COUNTY - A Park View Education Centre IB graduate has been awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).

 The scholarships are awarded to one student studying family medicine from each of Canada's medical schools. Jenna Creaser was selected from Dalhousie University.

 The College of Family Physicians of Canada is the professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training, certification and lifelong education of family physicians and for advocating on behalf of the specialty of family medicine, family physicians and their patients.

 Ms Creaser graduated from Park View in 2004. She was aspiring to study veterinary medicine but halfway through her degree she realized she wanted to be able to communicate with patients. Following completion of her undergraduate degree from Mount Allison University in 2008, she enrolled at Dalhousie University's medical school.

 Now in her fourth and final year of medical school, after graduation her next step is to complete residency training. She is planning to apply to several programs in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland for rural family medicine, psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology.

 Her ultimate goal is to return home to the Maritimes to practice. However, she also has an interest in global health and hopes to devote some time to working in underprivileged areas here in Canada as well as internationally.

 Currently Ms Creaser is also a member of the Dalhousie Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG), a student-run group that increases awareness within medical schools of the crucial role family physicians play in the health-care system. She has been on the FMIG executive as the junior and senior co-chairwoman and is currently the fourth-year representative.

posted on 11/23/11