Meet our new Resident Leaders
Drs. Karan Chawla, Diana Cuckovic, and Obaidullah Khan are the 2020/2021 Family Medicine chief residents. They serve as an important resource to the Department and resident body, and act as mentors, leaders and advocates for the Program. Meet each of our resident leaders in this profile series.
Dr. Karan Chawla, Chief Resident, Department of Family Medicine
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I was born in Halifax and raised in Peterborough, Ontario. I then moved to Birmingham, England for medical school and spent some time working there as a junior doctor.
Where do you practice medicine and in what scope?
I am currently a resident at the Victoria Family Medical Centre in London. We practice family medicine, palliative and long-term care.
What are your research interests?
My research interests include curriculum development, resident experiences, and emergency medicine.
Why did you choose to pursue Postgraduate education in the Department of Family Medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry?
Western provides extensive opportunities and support to develop career interests within family medicine. Additionally, London is a great place to live with all the offerings of a big city without all the big city problems. Overall, I felt that Western would prepare me to truly work in any setting and location.
Can you tell me about your experience in the program?
My experiences so far have been nothing short of incredible. I have had outstanding mentors and have had a wide variety of clinical experiences. Outside of medicine, I have made amazing connections with people in and out of the family medicine program.
What has been your greatest challenge?
The pandemic! I am sure many residents would agree that it has been a challenge to work through the pandemic while also trying to maintain our social lives and wellness. Fortunately, I have received lots of support from friends, family and the program.
What has been your greatest experience to date in your study?
Being involved in the program through the FMRW council has been a great experience. I am proud of what the members of the council have achieved through the years and I hope that we continue to improve the program and advocate for our fellow residents.
What inspires you in your work?
My patients! Through the years, I have been able to follow a roster of patients in my clinic. Helping them become healthier, physically and mentally, has been very rewarding.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope to be settled in a community working in both family and emergency medicine settings. Outside of work, I hope to be taking lots of beach vacations and maybe raising a family (of dogs)!
What special interests or hobbies do you have?
My hobbies include golf, biking, travelling and watching re-runs of ‘The Office’ on Netflix.
What three words best describe you?
Adventurous, Friendly, Leader.
Dr. Obaidullah Khan, Chief Resident, Department of Family Medicine
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I'm a second-year family med resident at Mount Brydges, a husband, son and father to a new human and cat. I grew up in Toronto, did an undergrad in Biochemistry and Masters in eHealth at Mac, then came to Western for medical school and residency in family medicine.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Saudi Arabia where I lived for 10 or so years with a brief stay in my parents' native country of India. We immigrated to Toronto when I was 12 and grew up living in a busy neighbourhood.
Where do you practice medicine and in what scope?
My home site is at Mount Brydges, but I also work at Strathroy Hospital. These are considered regional sites with lots of exposure to clinic, hospitalist, ER and OB, so lots of generalist medicine and quite rewarding too!
What are your research interests?
My interests are in POCUS training (specifically why it's important for family medicine residents) as well as telehealth. We are currently doing a few projects in these topics as they represent interesting technological innovations in the primary care setting.
Why did you choose to pursue Postgraduate education in the Department of Family Medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry?
Western is an excellent place to train with preceptors and co-residents who support you every step of the way. My experience started in Petrolia under the guidance of the family doctors including Dr. Butler and Dr. Al-Dhaher. The amount of clinical exposure and independence I saw was quite unique and was the leading reason I applied to this program.
Can you tell me about your experience in the program?
Nothing short of incredible. My team at Mount Brydges, including Paula Shephard, our team's nurse, as well as Dr. Kyle Carter, has allowed me to build an attitude of curiosity and empathy for my patients, something I will remain grateful for.
What has been your greatest challenge?
As regional chief of family medicine, I hosted an archery event for fellow residents. As the night went along, we learned how to shoot our arrows and took part in a tournament between residents. Managing this conflict was a real challenge as I was really just competing against my friends. I did well until I faced Dr. Kelly Lien (my predecessor as chief who was likely secretly practicing archery before the event and did not disclose) and lost. I'd like to think that I lost on purpose, but alas, not true.
What has been your greatest experience to date in your study/practice/ research?
One of the greatest achievements was with regards to my research in POCUS. I've recently received a grant from the PSI foundation, a research grant organization led by physicians, in the amount of $20K. This was a great achievement not only for myself and my research team, but also fellow family medicine residents. It will allow us to buy multiple ultrasound probes for family residents to use, purely for academic and research purposes.
What inspires you in your work?
Knowing that healthcare has advanced an incredible amount in the past 100 years, underscoring how important it is to embrace innovation and change.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hard to say, but I do hope to build on the leadership experiences I've had and perhaps venture into different areas of research.
What special interests or hobbies do you have?
I love to play with my little one and read non-fiction. Recently I also started playing Among Us and that's been pretty addictive.
What three words best describe you?
Curious, collegial and maybe charming, but others may disagree about that last one.
Dr. Diana Cuckovic, Chief Resident, Department of Family Medicine
Tell me a bit about yourself.
I was born in Windsor and am so happy to be back home. On my free time you'll find me Ukranian dancing, running, hiking, or spending time with my amazing partner Daniel! I've been dancing since I could walk and have also been fortunate enough to partake in many music theatre performances.
I have met some wonderful colleagues here in Windsor and am excited at the thought of opening a Family Medicine practice and caring for patients of all ages. I am particularly interested in women's health and the pediatric population.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised here in Windsor, Ontario - not far from Met hospital where I now work!
Where do you practice medicine and in what scope?
Currently my core family medicine practice is in Kingsville. Fortunately, Western residency also allows us to explore off-service rotations. My electives this year include OB, Teen Health, Hospitalist and Psychiatry.
What are your research interests?
My colleagues and I are currently working on a QI project that will hopefully improve the amount of adult patients that currently receive their indicated vaccinations. We are hoping to find some interventions that can be applicable across many practices, including those that don't have EMRs to generate automatic reminders.
Why did you choose to pursue Postgraduate education in the Department of Family Medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry?
Schulich displayed a supportive culture and it was very evident that the Program Directors cared about who their residents wanted to be as physicians and as people. Their elective time, their wellness resources and consistent responses to feedback have made me feel valued and respected! I have also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my co-residents, and I am certainly happy to be back home. I enjoyed my time at Queen's Medicine for my undergraduate degree and am so thankful for my colleagues all across Canada, but nothing beats home!
Can you tell me about your experience in the program?
Everything I thought I would love about the program has been true beyond my expectations. I have built a lovely family with my colleagues, and have learned so much from experienced, supportive mentors. There are certainly hard days, long hours and some commutes, but when I've had a tough shift I have multiple outlets I can reach out to. I am thankful for the independence I've been given to figure out what I love about medicine so that I can safely bring it into my future practice.
What has been your greatest challenge?
Transitioning to residency carries challenges similar to transitioning to clerkship. It is always difficult to exercise your independence and push your knowledge boundaries while still being aware of your knowledge gaps and boundaries. Luckily Western has a wonderful support system from start to finish!
What inspires you in your work?
I am so inspired by the people I meet. This includes my friends and family as they grow and experience new adventures, my co-residents, my advisors, and certainly my patients. Being able to be a part of the lives of these incredible people is the most inspiring part of my job!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope in 10 years to still be in Windsor. I hope to have a core family practice with some added work in the hospital. I am particularly interested in Women's health and hope to have a practice full of young families!
Personally I hope to be building a family and continuing to find ways to express myself through the arts!
What special interests or hobbies do you have?
I have been dancing for as long as I can remember. I have done many different styles including Serbian, Irish, Ukranian, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Modern (and that's just to name a few)! I'd say I love ballet because it is at the core of absolutely all styles of dance, and I also continue to Ukranian Dance as I currently am a co-teacher of the Windsor Barvinok Ukranian Dance Ensemble.
Windsor also has wonderful theatre opportunities, so when the pandemic allows you can find me singing and dancing with the incredible cast and crew that Windsor Light Music Theatre always manages to put together for their shows.
I also spend a lot of my time running with some excellent running buddies and enjoy staying active in as many ways as possible. When I'm not outside, running, or dancing, you can find me with my partner and my kittens playing board games!
What three words best describe you?
I work hard towards having three appropriate words for me include: Supportive, energetic and welcoming!
