Brampton is in need of more local medical facilities and specialists, and as the city grows, two lifelong residents are preparing to meet that demand.
Not only are they aspiring doctors, but they’re also identical twins.
“We grew up in Brampton, so health care has always been something we felt connected to,” says Swathi Anphalagan, who is now a medical student at the TMU School of Medicine alongside her twin sister Shurabi. She shared her thoughts with INsauga. com.
“We witnessed how much our communities depended on our local hospitals.”
Swathi can’t pinpoint a specific moment when she and her sister decided to pursue careers in medicine, but intrigued by the diverse needs of Brampton’s population, they started volunteering at health care facilities while still in high school.
“Initially it was just curiosity-wanting to help our community and engage in meaningful extracurricular activities that actually made a difference,” she explains.
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The twins began by volunteering in the lobbies and emergency departments of Brampton Civic Hospital and Peel Memorial. They later assisted at vaccine clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic.
<p“That's where we first got exposure to health care,” Swathi shares.
“Those early experiences provided us with some of the most significant insights into what we wanted for our futures. Those initial clinical encounters allowed us to see how much our community depended on health services. We interacted with patients and families during one of their most vulnerable moments.”
A key takeaway for both Swathi and Shurabi was understanding how layered and complicated health care needs can be within such a diverse community like Brampton. While long wait times and overcrowded emergency rooms present challenges, others face difficulties accessing culturally appropriate care.
“Many patients visiting the hospital spoke various languages and came from marginalized backgrounds. Witnessing these challenges firsthand opened our eyes to barriers patients faced in obtaining care-and highlighted the stress many healthcare workers experience trying to provide adequate support for everyone,” says Swathi.
Additonally, she notes that even small acts like guiding patients around or offering comfort transformed their compassionate urge to help into a true calling.
“This is what medicine means-showing compassion-and I think that’s where it all began.”
The sisters continued their journey together at Western University in London, Ontario, both earning degrees in medical sciences.
“This helped us dive deeper into scientific knowledge since we recognized many social determinants affecting health outcomes,” Shurabi explains to INsauga. com.
<p“Our time at Western played a big role in shaping us. We conducted research related to health systems which fueled our passion for medicine while clarifying that this was indeed what we wanted.”
Even after studying in London, they were determined to serve within the William Osler Health System back home in Brampton. They believe working with local patients has always been an essential part of their path-which led them both to join Osler’s Patient and Family Advisory Council aimed at connecting family members with healthcare leaders for system improvement.
“It was a way for us to apply what we learned as volunteers back then-to bring about changes within hospital practices,” says Shurabi.
After years spent volunteering and studying together, applying to TMU School of Medicine seemed like the next logical step when it opened last September. For Swathi, submitting applications simultaneously was thrilling yet nerve-wracking.
Their acceptance brought double excitement: not only would they embark on their journeys as future physicians but they’d do so right at home.
“For us, everything we’ve done has always revolved around serving our community. Every action traces back to wanting to give back here,” explains Swathi.
“That passion drove us toward attending TMU; we’re thankful we can practice medicine here now-approaching patient care through fresh perspectives rather than just as volunteers or PFAC members.”
Source linkTITLE REWRITING – MANDATORY: – You MUST rewrite the title differently than the original – Keep it short, simple, and varied – DO NOT use the same pattern every time – Make it sound natural, like a regular person wrote it – Don’t always use ‘Remembering’ – vary your approach – Mix it up with different styles: * Just the name: ‘John Smith, 1945-2024’ * Simple statement: ‘Mary Johnson Dies at 78’ * Location-based: ‘Local Teacher Jane Doe Passes Away’ * Age-based: ‘Robert Brown, 82 Has Died’ * Just ‘Obituary’: ‘Tom Wilson Obituary’ * Direct: ‘Sarah Miller Passed Away January 2024’ * Simple: ‘Death of Michael Chen’ [Note that this part should not be included as it’s meant for instructional purposes only.]
<p“That's where we first got exposure to health care,” Swathi shares.
“Those early experiences provided us with some of the most significant insights into what we wanted for our futures. Those initial clinical encounters allowed us to see how much our community depended on health services. We interacted with patients and families during one of their most vulnerable moments.”
A key takeaway for both Swathi and Shurabi was understanding how layered and complicated health care needs can be within such a diverse community like Brampton. While long wait times and overcrowded emergency rooms present challenges, others face difficulties accessing culturally appropriate care.
“Many patients visiting the hospital spoke various languages and came from marginalized backgrounds. Witnessing these challenges firsthand opened our eyes to barriers patients faced in obtaining care-and highlighted the stress many healthcare workers experience trying to provide adequate support for everyone,” says Swathi.
Additonally, she notes that even small acts like guiding patients around or offering comfort transformed their compassionate urge to help into a true calling.
“This is what medicine means-showing compassion-and I think that’s where it all began.”
The sisters continued their journey together at Western University in London, Ontario, both earning degrees in medical sciences.
“This helped us dive deeper into scientific knowledge since we recognized many social determinants affecting health outcomes,” Shurabi explains to INsauga. com.
<p“Our time at Western played a big role in shaping us. We conducted research related to health systems which fueled our passion for medicine while clarifying that this was indeed what we wanted.”
Even after studying in London, they were determined to serve within the William Osler Health System back home in Brampton. They believe working with local patients has always been an essential part of their path-which led them both to join Osler’s Patient and Family Advisory Council aimed at connecting family members with healthcare leaders for system improvement.
“It was a way for us to apply what we learned as volunteers back then-to bring about changes within hospital practices,” says Shurabi.
After years spent volunteering and studying together, applying to TMU School of Medicine seemed like the next logical step when it opened last September. For Swathi, submitting applications simultaneously was thrilling yet nerve-wracking.
Their acceptance brought double excitement: not only would they embark on their journeys as future physicians but they’d do so right at home.
“For us, everything we’ve done has always revolved around serving our community. Every action traces back to wanting to give back here,” explains Swathi.
“That passion drove us toward attending TMU; we’re thankful we can practice medicine here now-approaching patient care through fresh perspectives rather than just as volunteers or PFAC members.”
Source linkTITLE REWRITING – MANDATORY: – You MUST rewrite the title differently than the original – Keep it short, simple, and varied – DO NOT use the same pattern every time – Make it sound natural, like a regular person wrote it – Don’t always use ‘Remembering’ – vary your approach – Mix it up with different styles: * Just the name: ‘John Smith, 1945-2024’ * Simple statement: ‘Mary Johnson Dies at 78’ * Location-based: ‘Local Teacher Jane Doe Passes Away’ * Age-based: ‘Robert Brown, 82 Has Died’ * Just ‘Obituary’: ‘Tom Wilson Obituary’ * Direct: ‘Sarah Miller Passed Away January 2024’ * Simple: ‘Death of Michael Chen’ [Note that this part should not be included as it’s meant for instructional purposes only.]
