Photography: headshot provided by Keith Jollymore

When she was just six years old, Cinera States (MD’17) began dreaming about a career in medicine.

States still remembers her first visit to Dr Sharon Burey as a young girl, and the life-changing impact it had on her. As a paediatrician of African descent, Dr. Burey was a sharp, successful woman and a prime example for young African Canadian girls like States to aspire to. Awestruck by Dr. Burey, States set her heart on a similar future for herself, where she, too, could make a difference and inspire others in her community.

Against the odds

“One of the biggest barriers to achieving my goals was a lack of finances. I knew prior to applying to university that my parents were not going to be able to afford it,” says States.

Battling against the odds, States worked hard at school, earning top grades and scholarships to fund her post-secondary studies. When it came to medical school, however, States needed more significant financial support.

Financial aid through Dalhousie

Fortunately for States, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine recognizes that the medical field should reflect all the communities that it represents, and that special support is needed to ensure this.

“It’s extremely important to us to increase diversity in the student body and ultimately in the field so that we can improve the health of all populations,” says Dr. David Anderson, dean of the Faculty of Medicine. “This means reducing financial barriers to make it possible for students from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to attend medical school.”

Thanks to the help of donors like you who make financial aid for Indigenous and African Nova Scotian students possible, States graduated from Dalhousie Medical School in 2017 and is pursuing her residency in psychiatry.

“The bursaries I received from Dalhousie significantly reduced my financial burden and stress. The fact that specific bursaries are available to students like myself who are considered a visible minority made me feel as though there are people out there who care about the importance of diversity,” says States.

Improving health and impacting communities

As an African Nova Scotian health care provider,  States looks forward to inspiring youth and making a difference in communities like North Preston, where her own mother grew up.

“Research has shown that individuals from minority groups have more difficulties accessing care and are also less likely to seek care due to a lack of trust in the health care system,” says States. “That’s why it’s so important to increase the representation of minority individuals like myself at a systems level, to address the health disparities that affect our ethic communities.”

Sharing the belief in the importance of diversity among medical professionals, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine and graduates like  States are transforming the future of health across marginalized populations.

“A system that represents all unique cultural backgrounds will help to bridge gaps and foster trust between patients and health care providers,” says Dr. Anderson. “This is the reality we are working towards, and why diversity funding is so critical for individuals from these populations.”

If you want to support students like Cinera States, please make a gift to the Medicine Diversity Fund.