At the young age of 18, Serena Tejpar was injured in a car collision as a backseat passenger that left her in critical condition with almost no chance of survival.  Despite the many challenges that came with her injuries, she was determined to get better and return to her daily activities. This trauma reaffirmed Serena’s interest in medicine as a career. She is currently attending medical school at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in Toronto. In this episode, Serena reflects on how her experience with serious injury and recovery drives her to live a life of purpose and of service to others and ensure that patients are provided compassionate care that will lead to positive health outcomes and experiences.

In 2022, Brian Smith’s life was profoundly changed by a diagnosis of metastatic cancer. In this episode, Brian shares his experiences of living with cancer, the supports he relied on to get him through a challenging series of treatments and how his cancer seemingly expanded his life’s horizons.