The inaugural cohort of graduates from the Masters of Applied Science in Anatomical Sciences Education is set to make history this convocation. The valedictorian of this uOttawa Faculty of Medicine class is a first-generation university student whose journey of determination and advocacy earned her the fond sobriquet ‘El Presidente.’
The daughter of an autoworker and a home daycare provider, Rachel Piché is not only an exceptional graduate student. She’s a changemaker whose leadership establishing a student council will have an enduring impact.
“Overall, this degree was the best decision I’ve ever made! The people, environment, and support system exceeded my expectations.”
Rachel Piché on the Masters of Applied Science in Anatomical Science Education
Here’s how Dr. Christopher Ramnanan, the Faculty’s Director of Anatomical Sciences, describes Piché and her peers in the first cohort (he’s dubbed this year’s graduates the program’s now-and-forever ‘OGs’): knowledgeable, professional, enthusiastic, and engaging. He says Piché exemplified all these standout qualities, and then some.
“Her medical students admired her teaching like no other, her peers elected her president of the inaugural Student Association (something she willed into being), and our (salt-of-the-earth) faculty enjoyed teaching alongside her, all for good reason. Her ability to connect with and tirelessly advocate for others was incomparable,” Dr. Ramnanan wrote in a recent e-mail.
Facing challenges head-on
You frequently learn the most about someone as they confront obstacles. For Piché, obstacles are opportunities in disguise.
An example: When she was told there was no way she could graduate with her high school class due to hip surgery recovery she quickly got to work advocating for herself. Mustering the support of teachers and showing clear evidence of her academic commitment, she eventually persuaded her principal to allow her to complete exams and earn her diploma on time.
As a grad student at uOttawa, her steady determination and focused advocacy work was seen as special by her peers and academic supervisors. The Faculty of Medicine recognized her significant efforts with the “Leadership in Graduate Studies” award in late 2024.
Finding a home at FoM
Piché deeply appreciates the chances she’s been offered over years at the Faculty of Medicine – it’s her home away from home; she earned her undergraduate degree in the Translational and Molecular Medicine (TMM) program – and the breadth of experiences available at uOttawa. It’s allowed her space to discover where her path may lead and what she will contribute to the world.
“Overall, this degree was the best decision I’ve ever made! The people, environment, and support system exceeded my expectations,” she says.
“Having such a diversity of thought and experience helped build genuine camaraderie that made the program truly rewarding.”
Rachel Piché on her peers in the program's inaugural cohort.
That doesn’t mean her graduate work was smooth sailing from the start. During orientation, Piché recalled feeling overwhelmed and a bit intimidated. Other program trainees were already international MDs, nurses and dentists. She says she felt a “distinct sense of worry” she wouldn’t fit in, or “might let them all down.”
But those initial jitters gave way to a strong sense of community.
“The wide-ranging experiences and professional backgrounds meant each of us contributed different insights, which paved the way for a collaborative and approachable environment and turned our cohort into a tight-knit group. Having such a diversity of thought and experience helped build genuine camaraderie that made the program truly rewarding.”
New horizons
She’s now poised to take her career where she wants it to go.
And she’s ready to take on a fresh academic challenge, one that she believes will build on the many lessons she’s learned at the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine: She will be starting law school this fall at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.
“I realized that while I loved the diagnostic side of medicine and the constant interactions with people, I still felt like something was missing. What I actually enjoyed most – and what was solidified through my experiences in this program – was the oral communication and advocacy component,” she says.
Reflecting on her journey so far, Piché says the lessons she’ll carry with her are best practices for being an effective, adaptable educator. Her second year in the master’s program featured teaching first- and second-year medical students’ anatomy as a laboratory facilitator in the Faculty’s human cadaveric lab.
“Regularly adapting to medical students’ teaching preferences taught me not only to think on my feet, but also to recognize the disconnect between learning information and truly understanding it,” she says. “This experience has deepened my appreciation for patience and flexibility, skills that are essential for effectively conveying complex ideas and understanding ‘the why’ behind how people gather versus misinterpret information.”
Tips for grad program success
What advice does she have for up-and-coming trainees?
She says maintaining a healthy academic, work, and life balance as a graduate student is crucial – and everyone needs to figure out the right recipe for themselves.
Piché also encourages grad students to carve out the time to actively engage with the broad university community and build connections. She participated in extracurriculars including dance and intramural sports on uOttawa’s main campus and found it greatly enhanced her personal and academic growth.
“It’s easy to get trapped in the bubble of medicine and RGN, which, while beneficial in some ways, can also limit you by preventing exposure to a diverse array of educational backgrounds, experiences, and interests, especially since everyone is in the same field.”
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