Meet Dr. Ashna Bowry, Director Year 3 Clerkship
Dr. Ashna Bowry is a Kenyan-born physician in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at St. Michael's Hospital. Dr. Bowry received her medical degree from the University of Bristol, U.K. In 2008, she moved to Toronto, and began her residency in Family Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto. On its completion, she remained and built her clinical practice at St. Michael’s hospital. In 2012, she returned to the UK to obtain an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine, at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 2013, she completed her fellowship in Tropical Medicine at Toronto General Hospital, in the department of Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto. Dr. Bowry’s practice interests include tropical diseases, paediatrics, refugee and immigrant health and the health of marginalized populations. She is currently a public member representative on the Board of Health, City of Toronto and volunteers in local and international public health and medical education programs.
She is an Assistant Professor in the DFCM and has been the Course Director of the Concepts, Patients and Communities 2 course in Foundations, MD program since 2016, and has been involved in curriculum development and administration. Dr. Bowry is involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students at University of Toronto and globally.
What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine?
I was born and raised in East Africa, as an extremely premature baby. Since my childhood was plagued with multiple illnesses, I had frequent interactions with health care providers, who always treated me with kindness and instilled hope and courage to progress through various challenges. Through these interactions, I was exposed to the disparities in healthcare, the public health challenges facing communities around me and witnessed the impact that compassionate and skilled clinicians can have in people’s lives. Along with a keen interest in science, and inspired by those who had cared for me, I became determined to become a physician and to be of service to those most vulnerable needing care.
How did you discover what areas of medicine you are most passionate about?
I completed my medical school training in Bristol, U.K. As a curious mind, I was always keen to understand first principles and liked nothing more than putting a "diagnostic sleuth" hat on and trying to figure out the complexities in a patient’s presentation. I also loved working with an inter professional team. This led me to think about a career in community based Internal Medicine in the UK, with a focus on infectious diseases. When my family decided to relocate to Canada, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to do various electives in Toronto in both family medicine and internal medicine. After understanding the differences in the way family medicine and internal medicine are practiced in Canada compared to the UK, I was drawn to the breadth and level of autonomy in comprehensive Family Medicine and applied for residency at St Michael’s Hospital Department of Family and Community Medicine. I was lucky to get in, and I am still there, 17 years later! A few years into practice, to fulfill my dream to practice infectious diseases, I took a sabbatical and returned to the UK to complete a Masters in International Health and Tropical medicine. I subsequently developed a clinical interest in newcomer health and tropical medicine, and this is reflected in my clinical practice today. I maintain a keen interest in global and international health and volunteer in global medical education work. While I undertook quite an atypical path to get there, I do believe that my professional life has come full circle now and I truly love what I do!
What challenges did you face during your medical training and how did you cope?
My immediate challenge was living in another country, alone, away from my family. It was a big adjustment for an 18 year old, let alone the cold and damp weather and the transition to university learning. It was a tough first year, plagued with illness, a broken limb and homesickness. I struggled with the sheer volume of basic science courses with high stakes exams at the end of the year. But, as time went on, once I started to understand how these principles actually connected to the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of illnesses, it made the learning so much easier! I slowly adjusted and I was able to build a community of supports, who in time, became my study buddies, mentors, and substitute family, many of whom are still my best friends and live all over the world. Bottom line, I couldn’t have done it without sharing my challenges and seeking out support from faculty, family, and friends. It made a challenging time so much easier to get through.
How do you balance a demanding career with taking care of yourself and spending time with family and friends?
A career in medicine and in academia definitely keeps me on my toes. I have a lot of interests outside of medicine, a large social network and my global footprint means I travel a lot. So, I have had to create time for them and time to take care of myself. I try to finish all my work at work and I don't bring it home with me. That’s forced me not to send work emails during the evenings or weekends! This gives me time to pursue my hobbies and connect socially with others. I prioritize time for cooking healthy meals and doing some physical activity or reflective meditation every day. When I am on vacation, I am incognito. I am very fortunate to work with colleagues that can cover me and allow me this protected time away. When you have an amazing “work family” like I do, both clinically and at the university, it’s always a pleasure to find time in every day, to share a laugh together and bring joy and balance in an otherwise very busy day.
What piece of advice would you give to learners in the MD program?
Getting into medical school is one of the biggest achievements in learners’ lives thus far. It deserves a big pat on the back, and it’s easy to forget that when you are starting something new and daunting. When faced with challenges or small victories, I would want all learners to remember why they are here, what brought them on this path and to "keep their eyes on the prize". My piece of advice is to lean on and support each other, share with your family and friends and seek out faculty and medical supports to help keep you on track. Everyone is invested in helping to get you to the finish line and become the best residents and clinicians you can be! Best of luck on this exciting journey.