Caitlin Blewett, Student at UNBC's Northern Medical Program

By Veronica Beltran

2019 Rising Star of health service award

UNBC Med. Student receives Rising Star of Health Service Award

Aug 23, 2019 | 1:56 PM

PRINCE GEORGE–Caitlin Blewett is the recipient of this year’s Rising Star of Health Service Award for her passion and dedication in working in small communities.

The 34-year-old, Vancouver-born, Northern Medical Program Student says that attending Medical School wasn’t always the plan, but her mind changed after several years of working in health-care related fields.

Blewett moved to Haida Gwaii on January 6th 2012, for what she thought would be a three month stay; part of a three month semester program in forestry. But around a month in, she knew she wasn’t going back to the city.

She quickly became involved in the community, joining the fire department, becoming a paramedic, developing wellness forums, and working with Elders to improve quality of life for Indigenous communities– only some of the many things.

“I wasn’t one of those kids who was born with a stethoscope–plastic stethoscope to listen to dad’s heart rate,” she said to us to an on-camera interview. And according to her, she really wasn’t. Deciding to enroll in medical school was something she says was ignited by her time as a paramedic. She decided to take her pre-requisites, go back to Haida Gwaii, take the MCAT–a couple of times, until she finally was accepted to medical school and made the move to Prince George.

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Caitlin Blewett, Student at UNBC’s Northern Medical Program

“It was an incredible honour, to win it,” she says in regards to the 2019 Rising Star of Health Service Award which recognizes outstanding contributions made to health care in the North. She says she had some doubts at first about being in the program, “coming in with an arts background…and as an older student, I had a lot of imposter syndrome,” but the recognition of receiving the award gave her the assurance she needed to know she’s on the right path.

Blewett mentions how important it is to get people involved in medicine, out to rural, and small communities across the province; seeing that it can be difficult at times for people to reach the help they need, when living in more isolated areas in the province.

Blewett currently has another three years of schooling, and two years of residency before being able to practice. The Med. student has hopes to one day end up back in Haida Gwaii–a community she now calls “home” to practice.