Family Medicine Interest Group Profile: Maegan Miklas
The Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) at Western University was established in April of 2001 by undergraduate medical students to enhance their exposure to family medicine as a medical specialty.
Meet Maegan Miklas. Maegan is in her second year of medical school at Schulich School of Medicine - Windsor Campus and one of the senior executives for the family medicine interest group.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up in Windsor, Ontario and then moved to Toronto to complete my undergraduate degree in Immunology at the University of Toronto. I moved back to Windsor after I graduated and worked at a local dermatology clinic for two years before medical school. I am currently in my second year of medical school at Schulich School of Medicine - Windsor Campus and I am one of the senior executives for the family medicine interest group. My hobbies include: running, puzzles, and reading.
What interests you about family medicine?
I love that in family medicine you are able to work with patients for 30+ years and get to know the ins and outs of their life in order to help serve them better as their healthcare provider. I like the idea of being able to treat the entire person and be their main point of contact for their health concerns and needs. There are also so many opportunities in family medicine you can explore within your practice; for example, academic, hospitalist, palliative, ob/gyn, etc.
Can you tell me about your experience in the program?
I believe the Family Medicine Interest Group is a great way to learn about family medicine from family physicians themselves. We host a talk every month about all the different avenues you can take with a family medicine speciality, eg. palliative, hospitalist, and ob/gyn. We also get to learn about why each family physician chose this field, which helps our fellow students to understand that everyone has a different path and it’s best to just follow the path that works best for you.
What has been your greatest experience to date in your study?
I was very fortunate to end up in medical school in the same city where I plan to practice. My greatest experience so far has been learning from all the physicians in the Windsor community that I will one day call colleagues.
What would you say to future students who are interested in Family Medicine?
Join the family medicine interest group if you can! There is a lot of great opportunity and exposure to family medicine this way. Attend the family medicine talks that the group hosts and speak with current family physicians to get a sense of what their day-to-day lives entail and whether it will be a right fit for you.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully, I will have a family medicine clinic here in Windsor. A few of my friends are also interested in family medicine so it would be great if we could work alongside each other in the same clinic. I also hope to continue doing research to better serve the Windsor community and improve the healthcare system for patients. I would also love to be an adjunct professor at Schulich Medicine and help educate future medical students.
