THUNDER BAY — An important decision lies ahead for Taylor Murie.
The fourth-year student at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University isn't sure yet whether to specialize in internal medicine or practise family medicine in a rural setting.
Murie finds internal medicine fascinating because it involves very complex disease management, but also feels it would be rewarding to go into family medicine and be the primary caretaker for patients.
Whichever path she takes, the St. Ignatius High School graduate will start her career in medicine with a long list of accomplishments already behind her.
Most recently, Murie was among five NOSMU staff and learners across Northern Ontario chosen for the inaugural Dr. Sarita Verma Award for Distinguished Leadership.
Her biography demonstrates a passion for advocacy and curriculum development through her leadership roles:
"Having completed her undergraduate (HBSc, BEd) and graduate (MEd) degrees at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, her Master of Education thesis focused on developing a culturally centred mathematics curriculum for Indigenous youth in Northwestern Ontario with a social justice lens.
During her first year of the MD program, Taylor became the west campus Year 1 Representative on student council, actively identifying and advocating for areas of improvement within medical education — a commitment she continues in her current role as west campus Year 3 Representative. Her efforts resulted in positive changes benefiting the student body, including the implementation of a more equitable clinical site selection policy at NOSM for Phase 1 learners. Currently, Taylor is advocating for reinstallation of regional meetings in the Phase 2 curriculum, in some capacity that is feasible for both NOSMU and students through both a wellness and academic lens.
Before entering medical school, Taylor held diverse positions, including administrative work at Lakehead University, teaching as a Contract Lecturer at Lakehead University, and teaching as a Sessional Instructor at Confederation College. She also was an occasional teacher for the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board. In these roles, she developed curricula grounded in current research and served on various committees, including Lakehead University Senate as a Student Senator. Taylor aspires to further enhance medical education through her leadership roles. In her spare time, she finds joy in spending time with friends, staying active, and agility training with her dog."
In an interview with TBnewswatch, Murie said she's learned it's important for doctors to have other outlets in life "that allow you to be a human" outside of medicine.
"I think we can get really wrapped up in this. Medicine becomes the core of our identity, and I'm realizing that more and more as the training progresses. I think having things like the agility training with my dog, or walking classes with my dog, and going to the gym and things, are very critical too . . . I think you're a better physician if you also engage in things outside of your work and you demonstrate that work-life balance."
Murie is well aware of some of the current challenges that doctors face.
"I do think the burden on family medicine practitioners, with the amount of paperwork and overhead and those sorts of things, are really important factors that impact job satisfaction. People aren't going into family medicine to do those sorts of things. They're going in because they really like their patients, and they really like longitudinal care, and they really want to be that 'go-to' person for their patients. So I think those are facts, for sure, that could influence my job decision."
Saying she's "not a big-city person," at this point her preference is to launch her practice somewhere in Northern Ontario.
Murie offered some advice to area high school students who might be considering medicine as a career.
"I would say that you don't need to be the smartest or brightest or most well-decorated student in your class. If you are dedicated, and you're interested, and you like talking to people, you have a life outside of school . . . I think those things are really valuable and important in the admissions process, more than you think."
Murie's track record of community leadership, communication skills and interest in advancing knowledge also helped her receive a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame award last year.
The award recognizes second-year students from medical schools across Canada who exemplify perseverance, collaboration and an entrepreneurial spirit.
