Samantha nitisiyikason ekwa Amiskwaciywaskahikan ohci niya

Samantha Gibbon is a student in UBC’s Southern Medical Program (Class of 2023). She hails from Peayasis Band in Northern Alberta and is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. While completing her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Alberta, she pursued writing and traditional art as a way to combat the assimilative and colonial powers of the institution. Now, you can find Samantha sewing, dancing, teaching biology and English to high school students, writing, painting, and of course, studying.

Upon completing medical school, Samantha hopes to return to her home community practicing Obstetrics and Gynecology. She dreams of creating a holistic Indigenous-centred practice focused on destigmatizing addictions and promoting balanced and culturally enriched Indigenous maternal and infant wellness.

All of Samantha’s projects thus far seek to unite and educate Indigenous students and youth across the country, providing them with opportunities to be creative, empowered, and at home.

Summary for Good Medicine:

Good Medicine is an in-progress anthology dedicated to giving Indigenous medical students from across Canada the opportunity to express their Indigeneity through art and writing. Student pieces are prompted by and explore themes of culture, wellness, education, family, and health. The goal of this anthology is to unite the medical education narrative while highlighting the unique backgrounds and influences that fuel the progress and successes of Indigenous physicians-in-the-making. The inspiration for this project is a pervasive, shared feeling of disconnect between Indigenous medical students throughout the country; these feelings are heard being expressed from many of the Indigenous students in programs at UBC and at the Universities of Alberta and Calgary. The Indigenous experience of western medical training is an unique one, and the students’ resilience and the communities that support them deserve to be celebrated.

Submissions to the anthology are open to Indigenous medical students across Canada in all years, and all forms of written and visual art are accepted (including photography and excluding film/video). Submissions may incorporate all or none of the themes of the project (culture, wellness, education, family, and health), and reflective pieces are encouraged! The deadline for submitting is August 31, 2020, and chosen contributors will be compensated for their work.

Feel free to contact Samantha Gibbon for any questions, comments, or ideas regarding Good Medicine!