Bailey Henschke

Year 1 (Class of 2025)
Hometown: Nakusp

What inspired you to pursue your program?
I decided to pursue medicine when I was working as a medical laboratory technologist at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, British Columbia. I encountered amazing physicians who are dedicated to providing excellent care to the people in the community. Watching the physicians work, I decided that’s what I wanted to do.

Why did you choose UBC/NMP?
I chose UBC because of their dedication to rural medicine. I grew up in a rural community, so I know the struggle people can face trying to get adequate healthcare. I love how UBC created the distributed sites and specific seats for rural students to address that issue.

What’s top on your bucket list?
I would love to go to Italy! I love to travel, and I love Italian food, so right now, Italy is at the top of my bucket list.

Christa Grona

Year 2 (Class of 2024)
Hometown: Strathmore, AB

What inspired you to pursue your program?
Pursuing medicine has been a goal of mine for many years. In high school I became particularly interested in cell biology and physiology. And for as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with understanding how the human body works, and, in particular, learning about the underlying motivations behind human behaviour. Medicine is a combination of all my interests!

Why did you choose NMP?
I grew up in rural communities in Alberta and B.C., and I know that I want to return to a small community to practice in the future. In addition to learning and training in a rural environment, I was drawn to the smaller classes sizes and more hands-on learning opportunities that the NMP provides. I am so happy and grateful to be here.

What’s top on your bucket list?
I would love to do the Bowron Lake canoe circuit one day. 

Stephen Freschi

Year 3 (Class of 2023)
Hometown: Calgary

What inspired you to pursue your program?
There was really a myriad of life experiences and interests overall that led me to pursue medicine as a career - my genuine fascination with sciences and curiosity, wanting to know how to respond to an emergency, and relationally directly working with people on an intimate part of their life - just to name a few.  The hands-on and relational aspects of the work I’ve also always found desirable and motivating in a career choice as well to keep me engaged all around and having some fun!  Overall, it essentially comes down to this, anyone who knows me well knows that I’ve always felt that above all else, pursuing and practicing medicine is a significant team-based endeavour through and through with countless people working with you and supporting you to succeed. This has counted for a lot in my life with people close to me and in this pursuit.

Why did you choose NMP?
I moved frequently around Western Canada and the Territories growing up (primarily in rural locations) and I experienced a lot of fascinating things and places because of this. My family now resides in Prince George and the NMP attracted me specifically as the ambitions of the program reminded me of my interest in how characteristically diverse rural communities are and the familiarity they provide, with the education all contained in a small local cohort of colleagues! The NMP would allow me to train in that diverse setting with willing experienced professionals and to better familiarize myself with the people that live and work in these rural settings directly, while in turn would also bring more personal awareness to me about the needs of the communities here and how we can advocate together to address these needs. The more comprehensively you understand someone and the place they live, the better equipped you’ll be to provide meaningful support!

What’s top on your bucket list?
Well, I’ve always been enthralled by space and considering an unlikely scenario of future inexpensive space travel, I would aim for the opportunity to catch a ride to the International Space Station or I suppose just spend some exploration time at NASA if it came up. A more likely runner up? Travel somewhere in New Zealand or Chile where I could get in snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing all in the same day (one activity up from the classic ‘Twofer’) with my family and friends! 

Kian Draper (she/her)

Year 4 (Class of 2022)
Hometown: Prince George

What inspired you to pursue your program?
When I was in middle school, I stumbled across a surgical simulation website called EdHeads, and I was instantly captivated. I shadowed some fantastic surgeons here in Prince George while doing my undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology which further fuelled my desire to peruse medicine, so I applied to UBC and haven’t looked back. 

Why did you choose UBC/NMP?
The NMP is well known to be a strong program especially in regards to exposure to hands-on skills and independence in the clinical setting. As someone interested in a surgical career, putting myself in a position where I could be first assist on surgeries and have less learner competition with residents and medical students compared to a larger program was a priority - so far the NMP has not disappointed! 

What’s top on your bucket list?
I would love to go on a safari someday to see the biodiversity in Africa!