Dr. Hiraki shares her journey of balancing a demanding medical career with family planning, highlighting the challenges and support systems that helped her along the way. She discusses the importance of perseverance, the role of a supportive partner, and the cultural differences in maternity leave between the US and Canada.

Dr. Linda Hiraki is a Clinician-Scientist in the Division of Rheumatology and Scientist in Genetics & Genome Biology Program at SickKids Research Institute. Hiraki completed her medical degree at Queen’s University, and her clinical training in paediatrics and rheumatology at SickKids. She is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in the specialties of paediatrics and paediatric rheumatology. Dr. Hiraki went on to pursue research training at the Harvard School of Public Health where she completed a Masters and Doctor of Science in Epidemiology. Dr. Hiraki holds a Canada Research Chair in Genetics of Rare Systemic Inflammatory Diseases.

In Episode 11, we dive into the inspiring journey of Mimosa Luigi, an MD-PhD student at McGill University. Balancing her fifth year of training with the joys and challenges of motherhood, Mimosa shares her insights on integrating family planning into a demanding medical career.

Mimosa Luigi, MSc, is an MD-PhD candidate at McGill University, currently in year 6 of the physician-scientist program. Her doctoral research in the Department of Psychiatry focuses on the prevention and management of violence in forensic psychiatry, with an emphasis on optimizing the clinical utility of risk assessment tools and the implementation of collaborative approaches between service users and the multidisciplinary professional team. She also conducts research on MD-PhD education in Canada.

Thanks for listening!

Discover how Dr. Piggott navigated the complexities of having three children at different stages of her medical career, from residency to staff.

Dr. Piggott, MD, MSc, FRCPC, is a staff geriatrician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and an Assistant Professor with the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation (IHPME). She completed her medical degree and completed subspecialty training in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Toronto. After completing her fellowship in 2018, Dr. Piggott pursued a Masters in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety with IHPME at the University of Toronto. She is now the director of Quality Improvement Methods in the QI Masters program at IHPME, the faculty co-lead for the Division of Geriatric Medicine Co-Learning Quality Improvement Training Program, and also co-built and teaches in the McMaster MacQIPS quality improvement certificate program.

Her story of resilience and balance offers valuable insights for anyone juggling family and professional aspirations.