     Chaos surrounds me; cortisol floods my body. My tired legs hold their ground as I track the puck flying at me. I fight my instinct to duck and rely on my training. Crack! It ricochets off my helmet and onto the ice to my defense. They're under pressure; quickly I analyze my surroundings to communicate to my teammates an efficient path to escape our zone. With years of training, I have learned to collect myself and think logically under stress. Being a goalie requires one to be able to thrive under strain and problem-solve to help my team. These two characteristics will help me to succeed in my profession of choice: medicine.

    When I'm not on the ice, you will find me on the ball field or strapped to a wakeboard towed behind a boat. I also enjoy volunteering my time in the hospital and coaching youth sports. During these experiences, I have had the opportunity to learn and grow through listening to the fascinating stories of people from all walks of life. One of my favorites came from an elderly patient at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital who formerly worked with her multidisciplinary team of medical specialists whose mission was to solve childhood heart defects. She spoke highly of her experiences and encouraged me to pursue my goal of being a doctor. After seeing how her face glowed and the way her eyes sparkled while she spoke of the patients and families she helped, I knew that medicine was right for me. I ached to have the fulfillment she had from her career. After returning the next week, eager to learn more from her, I was slightly disappointed yet mostly relieved to see that she was healthy enough to have gone home.

    Entirely convinced medicine is the path for me, I have set my academic standards high for myself and my grades in the sciences reflect that. My final year of biology gave me enough information about the human body to inspire me to delve more in-depth into it myself. I would sit with my sister, who was in the middle of a Bachelor of Science in nursing and absorb as much as I could about the pathology of various illnesses. I am continuously getting as much knowledge as I can from the people around me.