Dr. Sarah Kitner is a Resident in the Schulich Family Medicine Teaching Unit (FMTU) at Humber River Health (Humber). Dr. Kitner has provided her perspective on her experience since starting in July. 

Tell us about your experience as a Resident in Humber’s Schulich FMTU.

My experience at Humber’s Schulich FMTU has been nothing short of incredible. I feel lucky to work with such a passionate and motivated team while serving a community of appreciative and deserving patients. My mentors have been extremely kind, offering me autonomy while also challenging my knowledge base. The hands-on experience pushes me daily, and the supportive learning environment fosters both my personal and professional growth. I genuinely look forward to my afternoons in the FMTU and I am excited to continue developing my skills here as I work toward becoming a comprehensive and compassionate community family physician. 

Tell us about your journey before Humber.

My academic background is in Kinesiology, having completed my bachelor’s at McGill University and my master’s at Queen’s University. After finishing my studies, I secured my first professional position as a research coordinator at NYU Langone Health in New York City. Being in a patient-facing role and working as part of a medical team ignited my motivation to apply for medicine. I returned home to McGill to pursue my medical studies. With a long-distance partner who did not speak French and could not live in Quebec, I started exploring residency options in Ontario. When I discovered that Humber had a site for family medicine education, I knew that the University of Toronto was where I wanted to complete my residency training. 

Why Humber?

As a Montreal native who completed my undergraduate medical education at McGill, Toronto’s Family Medicine Teaching sites were all new to me. While I had heard a lot about the downtown sites from physicians who had gone through the program, I did not know much about Humber until my partner’s grandmother was hospitalized here on several occasions. During my visits, I was impressed by the beautiful facilities. More importantly, I met nurses who spoke highly of working here with genuine enthusiasm. The culture at Humber fosters a positive working environment, which undoubtedly, and most importantly, contributes to improved patient care and outcomes. 

To learn more about Humber’s Schulich FMTU, click here.