Sonia Dhawan

Family Residency

A Magna Cum Laude graduate of University of Ottawa with a specialization in Biochemistry, Sonia was active throughout her undergraduate years volunteering and working in many areas of the medical profession.

In Ecuador, while on a medical mission in the country, she assisted in the MEDLIFE mobile clinic brigade. She also volunteered in the Ottawa General Hospital Oncology unit, and worked in the Emergency Department of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario screening patients for various clinical research studies. Once a student at Saba, her volunteerism continued and she served as a Neuroscience TA, was active in the South Asian Student Association and served as a secretary on the Primary Care and Pediatrics Coalition team. “I had a lot of Canadians in my program, and we were all very close. Learning medicine can be difficult, so a toxic environment wouldn’t help. We all got along so well in my class and really supported each other. It was a very tight knit group. I had applied and been accepted to other schools in the Caribbean, and chose Saba because it was safe, more affordable and had the right learning environment for me.”

Sonia particularly loved her clinical rotations at Saba, and refers to her different rotations as the highlight of her medical education. “For me it was important to see how different states and hospitals approach medicine. I think that is important learning. I fell in love with the Midwest during a rotation, and matched into a Family Residency at Aultman Hospital. This was my first choice and I am so happy to be here. I am doing an Emergency medicine rotation right now, and will continue to rotate through several specialties throughout my residency. Family Medicine is very broad so it allows me to manage patients of all ages with a diverse constellation of medical conditions. My goal is to be an outpatient Family Medicine MD, where I can really build a relationship with patients over time.”

“Learning medicine takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. I strongly believe that it is all about the journey to reaching a goal that matters the most. Throughout this adventure, I learned so much – not just academically, but in all aspects of life. Saba provided me with a platform to achieve my dream, and I am thrilled to now be training as a Family Physician.”