2024 Undergraduate Winner
Dr. Lotus Alphonsus
Dr. Lotus Alphonsus is an incoming internal medicine resident at the University of Toronto and completed medical school at Western University. Her experiences with war and gun violence fueled her passion for social justice and health equity. With her extensive background in trauma counselling and human trafficking, Lotus built an innovative and culturally safe therapy program in Sri Lanka for women who experienced sexual violence by armed forces during the genocide. Inspired by these experiences, Lotus founded the Newcomer Health Hub to bridge gaps in medical training and address the unique needs of various newcomer populations. This national organization has grown significantly, conducting outreach initiatives and workshops for healthcare professionals and community members on often overlooked topics such as female genital mutilation and refugee health coverage.
Lotus also serves as a board member for the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT), where she has presented on expert panels about her experiences with torture, overcoming trauma and various conflicts around the world. She is currently leading a collaborative effort to create one of the first Canadian guidelines on how to assess and complete medico-legal documentation for survivors of torture. Additionally, Lotus is the president of the student branch of the Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) and has published policy papers, been a part of community roundtables with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and started chapters at multiple medical schools to increase awareness. She has received many awards for her trailblazing leadership and serves as a mentor for students pursuing medicine from underrepresented communities.
Lotus will use the funding from the SBSAL for Newcomer Health Hub initiatives aimed at improving the healthcare experience of refugees and new immigrants.
I am deeply honored to be selected as the 2024 recipient of the Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership. Thank you to CaRMS for creating this award and your commitment to fostering the next generation of healthcare leaders.
Being the first in my family to graduate high school, attending medical school once seemed like a path that was not meant for someone like me. My mentors motivated me that this was precisely why I should pursue medicine. They reassured me that my personal experiences and understanding of the unique challenges faced by different communities would only make me a better doctor. All that I have accomplished is a reflection of the community that raised me, and it has been an absolute blessing to pay it forward and mentor other students from underrepresented communities pursuing medicine. It has truly been a full-circle moment to have once been a client of incredible organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT), to now being part of its leadership.
Through my work, I have had the privilege of working closely with survivors of torture, human trafficking, and sexual assault, many of whom I am proud to call my friends. I dedicate this award to them. Their resilience continues to inspire me and teach me invaluable lessons about our ability to overcome, the need for advocacy, and the transformative power of community.
A big thank you to my mentors, who guided me and encouraged the constant stream of ideas I would approach them with. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support and late-night pep talks when I needed them most.
Leadership in medicine extends beyond the walls of the hospital. For me, it is about striving for social justice, lifting others as you climb and addressing health inequities head-on. As I continue my career in medicine, I aspire to be a leader who empowers the next generation of changemakers to pursue their passions relentlessly. Through collective action, we can dismantle the systemic barriers that perpetuate health disparities and build a more equitable healthcare system for all.
2024 Postgraduate Winner
Dr. Jack Underschultz
Dr. Jack Underschultz is an Emergency Medicine resident at the University of Alberta with a passion for global development. Over the past decade, he has spent extensive time in East Africa collaborating on meaningful projects in the education, clean water, and medical fields.
Currently, Jack leads a Charity called the Nafasi Opportunity Society with a mission to enhance gender equality in developing countries through financial empowerment. After spending time on the ground with female community leaders in the Kenyan slum of Mathare, he launched Nafasi’s pilot program: a locally developed and female-led vocational and business skills programs for the most vulnerable women in Mathare. This grassroots, research-based program impacts 160 women to give them the skills to gain financial independence leading to less gender-based violence, fewer unwanted early pregnancies, and safer households for children to grow up in and break the poverty cycle. Spending time with our local partners continues to enforce Jack’s belief that true change needs to be driven by leaders within their own community.
Jack has also spent time as an Executive with Innovative Canadians for Change where he led the development of a ceramic water filter factory in Kenya to help provide affordable water to vulnerable populations, as well as helped build an innovation and social entrepreneurship academy. He has investigated community factors driving the persistent transmission of Ebola in the DRC, which was published in The Lancet, and collaborates with the Emergency Medicine Foundation of Kenya as a guest instructor.
SBSAL funding will be used for the operational expenses of the Nafasi Opportunity Society’s pilot program, which will benefit 160 vulnerable women in Mathare.
I would like to sincerely thank CaRMS for selecting me as the recipient of the 2024 Sandra Banner Student Award for Leadership and helping fund Nafasi Opportunity Society’s women empowerment project. My ultimate passion is working with vulnerable populations and I strongly believe leading Nafasi is analogous to the incomparable value of experiential learning in Residency. Spending time learning about the intricacies of Mathare with our local partners continues to enforce that true change can only be enacted by leaders within their own community. Therefore, I would like to thank and dedicate this award to Clarice Halanga and our other amazing local partners who are leading the project on the ground. They constantly inspire me with their tireless commitment in leading and reshaping their community.
I also strongly believe that meaningful change requires collaboration and coalition, so I thank the Nafasi team for their selfless dedication to this project as well as all our donors who believe in our work and the impact we are providing. Thank you to Dr. David Ha and the rest of the U of A Emergency Medicine leadership team for supporting me in pursuing this initiative. Finally, thank you to all my family, friends, and my partner for supporting me along the way.
Leading Nafasi constantly improves my ability to be an optimal ally, advocate, and hopefully leader for vulnerable populations. Thank you again to CaRMS for this award and support.
