Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Dr. Kapoor,
We met in the spring of 2016. I was interviewing for a summer research position during my first year of undergraduate studies at McMaster. I was running late, and to my relief, you were also running late (as I later learned was expected). I sat in the waiting room among other students, clutching my rather thin CV, and silently compared myself with the other students, most of them years ahead of me, and judging from their hefty looking CVs, more experienced. For some odd reason, you decided to give me a chance at the job.
Although I never admitted this to you, I was initially quite disappointed the position was in clinical research. That disappointment quickly turned into a passion for clinical research that inspired me to become a physician scientist. Three years flew by, and you became my mentor, thesis supervisor, and role model.
I distinctly recall the very first time we discussed my first research project on renal cell carcinoma among Indigenous Canadians. As I droned on about ways to improve our data collection and statistical tests, you turned to me and said “You know, you leave no stone unturned”. To this day, those words have guided me through times where I felt lost or unsure of when an analysis does not go as planned.
Contrary to the apprehensive girl 7 years ago, you made me feel heard, valued, and above all, capable of achieving my goals. You always looked out for my best interest. You celebrated my successes and supported me through my failures. You were always the first to know about each of my three rejections to medical school and eventually, the life-changing acceptance last year.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou is famously quoted for this eloquent concept of the futility of our words. Rather, it is the emotional underpinning of those words impressed on us that stand the test of time. Dr. Kapoor, your words from the first conversation we had to the last has had a tremendous impact on my life, and has shaped who I am today. I was truly very fortunate to witness your dedication to excellence as a surgeon in the OR and the patience and kindness you offer your patients in the clinic.
While I will miss your laughter echoing down the hallways, I promise that I will do something every single day that I know will bring out that same robust laughter.
Thank you for your mentorship, service, and for embodying the qualities of the future physician I aspire to be.
Emily Wong