Marika Moskalyk has found a way to achieve her goal of becoming a physician a couple of years sooner.
The Grade 12 student at Marymount Academy is one of 10 students picked this year for the Queen's Accelerated Route to Medical School (QuARMS) program.
Participants — all high achievers — are able to enter Queen's medical school after two years of university instead of the usual four.
The program enriches and focuses “their curricular and extracurricular university experiences to prepare them for direct entry into medical training,” the QuARMS website said.
“It's a pretty prestigious program,” said Moskalyk, who currently has an academic average of 97 per cent, and was accepted to QuARMS after an application process lasting half a year. “I was really surprised that I got in.”
While she has the strong academic performance needed, the 17-year-old said she wants become a doctor because she loves interacting with others.
“I feel like this is a misconception — that doctors need to be just really smart intellectually, and that's it, that's all,” said Moskalyk, who will be studying science at Queen's for the next two years.
“There's been a shift in the medical field. They look for more emotional intelligence — people that are able to communicate, be compassionate, able to think on their feet.”
Marymount principal Lucie Cullen said she's very proud of Moskalyk for her achievement. She said she's had other students apply for QuARMS, but Moskalyk is the first from the school to be accepted.
Cullen said she thinks that has a lot to do with the kind of person Moskalyk is — not only strong academically, but optimistic and kind.
“Obviously, they're not just looking for kids that are academically brilliant — they're looking for kids that have compassion and they're humble and easy to work with,” she said.
Moskalyk is a leader at the all-girls Grade 7-12 Catholic school, especially when it comes to charitable causes, Cullen said.
“She's always leading the pack when it comes to raising funds for cancer or mentoring younger students that are coming into the school,” she said.
The student said Marymount has played a huge role in her success.
“I was going to leave Marymount in Grade 9 to go to a different, coed school, and I convinced myself to stay, and that honestly was the best decision I've ever made in my life, for sure,” Moskalyk said.
“I loved being in that environment. It was just so positive and so encouraging. My teachers have been absolutely amazing. It's not just about the learning for them. It's about everything else – making sure I'm OK.”
