Alumni Spotlight Series: Sarah kopak

SARAH KOPAK Class of 2007 Interviewed by Michelle Noble | June 2016

S

arah Kopak (or Szarkowicz, as we remember her), has been busy over the past nine years studying to

become a doctor at the Medical University of Warsaw in Poland. A 2007 graduate, Sarah explains the pros and cons of studying abroad, the hoops she has had to jump through to transfer her accreditation back to Canada, and some of the craziest experiences she has endured during her journey to becoming a doctor.

ABOVE: Sarah leaning on a brain model while studying in first-year anatomy class.

It is such a pleasure to catch up with

I received an acceptance letter to

was always one of the ‘brave ones’

you, Sarah! Thank you for taking the

the Medical University of Warsaw.

in my family and could handle blood

time. What motivated you to move

Opportunity struck and I took it.

and dress gruesome wounds. All

back to Poland after graduation?

(There was also a summer fling in

those factors added up into the idea

Poland that tipped the scales ever so

of giving medicine a shot.

Graduating from Mulgrave, I was so pumped up, I felt like I was

slightly.)

Has it been a smooth transition from

invincible. I wanted to do something

When did you first know you wanted

Poland to Canada, or have there

bold and outstanding with my

to become a doctor?

been some hoops you’ve had to jump

future. My options were quite obvious - either I follow my passion for music or I push myself out of my comfort zone and do something extraordinary. Following the second option, I was accepted to SFU for Health Sciences as my pre-med.

Everything was too perfect, I knew there had to be a curveball coming.

During the last week of summer,

That’s a tough question. I have

through?

admired my family doctor, Dr. Bertha

Definitely a lot of hoops! So many

Brisco, since I was a little girl. She

hoops in fact, that they sort of scare

was definitely the one who sparked

me to get started. Getting your

my interest in medicine. As I grew

international medical credentials

older, I was finding that Biology

transferred to be able to practice in

was one of my favourite subjects in

Canada is a very lengthy process.

school, especially when the topics

Not only do I have to take a few

were about the human body or

exams, I also have to complete

animals and involved dissecting. I

another internship. Currently, I’m

ABOVE: Sarah with her sisters in front of the Chopin Statue in Lazienki Park where the Polish aristocrats would hunt in the 1800’s.

ABOVE: Sarah with her classmates at Christmas.

studying for my Medical Council of

of life, a pediatrician is the primary

crossroad in my career because I

Canada Qualifying exam (the first of

doctor. During my Pediatrics and

still have so many paths I can take

three) and looking into volunteering

Neonatology rotation during my

and options to choose from.

at a hospice and Lions Gate Hospital.

internship, I felt excited to go to

What would your dream job be once you’ve officially become a doctor in Canada?

work in the morning, and that is when I realised where my focus should be.

Doctors without Borders has always

A crossroad can be an exciting place to be – there’s so much possibility!

Did you learn any skills at Mulgrave that have helped get you to where you are today?

After my internship in Poland

been a dream of mine, as well. I will

where I got to experience all the

never forget when I was in Grade 11

Not to brag, but my study skills and

wards in the hospital, I have to

at Mulgrave and they came to the

notes are impeccable to perfection.

say that I have grown a passion

school to give a presentation about

I was always the one in my year that

for Neonatology. Whenever I give

being a volunteer. I remember I went

others would photocopy notes from.

this answer, it’s always followed by,

home that day and told my mom,

It was not only my colour coding

“What’s neonatology?” When an

“Mama, I’m going to Africa to help

and note-taking skills that Mrs.

infant is born, it is referred to as

the sick.” Mom looked at me and

Laursoo taught me in Gr. 10 and 11

a neonate for the first 28 days of

said, “My child, become a doctor

biology, but also my outside-of-the-

life. During this time, the doctor is

first, then you’ll be a bigger help.”

box thinking that helped me make

called a neonatologist; after 28 days

I guess right now I’m at a bit of a

mnemonics, doodles, or songs to

ABOVE: Sarah with friends at the European Championships in Warsaw in 2012.

help remember important symptoms

post-war communism is still very

more memorable experiences. I

and treatments of diseases. The work

fresh in people’s minds, especially in

was in my fifth-year studies and in

ethic that was instilled in me at Mulgrave

the older generation, and that is why

my second year of gynecology and

has stayed with me to this day.

people are a bit more cautious.

obstetrics clinical studies. We were

What is the biggest difference between Polish and Canadian culture?

The openness of people here in Canada. Even though I’ve lived here for most of my life, it was a bit of a shock in March when I moved back after almost nine years abroad. In Poland, people you don’t know don’t randomly talk to you on the street or in the stores. Openness and friendliness to strangers is very rare,

“

in the middle of a lecture, and one of

THE WORK ETHIC THAT WAS INSTILLED IN ME AT MULGRAVE HAS STAYED WITH ME TO THIS DAY.

”

What is the craziest story so far

from your journey to becoming a doctor?

the senior doctors ran into the room saying that a patient was ready to pop out a baby and asked who was willing to help. I was already putting on my doctor’s coat and running up to him before he could finish his sentence. My job during the delivery was to hold the patient’s legs back and to keep an eye on the father in case of any fainting. It was a lengthy delivery, but a healthy boy, whom they named Filip, was born.

at least where I lived in the capital,

Seeing a live birth up close and

Another, maybe more frightening

Warsaw. I think that the war and

personal was definitely one of the

experience, was during my first-year

SARAH KOPAK

“

FOLLOW YOUR HEART AND BE DARING BECAUSE THIS IS HOW DREAMS ARE MADE.

”

summer practice. Every summer we

medicine. And not only that, but

to transfer back home during their

had to complete at least one month

finding a passion for medicine. It

last year of studies. I, on the other

of a particular training. Since the

is not only a profession for me, but

hand, got engaged and decided to

first year of medical school was all

an interesting puzzle that slowly

stay in Poland to do my internship

theory, this summer practice was my

unfolds the more I learn.

there. There are a lot of pros and

first contact with patients… ever! It was a nursing practice, and I chose to do it in the gastroenterology

Would you recommend studying abroad to become a doctor?

cons to studying abroad, but nothing will beat experiencing a different culture.

ward of one of the most well-known

As many of my professors have

teaching hospitals in Poland. A lady

told me, ‘it depends’ is never a

was admitted from England, and

wrong answer. I chose to do my

‘FAME - I’m gonna live forever!’

since she didn’t speak any Polish,

medical schooling abroad, first of

Being part of the cast of Fame in

the nurses put me in charge of her.

all because my family is Polish and I

Grade 12 was definitely the most

One day, the nurses told me to move

would spend most of my summers

unforgettable experience of my final

some hospital beds from one room

there visiting friends and family.

year at Mulgrave. Sometimes I even

to another, and as a reward, I could

Since the language and culture

catch myself subconsciously dancing

go home a bit early. The next day I

were not foreign to me, and they

the moves that Mrs. Hugh-Grant

came in, and the lady from England

offered a medical programme in

taught us.

had a broken nose, missing teeth,

English, I figured it was worth a

and her whole face was bruised. It

shot. Another bonus was that there

turns out that she fell out of her bed

were no pre-med courses required.

because the bed rails weren’t raised.

A six-year programme straight

Of course, the blame was on me.

out of high school seemed like a

That was a hard one to get out of!

My motto has always been, ‘If you’re

good deal. At the time, I didn’t do a

gonna do something, you might as

lot of research about transferring

well do it right’. Follow your heart

credentials back to Canada, which

and be daring because this is how

is something I regret. Many of my

dreams are made. A strong work

Probably completing my next

peers from Canada or US studying

ethic always pays off in the end.

level of education, which as you

with me did their research and

have probably guessed by now, is

actually took all the required exams

What is your biggest accomplishment since graduating from Mulgrave?

Favourite Mulgrave memory?

Any advice or words of wisdom for our current Grade 12s who are nearing graduation?

Sarah Kopak, 2016