Growing up as the daughter of a doctor, Samar Ali always admired the work her father did and the impact that he made on his patients and their families. Through his work as a psychiatrist, he changed lives and made a genuine difference when Cape Bretoners needed it most.

Samar also knew that she wanted to make a difference but questioned if medicine and that environment was for her.

“I knew I wanted to help people, I just didn’t know if that was how I wanted to do it.”

Her path was a wild ride, spanning multiple continents and an exciting array of experiences, but a chance encounter with a CBU professor helped Samar decide that medicine was her future.

Years earlier, when Samar graduated from Dalhousie University with an undergraduate degree in neuroscience, she had one incomplete course in organic chemistry. A high achiever, it always weighed on her that she never completed that course. After completing a Masters in Global Health and Public Policy in Scotland, Samar worked in wound care in South Africa, treating and supporting those in need. Her interest in medicine started to ignite. She saw the impact she could make and decided she may want to pursue medicine as a career.

When Samar returned to Canada, she wanted to redeem herself and take the organic chemistry course she had never completed and decided to do so at Cape Breton University, close to her family. She’ll never forget the faculty members who encouraged her and made her feel confident in coming back as a mature student. Faculty like Dr. Martin Mkandwaire, Dr. Allen Britten, Dr. Stephanie MacQuarrie, Judy MacInnis, Karen Foss and so many more, made her feel at home. “I’ll always be grateful for the support and encouragement the Chemistry Department at CBU gave me!”

After both her father and mother faced serious illness, Samar’s decision to become a doctor was solidified. She had spent time in hospital with both of her parents and knew that was where she wanted to be.

She was devasted when she learned that a year abroad in Germany during her undergraduate degree precluded her from applying to medicine. She hit a wall. She was convinced it wasn’t meant to be. Samar is highly skilled and trained, therefore, other opportunities were available for a career.

That was until Dr. Mkandwaire, chemistry faculty at Cape Breton University, convinced her that she was missing out on an opportunity that she dreamed of. Dr. Mkandwaire encouraged her to complete a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at CBU, and to complete her honours and apply to medicine. “I completely owe my path to the faculty in the Chemistry Department at CBU. They gave me the confidence to overcome the barriers I faced and to pursue my dream.” The Chemistry faculty was also instrumental to Samar getting involved in research. They encouraged Samar to pursue research opportunities related to medicine and allowed her to tie in her previous experiences in South Africa to her research project. She worked with Dr. Mkandawire’s research group on the Smart Wound Dressing project. Her research focused on mitigating the unnecessary use of antibiotics in wound care through the development of hollow lignin nanoparticles that could be drug loaded for effective topical antibiotic delivery to an infected wound. “CBU is one of the few universities where everyone is encouraged to pursue research.”

Ironically, upon her graduation from CBU in 2021, the admission rules changed for medicine and her first degree no longer precluded her from applying. Instead of applying with her first undergraduate degree, which was from the same school she was applying to, she applied using her new chemistry degree from CBU. “I was so proud of what it took for me to accomplish this and decided to apply using my CBU degree.”

Samar started her medical degree in September 2022 and is excited at the possibilities ahead of her. She knows she wants to help people the way her father does and the way her professors do every day. Samar is a proud CBU Alumni and intends to practice in Cape Breton to give back to the community that gave her all that she has today.

To learn more about studying medicine at CBU, visit: www.cbumedcampus.ca