6/9/2021 8 Comments “Finally! Someone like us!” Ève Mailhot-Daye talks about being an Indigenous woman in medicineBy Nektaria Riso It is no secret that Indigenous women face considerable barriers in accessing health services. The care they receive is often not adapted to their needs and embedded with some form of discrimination: they are frequently overlooked, ignored and neglected in medical settings. A recent investigation into British Columbia’s healthcare system revealed that 84% of Indigenous people experience discrimination when accessing health care services. This discrimination can go as far as to cost them their lives. Less than a year ago, the death of 37-year-old Atikamekw woman Joyce Echaquan sparked outrage within the community. During her stay at a Quebec hospital, Echaquan recorded on Facebook live the verbal abuse she experienced at the hands of her nurses, as she laid in a hospital bed in pain and calling for help. This horrifying treatment of Indigenous women in medical settings is unsurprising when we look at the immense lack of culturally responsive care and the absence of Indigenous healthcare workers and doctors who are best equipped to understand their needs. In Canada, Indigenous people make up less than 1% of physicians, and in fact, it was only in 2014 that the country graduated its first female Indigenous physician, Dr. Nadine Caron. A similar trend can be seen when we explore STEM fields: 2% of individuals working in STEM are Indigenous with only a third of that number comprising women. In the hopes of highlighting Indigenous women in STEM and their experiences within these fields, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Ève Mailhot-Daye, an Indigenous doctor. Born to a Mohawk mother and Quebecois father, Ève grew up in Oka, Quebec. When she was young, she thought about becoming a doctor, but she put the idea on hold as she pursued her undergraduate and graduate degrees in molecular biology and physiology at Concordia University and the University of Montreal. During her master’s degree, she learned about an initiative between the provincial government and medical schools which set aside places for Indigenous applicants. Ève applied and was then accepted into McGill University’s faculty of medicine. She has received the Elaine Kilabuk Award and the CFPC Indigenous Medical Student Leadership Award for her hard work and talent. She is currently finishing up a residency in family medicine and hopes to become a family doctor working with Indigenous communities and teaching others about Indigenous health. Has being an Indigenous woman working in medicine affected your experience or your career goals? If yes, how so? Ève: Nowadays, women are as present as men (or even more present) in the medical field as physicians. I think being Native was a much more eye-opening experience and definitely shapes the kind of doctor I want to be and the type of care I want to give patients. Studies have shown that Indigenous people have poorer health outcomes than the general population. They often live in underserved areas and, even when they obtain care, there can be a misunderstanding of their situations. Learning all of this during medical school encouraged me to pursue family medicine with the goal of caring for Indigenous people. I think this is the way that I could make the most impact. You are currently completing a residency in family medicine. Why did you choose this area of medicine? Ève: Family medicine residency is a short program (2 years), so that does have some appeal. However, I enjoyed so many things during my training that I could not see myself specializing in just one field. Also, I knew that I wanted to practice in an Indigenous community and be able to care for people in the long-term. Family medicine is the way that I can achieve that goal and make the most impact within my community. In a prior interview, you spoke of your desire to practice family medicine, working with Indigenous communities. Why is this important to you, and why is it important for these communities to have physicians who understand their needs? Ève: During medical school and residency, I learned about Indigenous health and did rotations in First Nations communities. I understood that the different social, economic, and political factors play such a crucial role in the health of these populations and individuals. Some communities are fortunate enough to have permanent healthcare workers, but others may only have visiting doctors and nurses, so once they leave, there is a vulnerability and care may be lost. Also, with the social, psychological, and physical health issues, there is a true need to have full-time physicians who will follow patients on a longitudinal basis. Furthermore, as a Native person, I acknowledge the historical issues that have caused a burden on Indigenous people; I can directly link history to health, which may not be obvious for other health professionals who are non-Native. I think that people in the community can appreciate this, as demonstrated by an elder who told me, “Finally! Someone like us!” as soon as he met me. Therefore, it became evident to me that to make an impact, I would have to work with the population and provide care adapted to them. Research has shown that role models, especially those from underrepresented groups in STEM, can inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Have you had any role models that supported or inspired you throughout your career path? Ève: When I was young, I didn’t have any role models that were in medicine. My family played a big role in my love for learning and was a great support when I was focused on getting an education. During medical school, I had the opportunity to meet several Indigenous physicians; they have been key players in my success and have shown great leadership and advocacy that I wish to emulate in my own career. The recent death of Joyce Echaquan, an Indigenous woman from the Atikamekw Nation of Manawan, sparked outrage throughout Quebec, and again exposed the discrimination faced by Indigenous people in hospitals. How did this event impact you as an Indigenous woman working in medicine? Ève: In Canada, there have been cases in which Indigenous people did not receive appropriate healthcare when they presented themselves to a health facility, a hospital or a clinic, and some of these incidents have unfortunately led to a patient’s death. There is clearly discrimination and racism embedded within the system. It’s important for me to mention that I have not been involved in this case. For those who are unfamiliar with this case, in September 2020, Joyce Echaquan, a 37-year-old Indigenous woman and mother to 7 children, was admitted to a hospital in Quebec for abdominal pain. She had previous visits to the hospital and was reported to use Facebook Live to communicate with her family because of the language barrier and her lack of trust in the healthcare professionals. At this visit, it was reported that she was given a medication that she may have been allergic to. While she was yelling in pain and in fear, her phone was still on Facebook Live and recording. There were two employees at her bedside being verbally aggressive, making racist remarks and insulting her. Shortly after, she passed away. When I heard this story, I could not believe it. I saw the video and heard what those employees were saying to her while she was dying. How can someone treat another human like this? It’s alarming that in 2020, something like this can still happen. Our system is broken and has been for a longtime. It’s time that it gets fixed. The passing of Joyce Echaquan just confirmed things that I already knew as an Indigenous person:
Ève: Do it! If you have an interest in any STEM field, reach out to programs, preceptors, workers in that field… anyone who might help you. Find the information and apply! We can learn a lot from these programs, but as Indigenous people we can bring a lot more! If you are Indigenous and are interested in pursuing a career in STEM or if you want to support Indigenous youth in STEM, check out these resources!
If you are seeking Indigenous Health Services and Support in Canada:
8 Comments
Sofia Trifonopoulos
6/9/2021 09:27:22 pm
This is eye opening!
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Mariam Latif
6/9/2021 10:59:34 pm
This was inspiring and insightful! A great educational piece.
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Helen
10/8/2021 12:08:07 pm
Interesting article. the power of community mentorship.
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Amber Da Costa
10/14/2021 01:30:11 pm
A great look into the eyes of an Indigenous woman working in STEM. Thank you for your transparency Ève! The article acknowledges the discrimination against Indigenous people and the importance of the support of one’s community. Beautiful article!
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Rosie
10/14/2021 01:38:24 pm
Very interesting article!
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Sofia Trifonopoulos
10/14/2021 01:50:40 pm
Such an inspiring piece!
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Kristina
10/15/2021 11:52:12 am
Such a good read! Ève’s experience in medicine is truly inspiring!
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Vanessa Guerrera
10/16/2021 01:06:19 pm
Such a great article! Really captures the under-representation of Indigenous people in medicine and discrimination in healthcare. More like this are needed!
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