Catch her if you can
From the classroom, to the volleyball court and the pool, to a with a meeting with the Student Support Team and a volunteer session at the Hospice of Windsor Essex County – catching up to Sabrina Botsford, Medicine Class of 2017, isn’t easy.
The self-described type-A personality is taking full advantage of all the opportunities being offered to her through the medical program at Windsor. And she loves every minute of it. “I love coming to school every day and spending time with my classmates,” she said. “We have so much fun together. I’m so happy to be here.”
The desire to embrace all aspects of the program also led Botsford to apply for a position with the inaugural Schulich-UWindsor Opportunities for Research Excellence Program in 2014. In doing so, she was able to go back to the lab where she had done her undergraduate research and carry on her work.
For Botsford, medicine wasn’t always part of the plan. She was raised in a family of teachers, and that was the career picture she had painted for herself. Her interests in science and medicine were nurtured by some of her high school teachers.
However, it was a part-time job working in a long-term care home, throughout her undergraduate studies, that solidified for her that a career in health care was her destiny.
Growing up in Tecumseh, the Windsor Program was a huge draw for Botsford. She was invited for an interview and hasn’t looked back since. “The whole process felt right,” she said. “The interview was so distinct from other schools. I felt like I belonged.”
As it turns out, the experience to date has been more than she ever expected. “It’s a lot more fun than I thought it would be,” said Botsford. “I have made so many memories, friends and tried so many new things outside of school – it’s so much more than a medical education.”
She credits the diversity in the program as helping her to gain greater understandings of different perspectives of life. Citing PCCIA, as an example, she believes that the intimate discussions that occur between her classmates will make her a more thoughtful physician. “I’m surrounded by people from so many different backgrounds, who have entirely different histories than me,” she said. “I am learning so much from the discussions we have together as a group.”
The second-year medical student is grateful to the Windsor Program staff who she says support her and her peers in everything they do. Meanwhile she looks to the faculty, as role models, who have already enriched her experiences by imparting the value of social responsibility, their knowledge, skills and experiences.
Each day is a new learning experience for Botsford, whether it’s in small learning groups – which she particularly enjoys - collaborative projects, or programs such as Discovery Week.
She continues to work on maintaining balance – which she says can be challenging at times. She admits that despite her many attempts, she can’t be the best at everything. But she definitely can enjoy each minute of the experience.
