Our PGY3s
Fay Alresaini
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Med School: King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? Supportive program director.
Fun Fact: Adrenaline junkie. I speak a little Japanese.
Favourite Quote: “It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.”
Faisal Alshlahi
Hometown: Kuwait
Med School: University of Glasgow
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? Feels like I’m a part of a bigger family. Incredible support network with peers and faculty.
Fun Fact: I am a left-handed surgeon.
Favourite Quote: Treat others how you would like to be treated.
Career Goals: Thoracic Surgery and Public Health.
Meghan Bourque
Hometown: Burlington, ON
Med School: University College Cork
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? A very welcoming, hard-working and skilled community of people. Time away from work is also valued and respected.
Fun Fact: If I didn't go into Medicine I'd probably be off designing/decorating homes and coaching a lot of soccer.
Favourite Quote: "There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." -Norman Vincent Peale
Career Goals: Still exploring.
Contact: meghan.bourque@medportal.ca
Vicki Archer
Hometown: Quispamsis, NB
Med School: McMaster University
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? The people of course, but aside from that our program is flexible and residents have the ability to adapt it based on their unique career goals.
Fun Fact: Before medical school I was a coxswain in the Canadian Coast Guard and did Search and Rescue.
Favourite Quote: "Better to open and see than wait and see."
Career Goals: I’m really leaning into the “general” in general surgery and am interested in everything.
*Completed the Clinical Investigator Program from 2021-2023.
Olivia Lovrics
Hometown: Hamilton, ON
Med School: McMaster University
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? The people! Everyone - staff and co-residents - work to ensure that the culture is positive and supportive.
Fun Fact: I love to cycle! Hamilton has lots of great routes - you can bike to Niagara for a wine tour or Toronto for a concert!
Favourite Quote: Don’t forget to brush your teeth on call!
Career Goals: I’m still exploring all that General Surgery has to offer!
Contact: olivia.lovrics@medportal.ca
Madeline McDonald
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Med School: University of Toronto
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? Amazing support from Program leadership, staff and co-residents to help us reach our clinical, academic and personal goals.
Fun Fact: I used to run competitively including on a few National teams!
Favourite Quote: "There is no substitute for hard work." - Thomas Edison
Career Goals: Global Surgery, access and outcomes of surgical care for underserviced populations.
*Currently studying a Masters of Science at the University of Oxford.
Vivek Patel (Niagara)
Hometown: Belleville, ON
Med School: McMaster University (Waterloo Campus)
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? The people - Even as a PGY1 I have formed personal connections and bonds with many staff and co-residents. Residency can be challenging at times, and having a strong support group amongst the people you work with makes it a little easier.
Fun Fact: I am an adrenaline thrill junkie ;)
Favourite Quote: "I knew exactly what to do...But in a much more real sense I had no idea what to do." - Michael Scott
Career Goals: Still keeping an open mind, to explore as many areas as possible.
Meredith Poole
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Med School: Queen's University
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? The sense of community and camaraderie among both residents and staff. We have an amazing culture and not only are we extremely supported and protected as residents but we also have fun from time to time!
Fun Fact: What I do in my spare time: Travelling!!! During COVID this transited into discovering the underrated boutique food/drink and nature scene around Hamilton. You can also find me napping or hosting dinners for friends and co-residents.
Career Goals: Keeping it broad for now. One of the benefits of Mac is that we get a really wide exposure to almost all gen surg subspecialties.
Veronica Stewart
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Med School: McMaster University
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? 1) The people! The community here is unmatched. Someone will always have your back and especially as a junior resident that makes all the difference. 2) The emphasis on balance. We love our work but we are also people outside the OR. It's so nice to be part of a program that supports you in all areas of life. 3) The hospitals are all less than a 15 minute drive away from each other! This is a highly underrated fact about Hamilton. Especially if you grew up in Toronto and don't love driving (see above).
Fun Fact: I dropped my only anatomy course in undergrad because I didn’t think it would be useful for my future career.
Favourite Quote: “This is either madness, or brilliance.” (Will Turner) “It’s remarkable how often those two traits coincide." -Jack Sparrow
Career Goals: Trauma/ACS
Contact: veronica.stewart@medportal.ca
Gaurav Talwar
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Med School: McMaster University
What do you like most about Mac GenSx? The people. Since being a junior medical student, I realized that the McMaster General Surgery Program is a very tight knit and collegial program. Staff and residents of the program inspired me to pursue General Surgery as a career, and being able to work with them more closely as a resident has been a great honour. My peers and senior colleagues celebrate each other's success, which makes the journey of General Surgery residency all the more enjoyable.
Fun Fact: My dad introduced me to video games, and we made a deadly duo when it came to games like Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers Melee, and Call of Duty (mainly Modern Warfare 3). My mom would cheer us on and sometimes joined in to play Mario Party.
Favourite Quote: "A caterpie may change into a butterfree, but the heart that beats inside remains the same. [so when you are flying high up in the night sky, always remember those who led you to your fame.]" - adapted from Brock in Pokémon
Career Goals: A few specialities I'm exploring include Colorectal, Surgical Oncology and MIS... open to the endless opportunities in General Surgery but I see teaching and clinically oriented research as important parts of my future practice.
Contact: gaurav.talwar@medportal.ca