Is Toronto really the New York City of Canada?

Elyse Lackie, a clinician in our department, recently completed a Masters of Public Health at Columbia University in New York.  She shared her experiences in the program, living in New York, and her thoughts on healthcare and public health.  She also included some pictures she took while in New York.

------------------------

Is Toronto really the New York City of Canada??
 

Last year I set out on a quest to answer that question.  With tremendous support from my ‘family’ at NYGH and the Department of Ob-Gyn at U of T, I took a sabbatical and enrolled in the Accelerated Master of Public Health program at Columbia University.  Experiencing Gotham as both a resident and a student, I came to know the city from many perspectives.  I most certainly took advantage of the never-ending cultural and culinary delights the city offers.  But I also learned about the history of this tremendous city, it’s growth, and the health and social opportunities -and tremendous challenges - that this evolution has brought.  My classmates were as diverse as a pediatrician from the Canary Islands to a real estate scion interested in geriatric well-being; 22-year olds straight out of undergrad and past executive directors of HIV clinics.   Together we unpacked the issues that impact health, from policy to politics, economic opportunity and education, gender diversity and human rights, costs and technology.  Spending some time to consider what makes a community healthy is a completely different exercise from practicing medicine with individual patients, and it’s an experience that enriched me personally and will greatly enhance my career.
 

So is Toronto the New York City of Canada?  Well, the TTC has a much more limited range than NYC Metro, and I can’t get a bagel on any corner at any time of day or night.  And while we share many of the same challenges in providing quality health care to a very large and diverse population, I came away from this experience with an even greater appreciation for the Canadian health care system, challenges and all. Moving forward I plan to use my MPH and NYC experience to help our department tackle some of those challenges, ensuring we can always provide excellent health care to the women of our great city of Toronto.  It’s nice to be home.

Elyse Lackie, MD, MPH

Left: Elyse and Sari Kives in Washington Square, middle: With Yeary (pediatrician from the canaray islands) post mid-terms,
right: Janet Bodley and Desmond Lam running the nyc marathon