If there are through lines that stand out in Olivia Lopes’s life and academic career so far, it’s gratitude and the search for meaning.
From the moment Lopes learned she had been accepted to the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine, she knew she was stepping into a deeply meaningful phase of her life. And she was determined to make the most of it.
“I remember so clearly the big rush of happiness when I found out I got into medical school,” she recalls. “And I think it’s a testament to my experience that there were many times throughout my training where I would get that same rush of happiness and gratitude for being in this position.
“One of the reasons I love rural family medicine is beause of how diverse it is and how rural docs are truly jacks of all trades.”
Olivia Lopes
“Studying medicine, interacting with patients in a meaningful way, and getting to make some best friends along the way has made this whole experience unforgettable.”
Now graduating as valedictorian for the anglophone stream of her MD class of 2026, Lopes leaves uOttawa not only with academic distinction, but with a reputation among peers and professors as a leader, mentor and a future family doc committed to patient-centred care.
Drawn to medicine through human connection
Originally from Vaughan, just north of Toronto, Lopes grew up in a close-knit Portuguese-Canadian household. Her father is a construction project manager, and her mother is a bookkeeper for an HVAC company. Her older brother is an electrician.
At convocation, she will become the first physician in her extended family — a path inspired in part by tragedy.
Before she was born, Lopes’s parents lost a beloved young son to neuroblastoma. Despite the enduring heartbreak, they spoke often and fondly of the oncologist who provided care and helped guide them through those devastating days.
“I was really inspired that despite not having a positive outcome, this physician was still able to have such a lasting, meaningful impact on my family,” Lopes says. “For me, one of the most special parts about being a physician is being able to deeply connect with and impact patients and families not just through medicine, but through communication and really just how you treat people.”
Growing through research & collaboration
After graduating from high school, Lopes moved away from home to attend Queen’s University, where she completed a degree in Life Sciences before pursuing an accelerated thesis-based master’s degree in Pathology and Molecular Medicine.
By the time she entered the Faculty of Medicine, her interests were shifting toward preventive and comprehensive care.
“She (Olivia) is capable, attentive, engaged, and reliable member of our research team – and we will miss her.”
Dr. Mark Tremblay
That evolving perspective led her to connect with Dr. Mark Tremblay’s team and a global initiative exploring the benefits of active outdoor play. Lopes joined an international team of researchers developing the 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play, collaborating with experts on literature reviews examining movement behaviours, health outcomes and outdoor activity.
“Working with such a diverse group from around the world was super cool to be a part of,” she says.
Dr. Tremblay gives Lopes high praise.
“She has been a fixture with us for three years continuously and been coauthor on four published manuscripts and four international conference presentations. She is a capable, attentive, engaged, and reliable member of our research team – and we will miss her,” he says.
Finding joy & strength in community
At uOttawa, Lopes balanced research and leadership with exceptional academic achievement. In third year, she received the Faculty’s ‘Merit Scholarship Award’ for earning the highest academic standing in her class.
“It was a very busy year where I spent potentially too much time doing thousands of flashcards. I would even bring my iPad to the gym and do them on the treadmill so I wouldn’t skip workouts!”
She credits much of her success and resilience to the close bonds she formed with her med school roommates and classmates. Through long study sessions, stressful exams and milestone celebrations, they built a support system that carried each other through the grind.
“It’s all these small moments of us supporting each other that definitely helped me get through the challenges of medical school.”
Olivia Lopes
When Lopes’s grandmother passed away shortly before an exam in first year, her roommates greeted her return home with flowers and chocolate. Another year, despite intense exam preparation, they secretly decorated her library cubicle and organized a surprise birthday celebration between study sessions.
“It’s all these small moments of us supporting each other that definitely helped me get through the challenges of medical school,” she says.
On her way to becoming a rural family physician
Lopes also became deeply involved in mentorship throughout her four years at uOttawa, including participation in the Kuwait mentorship program, which supports international undergraduate students aspiring to medical careers.
Her own mentors proved equally influential. During first year, Lopes completed a rural medicine placement in Merrickville with family physicians Drs. Kaitlyn Whelan and Penny McGregor — an experience that would ultimately shape her career path.
“I loved my time there so much that I chose to go back for my one-month family medicine rotation in third year,” she says.
Over time, Lopes realized she was drawn not to a single specialty, but to the breadth and continuity of family medicine.
“I really valued the humanity in medicine and the small day-to-day moments of getting to know people, listening to their stories and giving comprehensive advice,” she says.
This spring, Lopes matched to McMaster University’s rural family medicine residency program.
Looking ahead, she hopes to build a collaborative rural practice that incorporates adolescent health, minor procedures, mentorship, teaching and possibly hospitalist or obstetrical work.
“One of the reasons I love rural family medicine is how diverse it is and how rural docs are truly jacks of all trades,” she says.
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