Meet the Chiefs
The chief residents in the Family Medicine program at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University serve as an important resource to the department and the resident body. They provide ongoing support and leadership and operate as mentors and advocates for the program.
DR. AARON SACHELI
What program are you a resident of and what year of residency are you in?
Entering into my second year of residency, and chief of family medicine - WIndsor site.
Where were you born and raised?
Born and Raised in Calgary, AB and have called Windsor home for the last few years.
What degree(s) do you have, and from what university (ies)?
BSc. McGill
MD. St. George's University
What special interests or hobbies do you have?
Cycling, running, snowboarding.
Why did you choose to pursue your residency at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry?
I was attracted to the high value placed on independent decision making, and the self-direct/adult learning environment
What inspires you in your work?
Great group of fellow residents, and preceptors.
What has been your greatest experience to date in your residency?
Working alongside fellow residents from other family medicine programs in Ontario, on the OCFP committee.
What do you do when you aren’t working?
Enjoy time with my partner and our dog. Cycling in the country, exploring farmers markets.
DR. KRISTIN CHOW
What program are you a resident of and what year of residency are you in?
I’m a second year family medicine resident in the Regional Program; my home site is Mount Brydges.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. It’s a town of about twenty thousand people with amazing scenery, hiking, and the friendliest people you could ask for. My parents still live there and I’m lucky to get to visit a few times a year.
What degree(s) do you have, and from what university (ies)?
I received my B.Sc in Biochemistry and French as a Second Language from the University of Ottawa, and my MD from Western University.
What special interests or hobbies do you have?
I really enjoy making music – I play the piano, trombone and sing. I recently joined a community women’s choir and it’s been a great way to meet people outside of medicine and relax for a few hours each week. I’m an avid reader; I enjoy the theatre, kayaking and the outdoors.
Why did you choose to pursue your residency at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry?
Schulich for residency training was an easy choice. I attended medical school at Western and knew the Family Medicine Program was excellent. I knew a lot of the faculty already and was excited to continue to learn from them. I had been involved in a number of initiatives at Schulich Medicine already and have been able to continue them during residency. Finally, my partner was already doing his residency in Internal Medicine here, which gave me all the more reason to stay.
What inspires you in your work?
I came into medicine inspired by my younger brother who has autism. I’ve come to realize that even if we are unable to fix a patient’s problem, often our presence can help a patient and their family cope with the situation at hand. I’m inspired by my staff and fellow residents; by their passion for medicine and for their patients.
What has been your greatest experience to date in your residency?
My greatest experience in residency to date was in palliative care, when I was able to provide home-based palliative care for a woman and her family for three months. My preceptor agreed to supervise me even beyond the end of my rotation, so I was able to be part of her journey from diagnosis to death. Being able to be a support and a resource for her and her family reminded me of why I came into medicine in the first place, and I felt privileged to be part of her care.
What do you do when you aren’t working?
When I’m not working, you can usually find me hanging out with friends, reading for pleasure, making music, or trying something new in the kitchen. I try to go back to Newfoundland whenever I can for a visit, but I also love to travel and explore new places.
Anything else you'd like to share that is of interest.
Along with my co-chief residents, I’m excited for this year and our cohort of family medicine residents. Please feel free to contact any of the chiefs with questions, ideas, or just to say hi.
DR. STEVE CORNISH
What program are you a resident of and what year of residency are you in?
I’m in my PGY2 year of the Urban Family Medicine Program, with my home site being the Byron Family Medical Centre.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and lived in the Beaches neighbourhood until going to university.
What degree(s) do you have, and from what university (ies)?
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from Queen’s University (Go Gaels), and my MD from Western’s Schulich Medical School (Go Stangs).
What special interests or hobbies do you have?
I am a lifelong Blue Jays and Maple Leafs fan; please stop me any time to talk baseball or hockey. In medical school I re-discovered the fun of being in musical theatre shows through Schulich’s Tachycardia comedy/musical production - it’s a really fun event and our residents should all go and watch! I also enjoy golf, disc golf, GoodLife, biking, hiking, and playing guitar. I have been learning how to cook by watching Chopped and am addicted to the Food Network, but it’s a work in progress - my girlfriend only allows me to use the barbecue. Other interests include, but are not limited to: HomeSense, craft beer, Will Ferrell, The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco, Seinfeld, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, True Detective, Workaholics, The Departed, Apocalypse Now, Broad City (yas queen!), SNL pre-2011, Notorious BIG, and my cat Lucy.
Why did you choose to pursue your residency at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry?
I chose Schulich’s Family Medicine program for several reasons. I think that London is an exceptional place to practice medicine; we have world-class faculty and staff both in our department and in the specialties through which we all rotate. Our program has a strong emphasis on independence during training and as family residents we have many opportunities to expand our comfort zone during every block. I have come to know and love London over the past 5 years and I was not ready to say goodbye after medical school. I wanted to be an ambassador for this city and this program, and my hope is that our residents will develop the same love for London that I have by experiencing it together as a group through activities and social events.
What inspires you in your work?
An amazing aspect of being a family doctor is keeping the focus on people, on promoting health and understanding the person behind the patient presentation. I am driven everyday by the stories and lives of the patients we encounter in our work, to be the best that I can be for them. I believe our goal should be to approach each patient as a unique individual with their own goals, hopes, fears, who we need to meet and discover in order to truly care for them. When we as residents and doctors strive to understand the care that people need to achieve their optimal well-being as a whole person, we are truly practicing family medicine and being an integral resource in the lives of our patients.
What has been your greatest experience to date in your residency?
I have had many formative and memorable experiences in my residency to date; choosing one is tough. I reflect on caring for a patient at the Byron clinic who had presented multiple times for chest pain and shortness of breath over the course of several weeks, and I saw him for the first time after 6 weeks of experiencing these issues. Through investigations we discovered that he had a large ascending aortic aneurysm that required surgical repair. He was afraid of the prospect of surgery, but over time as we followed him in clinic through his pre-op and post-op period; it was rewarding to see how we can make a huge difference in the lives of our patients. We are truly there for them as their personal link to the process of being a patient in our complex and intimidating healthcare system. At the end of his journey through recovery, his wife said as they walked out the door, “You saved his life.” Now, I know that wasn’t true - the cardiac surgeon saved his life - but it was cool to hear that. It reminded me to never underestimate the importance of a patient encounter.
What do you do when you aren’t working?
When I’m not working, I do what makes me happy! As I said earlier, I love theatre (dramatic/musical/whatever), and we are so lucky in London to be less than 1 hour from the Stratford festival. My favourite way to spend an evening in the summer is to get $25 tickets to a play/musical, drive after work to Stratford for dinner and a show; I highly recommend it! I love going to pub trivia at the Grad Club on campus or any of the establishments on Richmond Street. If you have worked with me on a rotation, you will know that I am fond of doing impressions of various staff - if you have any good ones, come find me and we will compare notes. I play guitar in the quiet of my own home and am a huge music appreciator/collector. My ideal day off of work involves a cottage by the water with a cold beer and The Tragically Hip, followed by a round of disc golf (or real golf) and barbecuing.
Anything else you'd like to share that is of interest.
I’m really passionate about growing our Family Medicine family here at Schulich - please feel free to email the Chiefs account (uwo.fm.chiefs@gmail.com) with any ideas about what you’d like to see from our program, social event ideas, or if you just want to talk! On that note, one of the best ways to get to know everyone in the program is joining us at the annual Family Medicine Residents of Western Retreat in November - I hope to see as many of you as possible attending this year! I know we are all busy but residency should also be FUN!
