Congratulations to UBC Master of Physical Therapy – North Class of 2024 students Edward Lawson and Kailey Lund who have each received a Canadian Physiotherapy Association Indigenous Student Award!

Edward Lawson

Hometown: Campbell River, B.C.

What inspired you to pursue a career in physical therapy? 
I attended a physical therapy session after knee surgery and I loved the clinic environment and how helpful my therapist was. Combining this with a strong desire to make a positive impact on First Nations communities made pursuing physical therapy a logical career choice.

What has been your most interesting learning moment or experience so far in the MPTN? 
There have been many learning moments and experiences up here, but one thing I enjoy is the smaller group we have in Prince George. I feel like we are very close, and there has certainly been more than one occasion I have leaned on my classmates to help me when I needed it. I attribute many of my positive experiences here to my peers and to the faculty up in the North.  

What does receiving this award mean to you? 
Receiving this fellowship is an honour, and I feel comfort in knowing I have external support in pursuing physical therapy as a career. The award helps decrease stress around financial security and enables me to put more focus into my education.

Kailey Lund

Hometown: 100 Mile House, B.C.

What inspired you to pursue a career in physical therapy?
I knew I wanted a career where I could help people and I also wanted to do something more active. I have a background in sports, and have always been physically active and value the importance of that. I suffered a major ski accident in my undergraduate university years and blew both of my knees. It took me two years to recover, and over that time I worked with a lot of health professionals, including physiotherapists. I really saw the benefit of physiotherapy in my healing and the progress I made, and this reinforced my interest in the field.

What has been your most interesting learning moment or experience so far in the MPTN? 
Just having a smaller class size has been awesome and we have all become really close friends. We have a great student to teacher ratio and good relationships with faculty members. I feel our smaller class helps foster a more inclusive learning environment where you can ask a lot of questions and creates better experiences with those who teach. We are also developing some great knowledge to use in the future to advocate for health needs in smaller centres.

What does receiving this award mean to you?
Being a Metis applicant, I never really knew much about my culture as it wasn’t discussed a lot growing up. I feel this award is an acknowledgement of the work I’ve put in to better understand my background. It was also very reassuring to receive the award as it is a huge stress relief with respect to the financial aspect of my studies.