Sometimes in life, we know exactly where we’re headed. Other times, it’s the people around us who help us chart the course.
For Luke Richardson, it wasn’t until he shared his experience as a volunteer firefighter with a career counsellor that he considered medicine as a potential career path.
“I actually didn’t think medicine was an option for me,” says Luke. “We discussed my interest in fire fighting, paramedicine and health and it became obvious very quickly that emergency medicine was the career path for me.”
Now, graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree, Luke is enthusiastic about starting his residency in emergency medicine. “One of the things I really like about medicine is helping people. I enjoy the positive impact you can have on a person and their community.”
Luke’s desire to help others is evident. He regularly volunteers at Making Waves, a swimming program for children with disabilities, and Camp Triumph, a summer camp for children with chronic illness in their family.
As the Medical Student Society president, he routinely engaged in student advocacy and community engagement. His leadership lead to an impressive list of awards, including his most valued, the Faculty of Medicine Leadership award.
“It was voted on by other students so that really meant a lot to me,” says Luke.
In the future, Luke is looking forward to a career in emergency medicine and starting a family of his own.
“It’s been a long road and a lot of hard work. I’m lucky to have met some phenomenal people in my four years at Dal and had fantastic guidance from many, including a strong mentor, Dr. Sarah Ramer and my fiancé, Catherine Cox.
“It goes by so fast — you really have to try and enjoy every minute of it.”
This article is part of our series of profiles on the graduates of the Class of 2015. These profiles are also published in the Convocation Keepsake which is distributed at Convocation ceremonies. For more information (including live webcasts), visit the Convocation website.