My
Calling
Marcia
Anderson, M.D.
Ever
since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a doctor. I've
always known that that's what I wanted to be and I never
really wanted to do anything else. It has always been
the path I was called to walk.
Growing
up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, much of the year we had cold
weather so my favorite seasons were spring and summer.
That's when we spent a lot of time outdoors and at camp.
My
Native roots are Cree and Saulteaux, but I also have French,
Scottish and Ukrainian ancestors. I grew up in a Christian
home. My grandparents on my father's side became Christians
sometime in their young married life. My father became
a Christian as a youth but for my mom, it wasn't until
after she met my Dad and his family that she made a decision
to accept Jesus into her life.
I
remember deciding to follow Jesus when I was about four
years old. When I was seven or eight, I attended a Christian
camp and did it again because I wanted to be sure that
I was a Christian.
Working
the path
Always
a good student in school, I took the courses I needed
to go to medical school. During my studies at the University
of Manitoba, I had the opportunity to work in various
parts of the world. After my first and second years of
medical school I spent time working in Sanikiluaq and
Coral Harbour, Nunavut, and Norway House Cree Nation.
In 2001, I went to Zambia for two months, where I worked
at the Loloma Mission Hospital, mainly doing pediatrics.
The impact of AIDS is dramatic in this country but like
many African countries, the hospital didn't have any resources
to treat HIV patients.
Graduating
in 2002 from the University of Manitoba, I went on to
do my residency in Internal Medicine at the University
of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and then at the University of
Saskatoon. I passed my specialty exams in Internal Medicine
in June 2006. At the present time, I'm in the Masters
of Public Health program at John Hopkins University in
Baltimore, Maryland, on a full scholarship. My plan after
completing my masters is to complete a doctorate in public
health and work in the area of aboriginal health policy.
When
I said that my path was to become a doctor, I meant that
it was a goal I set that affected every decision I made
about how I spent my time and how I lived my life. This
kind of commitment and determination is absolutely necessary
if you want to become a medical doctor.
It's
difficult being a Native doctor in Canada's health care
system, and it's often worse because I have to deal with
the preconceived notions of patients and colleagues about
Aboriginal people. There's this assumption that because
I'm Native, somehow I'm not as qualified to be a medical
professional (most commonly because of the assumption
that I only got into medical school because I'm Aboriginal).
This hasn't just been an undercurrent of tension either,
as people have repeatedly made racist comments targeted
at me or at Aboriginal people in general.
I'm
very careful how I deal with these situations, because
there are a lot of complex political issues within the
medical system. I try to focus my energy on finding ways
to battle the system-wide racism instead of immediate
confrontations, because I think in the long run this will
make things better for other Native people in the system
as well.
Becoming
a Native doctor or nurse is a tough road. At the present
time, there is an average of one doctor for every 515
people in Canada. With approximately 150 Native physicians
across Canada today, that works out to a Native doctor
for every 33,000 people.
I
know that I'm supposed to be where I'm at today and that
I've been called to do what I'm doing. It wouldn't be
possible for me to have accomplished what I've accomplished
and do what I do without my faith and trust in God. I
rely a lot on His grace and strength each day.
In
addition to the stresses that come from being a Native
person in our health care system, I've also had personal
stresses. While I was in medical school, I lost both my
grandfathers and my Auntie Esther.
In
October 2003, my father had a major heart attack and we
almost lost him. Being the family member of a patient
brings an unusual kind of stress and sense of responsibility,
since he was a patient in a unit I had been working in
and knew the staff. I thank God that my father has recovered
and is now back to his regular routine.
Being
a Christian Native person can be difficult. Non-Native
people often don't expect to have a Native doctor treating
them and many Native people don't expect a Native person
to be a Christian.
I
find that there can be a balance. When I look at the Bible,
I try to see what things in my culture are in line with
Scripture and I can use in my own life.
As
an example, respect and humility are an important part
of who I am both as a Native person and as a Christian.
I can accept teachings about both traits from both Native
spirituality and Christianity in my life.
It's
really important to keep your faith a priority. It's so
easy to get so busy that we let our spiritual walk slip.
I find that when I let my faith slip, everything begins
to slip.
It's
also important to let go of everyone's expectations and
just be honest in your relationship with God. Include
Him in every part of your life.
My
walk with Jesus has meant different things over the years
and I think that's normal.
Right
now, my faith is the source of the grace and strength
that I need to make it through each day. My faith in God
is my security. I've gone through a lot of hard things
in life and will probably go through a lot more. I don't
know if I could live life without that security and I
don't know if I could say that without knowing what my
faith means in my life.
As
I look back over my life so far, my biggest accomplishment
was competing in the Honolulu Marathon with my cousin
Crystal on December 11, 2005. Training for this event
took a lot of determination, perseverance, and effort
but the result was not only a thrilling experience but
also a major impact improving my health and well-being.
If
you are considering a career in medicine, my advice is
to make sure it's what you're called to do and you really
want to do it. It takes a lot of hard work, and is often
made harder by the prejudice in the system.
Stay
in school. Take science classes. Look early at university
requirements— both undergrad and grad— and
plan ahead. Be persistent, especially when it comes to
getting funding.
We
need more Native doctors in Canada and the U.S. I urge
Native youth to pick up the challenge by becoming health
professionals. It will take that same kind of determination
and perseverance that I needed to run the marathon. If
you can't see yourself doing anything else, then go for
it.
