As the cod fishing industry struggled in Newfoundland in the late 1990s, and other industries started slowing down, 10-year-old Aaron Lewis and his parents moved to Southwestern Ontario to find work and a new life.
Coming from the 200-person fishing village of Fleur de Lys, they left behind family and friends.
But for Lewis, who is of mixed settler and Mi’kmaq Indigenous roots, not all was left behind. He brought the influences of his grandmother, Madeline, who served a wide geographic area as a nurse in the Baie Verte Hospital.
“Growing up, my grandmother was always the person in our small town who people went to. She would help anyone who was sick; she was the person everyone would call,” said Lewis.
Now, as he graduates with his doctor of medicine from Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Lewis reflects on a path shaped by Grandma Madeline’s influence and looks ahead to his upcoming family medicine residency in Hanover, Ont.
‘Forming bonds’ in rural medicine
Lewis began his career as a nurse and personal support worker in Kincardine, Ont., where he witnessed firsthand the impact of physician shortages on rural communities.
Medicine was a natural next step.
“Seeing the disparity between urban and rural health care got me thinking more about medicine and being that person who stays in the community, like my grandmother,” said Lewis, who has had his sights set on Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Rural-Hanover Program since completing Discovery Week there in his first year.
The blend of Western medicine and Indigenous perspectives – an approach known as “two-eyed seeing” – gives Lewis a unique outlook on the long-term relationships he wants to build.
“Bringing in the softer skills I learned in nursing and connecting with people on a deeper level led me to family medicine. I liked the idea of building long-term relationships and forming bonds across a lifetime with patients.” – Aaron Lewis, MD’25
While Lewis looks forward to starting his residency in the Grey-Bruce region, stepping into the family doctor shortage and a health system under strain brings with it hope and challenge.
“Physicians in Hanover are very collegial and there’s a lot of support from your co-workers,” he said.
Resilience will be key in the years ahead, along with the ability to stay grounded – something he hopes to find in running a goat farm with a friend.
“At the end of the day, I want to make a difference in the community,” he said.
Aaron Lewis is one of 8,000 Western students graduating during spring convocation, joining the global network of 372,000 alumni around the world. Read more of Western News’ convocation coverage.
