My Learning Philosophy
I consider learning to be one of my greatest priviledges. My parents immigrated to Canada without knowing any English so that I could have better educational opportunities. The sacrifice they made makes me so motivated to engage deeply with my studies. In addition, it motivates me to think that time will pass regardless of how I spend it. I can choose to invest that time wisely in meaningful and growth-oriented ways or risk regret later. The cancer biology focus of my studies is also very interesting to me and continues to fuel my curiosity.
Throughout my academic journey, I’ve learned the importance of perseverance and community. During the isolation of the pandemic, it was through friends and peers that I was able to stay engaged with school despite the shift to remote learning. I joined an online study café called "Study Together", where my friends and I tracked each other's study goals and hours to make sure we are keeping on track. Doing this activity everyday for months, from the lonliness of my dorm room, taught me that learning isn’t something we do in isolation, rather, it is built upon mutual support.
My greatest role model is my mom. She decided to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing at the age of 50. Her commitment to learning even in the most challanging circumstances, showed me how important it is to remain curious and resilient in my academics. Her journey has inspired me to go above and beyond in my learning and has taught me the importance of being a source of encouragement for my peers.
I had a privotal change in my undergraduate studies that changed my approach to learning drastically. When I almost decided to not pursue my current porgram, Biochemsitry adn Cancer Biology, due to the requried biophysics credits, I recognized my tendency to avoid subjects I found difficult. However I reflected on my hesitation and I came to realize that avoiding discomfort would only limit my growth. This realization inspired me to lean into difficult subjects rather than shy away from them.
Lastly, the most defining moment in my learning journey so far was volunteering at a children’s hospital in 2021. That experience opened my eyes to the transformative power of knowledge in alleviating human suffering. It sparked in me a commitment to becoming a compassionate, informed physician. This dedication motivates me to enagge deeply with my coursework, research, and community experiences. To me, learning extends beyond academics—it’s embedded in daily interactions and lived experience. I am committed to a lifelong process of growth, reflection, and learning, far beyond my undergraduate education.
Reflection on My Learning Philosophy
As someone who has always valued academics, and who has been fortunate enough to have an amazing role model in my mother and supportive friends, I know that learning is something I want to continue even after undergrad. I feel a lot of fulfillment from learning, and I hope to carry that into my future career as well. The fact that science is ever-changing and will always provide more "ground to cover" was one of the major reasons for first being drawn to science.
Secondly, the joy I’ve found in working with my friends during my undergraduate years has shown me that collaboration is one of my biggest strengths. This was especiallyhighlighted to me during my CEL project. I’m always excited to get around with my peers to brainstorm, exchange ideas, and meet new people. Recognizing this trait in myself encouraged me to consider a career in medicine which is a field built on collaboration, not only among healthcare providers but also between providers and patients.
The aspiration to become a healthcare worker is what ultimately convinced me that I should not be avoiding difficult subjects. Rather, I should be actively seeking them out. I know that being an effective healthcare professional depends largely on a willingness to be challenged. Therefore, it was important for me to emulate that quality. One way I did this was by enrolling in Sexuality Studies and English Literature courses, even though I didn’t feel confident in those topics. Looking back after four years, I’m surprised to find that some of these courses became my favorite academic experiences.
Even though they weren’t scientific in nature, they taught me valuable lessons that will make me a better healthcare provider in the future. For instance, in English class, we analyzed novels and films, paying close attention to the themes, language, and emotional undertones. We were trained to notice not just what was said, but what was left unsaidby picking up hints about the topics that amde the characters uncomfortable. This skill directly translates into being a more empathetic listener: someone who can pick up on what patients may be hesitant to say, who can read body language and emotional cues, and who can offer compassion even in silence. I believe this lesson that I take away from undergraduate level English will help me connect more deeply with my future patients, and having learnt this is entirely because of the shift in learning approach that I had.
Overall, I’m confident that my learning philosophy—rooted in a lifelong commitment to growth and shaped by the experiences and challenges of my undergraduate years—has prepared me to take on further pursuits in science and medicine. It has given me the foundation I need to succeed in these highly demanding, yet deeply rewarding fields.
Here is my Fall Reflection Assignment from CEL
I have chosen to display my Fall Reflection assignment from my CEL course here because it offers a clear depiction of what I initially thought translational cancer research was, prior to completing my CEL project. This assignment was a required component of the CEL course, submitted in the early months of my fourth year. At that point in time, I had not yet fully delved into my thesis project, which makes this reflection a useful snapshot of how my understanding of translational research has evolved over the past year.
Although this assignment shows that I had already started to question what "translational" should truly mean in the context of cancer research, and had begun recognizing that at its core, translational cancer research is about solving real-world problems, the example I used in this assignment was still centered in laboratory work (Allan, 2024). I now understand that translational cancer research can certainly involve laboratory work, but that it also extends far beyond that.
My understanding of what falls under the umbrella of translational cancer research has expanded significantly through my CEL project. In that project, I worked alongside a team to improve clinical trial recruitment at the London Health Sciences Centre, with the aim of making clinical trial access more equitable for all communities. Working to address this barrier taught me that our efforts were, in fact, a form of translational cancer research—because we were working to solve a real problem that directly impacts cancer patients' quality of care (Allan, 2024). Yet, our work had nothing to do with the laboratory.
Through this experience, I came to realize that meaningful translational research can happen entirely outside the laboratory setting. In fact, much of the work needed to address systemic injustices in healthcare—and to improve the quality of cancer care for marginalized populations—requires this kind of community-engaged, patient-centered research. My CEL project helped reshape my view of what translational research can and should be.