Shad Alum Colin McCready shares why he returns to Shad every summer as a team member
One of Colin McCready’s favourite things about working as a doctor in a rural area is the continuous learning opportunities it presents. In his role at an urgent care clinic in a remote part of Alberta, he regularly encounters a wide range of health issues that expand his knowledge base and understanding of medical diagnostics, something he feels can be lacking in other medical settings.
“I like having a job where I feel like I can handle anything that comes through the door. Working in rural areas can help you become more of a generalist since you’re expected to handle a lot more things, whereas if you’re a family doctor in Calgary, you may end up just referring more patients and managing less things yourself.”
Colin’s love of continued learning is also why each summer he chooses to work at Shad. A Shad alum himself, he knows the positivity and value he derives from spending a month exploring exciting topics and tackling real-world problems with other curious, highly motivated individuals.
“I just find Shad such a positive collaborative environment. Working in healthcare these days can feel a little pessimistic sometimes, but I find when you get back on a university campus and you have a positive inquisitive attitude, everything just seems a lot more possible. So, I always find that it brings me a more positive attitude that I can take forward into my life outside the program.”
He also finds the experience provides him with valuable professional development opportunities since the work draws on some different skillsets than the ones he uses every day in his medical practice.
“Working at Shad challenges me to do new things. Most of my work in the program is not teaching medicine or working in a medical capacity, most of what I’m doing with the Shads is either teaching design or facilitating small group work and other things. So, the work encourages me to learn and grow in new ways.”
Colin has always enjoyed challenging himself through different work experiences. His first job after medical school was in Iqaluit, Nunavut, where he worked for four years expanding his medical experience through the diversity of issues he treated.
“We did have a hospital in Iqaluit, with about 20 impatient beds, but the only specialties we had were general surgery and pediatrics. So, if you have something where you need a complicated orthopedic surgery, or you need any kind of heart surgery, or neurosurgery, we did not have that capacity, and patients would need to be sent out. As doctors, we had to know more about more to account for the limited availability of specialty care.”
Spurred on by the thrill of working in the far North, Colin sought more adventure through a job with the Government of the United States at one of their research centers in the Antarctic. There he provided medical care for the scientists while also exploring his own passion for nature and the outdoors.
“It was an incredible experience. I arrived in January of 2020, right before COVID hit, and we were already in an isolated situation, so we didn’t feel the same pressures as those back home. The first six months being there no one had to isolate or avoid contact because we were insulated from the rest of the world.”
For Colin, being able to share some of these incredible work experiences and the lessons he’s gained from them with the Shads has been very rewarding. Many students in the program are interested in pursuing careers in the medical field and he enjoys being able to share insights into the profession and what the students might expect from following a similar path.
“Every year, there’s usually three to five students that are really keen to pursue medicine and want to get every little bit of information they can, and I’m happy to speak with those students and give them some information about my experience in medical school and residency and what the work has been like.”
The mentorship is a big part of what Colin loves about working at Shad. Spending time with students who are so enthusiastic about what they’re doing creates a contagious excitement that makes him feel renewed and uplifted.
“There’re so many ambitious, excited kids at Shad that want to do great things, and it’s always nice to just kind of see their positive energy and internalize some of that. I hope to kind of take some of those positive skills that I developed from Shad and share them with others.”
Though Colin is a Shad alum himself, he notes that many of the other Shad team members are not. He believes the experience is worthwhile for anyone who is looking to help empower the next generation of leaders, recognizing the important role our youth will play in shaping the future.
“Shad was such a big and positive influence in my life and being able to give back to the program and positively influence the current Shads is a real privilege. It’s a great team and a great experience for all involved, and it’s something I look forward to every summer.”
