Welcome Echidnas!

Welcome Echidnas from a proud Poodle!  I'm trying to imagine how different it must be for you, starting med school in covid times.....entirely different than my beginning 35 years ago (gulp!).  This is a wonderful school.  Don't forget that everyone here wants you to succeed.  Don't forget to sleep, eat, exercise, and connect with friends (even if that has to be virtually for now).  Don't give up the things you do that bring you joy just because you're worried about the workload.  This is the beginning of a wonderful career. Have fun!

- Betsy W, 1988

As someone who came from Ontario in 1977 because the skiing was better in Alberta, and then spent Wednesday afternoons on the slopes where the dean was often encountered, my advice:  Relax.  The hardest part was getting in to med school. Take a deep breath and enjoy the journey!  
- Rick Z, 1980

Congratulations!! And welcome! You are about to start 3 of the best years of your life. Enjoy medical school, it is a wonderful time. You will meet great classmates, amazing teachers and mentors, and patients from whom you can learn so much. All the best! 
- Kate E, 2011

Welcome Echidnas!  You have chosen the best profession, and you will have a rich and rewarding career.  Enjoy your time in medical school --- you will look back on it as a time of accomplishment, and will make strong friendships.  The work is hard but rewarding, and will expand your horizons.  Congratulations!   --

- David H, 1987

Congratulations and welcome! I'm very excited that you are joining our team and can't wait to meet you both at HSC and in the emergency departments!
- James H, 2006

Congratulations and welcome to fellow medical colleagues from a member of a class of another nocturnal ant-eater, the Pangolins 2002. Enjoy the gifts and privilege of learning the art and science of medicine with an open mind but most importantly, an open heart. Take care of yourselves. Take care of others. You do not walk alone. 

- Tanya T, 2002

Welcome to the Animal Family!

No matter what, know that if you're allowed to progress to the next course, the next year, the next rotation--you are good enough and you will succeed. And if you hit some bumps, you have many people available to provide the support you need and you should never feel alone. Good luck and all the best.
- Krystyna B, 2014

Congratulations for your well-earned honour of being admitted to the U. of Calgary School of Medicine.  Medicine is truly a wonderful profession, which I had the pleasure of enjoying for 40+ years.  It is a challenge and a joy to develop the competence to understand the biological basis of a patient's symptoms and to know the best approach to treatment.

Robert B, 1973

Congratulations. This is the start. Get good before you get fast!

Vance M, 1979

Dear Echidnas,
Yours is a year no one will forget. The very fact you got into medical school speaks to your work ethic, resolve and resilience. You will need these attributes to adapt to a very different first year in medicine. Those of us who went before you are here to help, mentor, and support you. If I can give you any advice, reach out if you need to and pace yourself.  

- Olga deS, 1989

A slug welcomes you to the best school in Canada (maybe the world).
- Borys H, 1987

Congratulations and welcome to the U of C family!  Every year is going to get better and better on your journey towards a career in medicine! 
- Dinesh W, 2011

Study hard, be kind, be patient. You've entered the tunnel and when you come out the other end in several years, you'll be set for a lifetime!

- Stuart W, 2015

Welcome to the most wonderful alumnus, Echidnas! You don't know it yet but you are making life long friends, people you can turn to any time during your life for nearly anything and in every corner of the world.  You'll work hard, play hard and are about to get a remarkable education.  We Sifakas ('96) are here to mentor, advise, support.  We've been there and now are senior physicians and leaders who can't wait to work with you.  Stay safe, be kind, learn well, have fun! 

- Christine H, 1996
 

Hello Echidnas, and welcome from a Poodle from the class of 1988!
An incredible journey you are embarking on! 
Remember to treat everyone with metta, or loving kindness, and your education and career will flow and you will benefit and prosper in many ways.

- Robert D, 1988

Enjoy med school, it gets harder after that...Take advantage of all Calgary and the mountains have to offer.  Respect your classmates and physician mentors.  They will shape you into what you'll become. Have breakfast at the lazy loaf and kettle at least once.  Be open to sharing your thoughts and yourself in class.  Take full advantage of this opportunity to become a doctor, it is a privilege!

- Marc Y, 1999

Welcome Echidnas and congratulations on commencing your medical career!  You are joining a tribe (or menagerie as Betsy would say) of amazing people, many of whom will impact you for the rest of your lives.  A great deal of support and care is there waiting to be embraced whenever you need it on this journey, just ask.  Take in your experiences with curiosity and excitement, one day at a time and one moment at a time and enjoy the ride!
- Carleen S, 1988

Have a wonderful year of learning in these difficult times. Keep a journal to jot your memories of the Great Pandemic! You will, no doubt, reflect on it in years to come...

- Marina S, 1981

Welcome to the Echidnas!   These are crazy times but you are embarking on a wonderfully rewarding adventure.  Good luck.

- Matthew H, 1995

What an accomplishment!  You have been accepted and are now embarking on your long career in medicine.  I fondly recall my time in U of C med school.  I was part of the class of '92.  Met my spouse there and enjoy my career in family medicine.  Enjoy every aspect of your learning.  Be a 'sponge' and take it all in.  Enjoy the interactions with your classmates and the fun of putting together the med show.  Ah, those were the days.......

- Judith T, 1992

Echidnas! I would like to remind you all, that none of you are strangers to challenges. COVID-19 adds another challenge  to your training, but I am confident your ingenuity and motivation will help shape the new era of medical training in a positive way.  
- Urooj C, 2013 

Welcome Echidnas! You are about to embark on 3 incredible years building friendships, gaining knowledge, and creating amazing memories. Enjoy every minute!
- Christine C, 2013

Congratulations on entering the medical profession! Echidnas are neat creatures, I have touched them. When I heard my class was named the Wombats I was thrilled! I had studied and researched in Australia, and I am a dual Canadian/Australian citizen. May all of you enjoy your medical studies as much as I did. I can recall thinking (many times) as I listened to my Professors, that I had died and gone to Heaven. It meant that much to me to realize my dream of getting into medical school. Take care, be safe, be kind.

 
Catharine D, 1985

Welcome fellow Aussie creatures!  Our class of 1995 was also assigned Down Under - we are the cute and smiling Quokkas of Rottnest island.  So- be true to your fun spirit, settle in to medicine and know that we are out here waiting to meet you :)

- Gwenth de V, 1995

Welcome into medicine. 31 years later- I can remember our first few months, class of 89, Flamingos, like it was yesterday. I wish COVID wasn't around, to interfere with all the fun times. Wishing you all the best. Enjoy it all. Good luck, and stay safe and healthy. 
- Kerryn R, 1989

At the end of a career that has taken me from flight medicine to the mid Atlantic, and rural Canada, it's good to see that the profession of medicine continues to attract interest. Welcome, and enjoy the ride :)
- Jon S, 1981

Congratulations and welcome!  I hope you enjoy your time in the MD program as you build new skills, forge friendships, and work towards an amazing career.  Enjoy these years as much as you can; they go fast!

- Todd L, 2009

Dear Class of 2023!
Welcome to your journey into medicine!! You are at the very beginning of an amazing chapter, where you will have the privilege of caring for people, getting to know their stories, and offering them guidance and advice. Enjoy this time, take the opportunity to get to know your classmates, trust in yourself and in your abilities, and always strive to be your best self. Most of all, enjoy the trip!

- Jacqueline M, 1990