Laura Lockau
Tell me about your background before pathology/medical school?
The majority of my previous educational training is in anthropology – I completed my bachelor’s degree at the University of Alberta, followed by a master’s degree and PhD at McMaster. The focus of my research was in paleopathology, looking at skeletal evidence for vitamin D deficiency and chronic respiratory infections in two Roman period samples, one from Italy and the other from the UK. I taught at the college/university level briefly on an adjunct basis, and then attended medical school at McMaster.
What made you choose pathology as a career?
A major aspect of what I enjoyed about my research in paleopathology was the problem-solving process of considering various lines of evidence to arrive at a diagnosis, and in going into medicine I was interested in being able to do this for living patients. Pathology fosters a very collaborative environment between pathologists, clinicians, pathology assistants, and technologists, and it is a field that is full of people who are curious and enjoy learning.
What are some specific things that you like about Western's AP program?
Western’s program is concentrated at one site, which fosters a very cohesive and supportive atmosphere among the residents and also within the department as a whole. As residents we all work in the same room, and it has been incredibly helpful as a junior resident to have the seniors around to answer questions. As someone who moved to London for the first time to start this program, I also really appreciate that all of the residents genuinely like each other and hang out outside of work, which made settling into the program and the city much easier.
What are your hobbies outside of medicine?
I enjoy hiking and being outdoors, especially if there are mountains involved. I also like knitting, reading, true crime, and hanging out with my cat, and I try to make Halloween-themed activities stretch through as much of the year as possible.
What is something you would like to tell students who may not be able to do an AP elective at Western?
Due to COVID restrictions I was not able to do any traveling electives, so I also did not spend any time at Western before starting here. I would say that we have a great group of residents, and that the department made me feel incredibly welcome. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about the program, and best of luck with CaRMS!
