A former refugee from Syria whose family settled in Capreol has been honoured as a second-year student at NOSM University by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Mohamed Alzahran’s award recognizes “a second-year student from each medical school across Canada who exemplifies perseverance, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial spirit.” The award is given to students who “have an established track record of community leadership, superior communication skills, and demonstrated interest in advancing knowledge,” NOSM said in a news release. Alzahran and his family came to Canada in 2016 from Syria, which was in the midst of a devastating civil war. “My parents left behind everything they had built -- their home, their careers, their entire world -- and fled with my siblings and me to a country we knew almost nothing about, except that it offered a good education and a real chance at something better,” he said in the release. “It cost them everything. It gave us everything. The people of Capreol took my family in as their own, with a warmth and generosity I have never forgotten and never will.” Alzahran completed an Honours Bachelor of kinesiology and health sciences with a minor in Indigenous interdisciplinary studies from Laurentian University, and a Master of public health from the University of Waterloo. He helped organize the Syrian Canadian Blood Donation Day, the Northern Ontario PPE for Healthcare Providers Campaign during the pandemic by hand-sewing and distributing masks to frontline workers. He also volunteered with St. John Ambulance to provide first aid at community events and was manager of finance for the Human Kinetics Student Council at LU. Stigma and mental health Alzahran’s most recent research projects examined stigma toward patients with mental illness among emergency department staff under the supervision of Dr. Mohamed Abbasy. “He also collaborated with Dr. Mohammed Shurrab to examine cardiovascular health disparities in northern Ontario,” the NOSM release added. “Committed to supporting the next generation of health-care professionals, he co-leads the Suture Society and the Altitude Healthcare Mentoring Program, which supports students from underserved communities pursuing careers in health care.” His full bio can be found here. “I am not just honoured by this award,” Alzahran said. “I am answerable to it. This recognition is not only personal; I hope it sends a message to every newcomer, every refugee, every student from a small northern community who has wondered whether there is space for them in Canadian medicine. There is. With hard work, dedication and the right people behind you, it is possible.” “Congratulations to Mohamed Alzahran on receiving the CMHF Student Award,” NOSM president Dr. Michael Green said in the release. “This is an outstanding recognition of Mohamed’s hard work and commitment to equitable health care in the north. It is inspiring to see all he has accomplished and the impact Mohamed is making this early in his career.” Soon beginning his third-year Comprehensive Community Clerkship in Parry Sound, Alzahran will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a travel subsidy to attend the CMHF Induction Ceremony in Montreal, where he will have the opportunity to meet CMHF Laureates and interact with health leaders from across the country.
