“Tying” it all together

October 3, 2024

Mackenzie Pope, AVC 2025, travelled to Nain and Postville as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing.

This photo captures me learning from Dr. Heather Gunn McQuillan as she is closing an incision. A photo which encapsulates a full-circle moment for me in many ways. I think back to a time my sixteen-year-old self sat so inspired by Dr. Gunn McQuillan in a vet camp lecture. She talked about her journey in veterinary medicine, where the profession has taken her over the years and of experiences like The Chinook Project. To attend vet school and become a veterinarian who fully embraces the adventure of the profession and is deeply passionate about helping and inspiring others the way she does was the dream. I walked away from that lecture feeling unstoppable, feeling like this was exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it - like I was made to be a veterinarian. It was a big and far away dream. To think I would be standing in this photo as a senior veterinary student performing surgeries next to Dr. Gunn McQuillan on The Chinook Project. A project I have been longing to participate in since the moment I first learned about it so many years ago. Growing up in rural Newfoundland (NL) is what sparked my passion for remote medicine, and travelling back home to NL with The Chinook Project made this opportunity even more special as the place, and the people are so close to my heart. This photo is a powerful reminder to continue chasing my dreams with perseverance and reinforces my commitment to making a meaningful impact in veterinary medicine.