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Meet the Class of 2029
By Emily Leighton
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry is welcoming more than 240 new medical and dental students this year. Meet four members of the Class of 2029 at the start of their journey.
Southwestern Ontario has been home for me for almost 30 years. I am looking forward to learning, growing, and giving back to a community that has given me so much.
Pardis Baha
MD Candidate
Pardis Baha calls her path to medical school “the scenic route.” Over the past 17 years, she has pursued degrees in music, biology, education, anatomy and kinesiology – each chapter connected by a passion for teaching. Whether leading music lessons, mentoring peers, or teaching first aid with the Canadian Red Cross, she finds ways to share knowledge and support others in their learning.
Her interest in medicine first sparked in an unexpected place: watching ER on television as a child. That early intrigue grew into something more tangible during high school, when she participated in Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s MedQuest summer camp program – now called Discovery Healthcare . “As a 15-year-old kid, it was the coolest experience ever,” she says.
Baha served as an emergency medical responder for 11 years, including one year in patient transfer. The role gave her a close-up view of the vulnerabilities and resilience of patients, experiences she describes as life changing.
Born in Iran and raised in Sarnia, she has called Southwestern Ontario home since she was six years old. Being at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry feels less like a leap and more of a continuation.
“Over the years, experience has taught me how to be calm in the storm. I hope that as we learn and grow together, that I can support my peers so that we can be calm in the storms together.”
Being part of this community means earning trust early; showing up for peers, patients and local partners; building useful tools; and growing into a physician who improves access and outcomes where care is needed most.
Kristian Isa
MD Candidate
Growing up in Kelowna, B.C., Kristian Isa mastered the balance between academics and athletics. He competed in golf at the international level and captained his high-school basketball team. That mix of discipline and teamwork carried through to his studies in biomedical engineering at the University of British Columbia, where he learned to see medicine through the lens of problem-solving and design.
His projects ranged from a robotic breast and thyroid biopsy device to a 3D-printed IV-line organizer now used in clinical settings. Most recently, he co-founded an AI tool that helps patients find clinical trials, making cutting-edge treatment more accessible.
The medical profession runs deep in his family. Isa's paternal grandfather, who immigrated from a small village in Africa, became an ob-gyn in Canada, delivering more than 10,000 babies during his career. His mother and maternal grandfather served as rural family doctors in British Columbia. “That lasting community connection is something I deeply admire and aspire to carry forward in my own career,” he says.
At Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, he hopes to merge engineering and medicine, focusing on equitable access through innovation and advocacy.
"I value collaboration, mentorship and resilience, skills that help me stay calm under pressure, support those around me, and foster a strong, patient-centred community.”
The sense of belonging to such a supportive and passionate community feels incredibly motivating, which reaffirms my commitment to be of service as a dentist.
Mariam Park
DDS Candidate
Mariam Park first saw the power of dentistry not from the chair, but from behind the front desk. Working as a dental receptionist, she helped patients navigate the system – translating documents for newcomers and guiding families through financial support programs. She realized that care begins well before treatment, and that small acts of advocacy can change a patient’s experience.
Born in Incheon, South Korea, and raised in Canada, Park found a home at Western University, where she completed an undergraduate degree in epidemiology and biostatistics. The training she received equipped her to approach dentistry from a public health perspective, with a focus on addressing inequities in access to care.
Her Korean and Pakistani heritage also shape her outlook. She recalls how kimchi and curry often shared the same table in her home. “I gained an appreciation for how two distinct cultures can be united with deep consideration for each other’s differences,” she says.
Park hopes to foster the same spirit of inclusion in her class and future practice. She is looking forward to the Community Service Learning program, as well as other outreach opportunities.
“At the start of this journey, I am most excited about connecting with future leaders in the field of dentistry."
I'm excited to learn medicine and grow within a community that has already shaped so much of my journey.
Ryan Grainger
MD Candidate
As a scientist turned medical student, Ryan Grainger is eager to connect the molecular puzzles he studied in the lab to the lived realities of patients.
With a PhD in biochemistry from Western and a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School, he explored how cells repair genetic damage and maintain stability when replication falters – work that sharpened his interest in rare conditions where answers remain elusive.
Born in Huron County and raised in London, Grainger’s scientific curiosity carried him through years in the lab – and even beyond it, where he remembers the thrill of racing House, M.D. to a diagnosis.
Now, he sees medicine as the next natural step. “I see medicine as a way to connect foundational insights with real people,” he says.
“I’m most interested in areas where modern medicine lacks answers. I aspire to work in uncharted areas, helping advance care and discovery.”