Meet our resident leaders
Drs. Matthew DiBartolomeo, Janina Mailloux and Saif Zahir are the 2017/2018 Family Medicine chief residents. They serve as an important resource to the Department and resident body, as well as mentors, leaders, and advocates for the Program.
DR. MATTHEW DiBARTOLOMEO
1. What program are you a resident of and what year of residency are you in?
I am in the Windsor program and as of October 2017 I will be a PGY2.
2. Where were you born and raised?
Like mostly everyone from Essex-County, I was born in Windsor, but I was raised in Amherstburg, Ontario.
3. What degree(s) do you have, and from what university (ies)?
Trinity College Dublin School of Medicine – Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.), Bachelor of Surgery (B.Ch.), Bachelor of Arts in Obstetrics (B.A.O)
University of Windsor, Faculty of Human Kinetics – Bachelor of Human Kinetics (B.H.K.)
4. What special interests or hobbies do you have?
Special interests and hobbies that I have include: playing softball, soccer and hockey, listening to music, cooking & baking, traveling, video gaming, watching movies, and participating in adventure sports
5. Why did you choose to pursue your residency at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry? And in the Department of Family Medicine?
Choosing to complete my residency training with Schulich in Windsor was an easy decision for me. Since I grew up in Amherstburg, after completing 5 years of medical school in Ireland, I wanted to come back home to complete my training. Of course, despite growing up in the area all my life, the Windsor program is a phenomenal program that I know will prepare me to practice family medicine after graduating. I chose the Department of Family Medicine because family medicine is a specialty that allows physicians to have a wide scope of practice. My electives and observerships afforded me the opportunity to see a variety of patients, all of whom presented with a unique set of challenges. I love that it is possible to treat patients spanning across all ages with varying ailments, which makes the day interesting and challenging and ultimately keeps me motivated
6. What inspires you in your work?
There are several sources of inspiration that I can identify in my work, but the most influential would be my father. He has taught me to work hard for what I have and to appreciate all the great things in my life. Whenever faced with a setback his famous words to me are always, “what next?”. These two simple words have and continue to motivate me to keep striving towards my goals regardless of the hardships encountered along the way.
7. What has been your greatest experience to date in your residency?
My greatest experience in residency thus far would be serving as Chief Resident in Windsor. I’ve only been in my new position for a short period of time, but thus far I’ve found connecting with and advocating on behalf of my fellow Windsor residents to be very rewarding, both personally and professionally. By having this experience, I’m confident that I will then be able to apply the skills and experiences I acquire as chief to improve the level of care I provide to my patients once I graduate and begin practicing in the community.
8. What do you do when you aren’t working?
When I am not working, I enjoy playing softball, hockey & soccer, working out, watching movies at the cinema, and visiting local restaurants and pubs. Also, I love to travel and I have been fortunate to have visited several wonderful and exciting countries, so when not working, I’m also usually planning my next trip to someplace new and exciting.
DR. JANINA MAILLOUX
1. 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 (Mount Brydges).
2. Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in London, Ontario.
3. What degree(s) do you have, and from what university (ies)?
I received both my Bachelor of Medical Sciences in Physiology and my MD from Western University.
4. What special interests or hobbies do you have?
I enjoy baking (I make awesome Snickerdoodle cookies), travelling and going for hikes with my dog.
5. Why did you choose to pursue your residency at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry? And in the Department of Family Medicine?
Choosing Family Medicine at Western was a very easy decision for me. Being a family doctor to me meant the ability to practice a wide breadth of medicine, as well as developing meaningful patient-physician relationships as you follow a patient throughout their life. I chose to pursue my training at Western for many reasons --- it’s an excellent program with great preceptors and there is a significant amount of time dedicated to electives, which allows flexibility in training. Also, being from London, I wanted to train in the area where I intend to practice in the future.
6. What inspires you in your work?
The patients.
7. What has been your greatest experience to date in your residency?
My rural electives have been fantastic experiences, with lots of hands on training and excellent teaching. I also truly enjoyed not only practicing, but living in these small towns --- there is truly something special about the warmth and strong sense of community these areas invoke.
8. What do you do when you aren’t working?
When I’m not working, you’ll probably find me at home spending time with my husband and our dog and three cats.
DR. SAIF ZAHIR
1. What program are you a resident of and what year of residency are you in?
Family Medicine, PGY2.
2. Where were you born and raised?
Lethbridge, Alberta.
3. What degree(s) do you have, and from what university (ies)?
BSc. Biochemistry from the University of Lethbridge. MD from University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine.
4. What special interests or hobbies do you have?
Photography, cooking, hiking, illustration.
5. Why did you choose to pursue your residency at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry? And in the Department of Family Medicine?
I've spent the great deal of my life living out west, nestled between Rockies and Prairies. A change of scenery was needed, I think, and Ontario certainly was that. As for choosing family medicine, I reflected on my experiences through medical school and clerkship and asked myself two questions - when was I happiest, and when was I most satisfied with the work I could achieve? The answer wasn't hard to find.
6. What inspires you in your work?
I went to medical school and developed my understanding of the science of medicine, and only now in my second year of residency can I appreciate even the shallowest outlines of the art of medicine. Medicine is an art of understanding people - their motivations, fears, and behaviours just to name a few of its moving parts. No one day has been the same as another, each yielding new challenges. These challenges, and with them the possibility of growth - professionally and personally - are the driving force behind my work.
7. What has been your greatest experience to date in your residency?
It is hard to pinpoint any singular experience. What I can say is how much more valuable the opportunity to build long-term patient-physician relationships in a family medicine setting is, now that I am a resident. Taking ownership of a patient's care is by far the best experience residency has afforded me.
8. What do you do when you aren’t working?
Finding balance between work and life is an ongoing and rather elusive goal. Thankfully, I have a broad set of hobbies that take me well outside of medicine - travelling to explore new landscapes for photography and advancing my culinary skills have probably taken priority for now.
