Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) has announced that Alexandra Ferrara and Meghan Chevalier are the recipients of the Rosemarie Miller Medical School Bursary.
The bursary is awarded to local medical students who have an interest in becoming a family physician or specialist and practice full-time in the municipality of Chatham-Kent.
“We are pleased to offer this bursary to our recipients in support of their formal medical education,” said Mary Lou Crowley, President and CEO, CKHA Foundation, in a media release.
“Alexandra and Meghan have expressed a keen interest in returning to Chatham-Kent to practice and give back to the community. Their expert knowledge and skills will make a positive impact in the delivery of Patient and Family Centred Care and we look forward to welcoming them back to the area in the very near future.”
The Rosemarie Miller Medical School Bursary was created as a recruitment incentive to encourage local medical students to return to Chatham-Kent and begin their practice in the area after graduating.
Alexandra Ferrara is currently in her second year at the University of Limerick School of Medicine in Ireland and will be graduating in 2024.
Previously she was involved in the e-VOLVE project, assisting with the build of CKHA’s new Hospital Information System.
She has also previously volunteered at CKHA during the summer.
“I have always aspired to be a physician, and returning to Chatham-Kent has been my goal. It is my hope to practice in both family medicine and at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance,” said Alexandra, in a media release.
“Chatham-Kent is truly close to my heart. It is an honour to receive this bursary, and I look forward to returning home to serve my community in the coming years.”
Meghan Chevalier is enrolled in her fourth year of medical school at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry in London, Ontario.
Her primary interests are family medicine, emergency medicine, and palliative care.
“My first exposure to medicine took place in the community of Chatham through my work as a summer student with the Thamesview Family Health Team and as a volunteer with the Chatham-Kent Hospice,” said Meghan, in a media release.
“These early experiences sparked an interest in working with small communities and my time rotating through Chatham-Kent as a senior medical student further solidified that interest.”
Hospital officials say Rosemarie Miller, a resident of Wallaceburg and former employee of CKHA, is fondly remembered for her many contributions to the community and her commitment to enhancing local health care.
Miller was a member and past President of the Wallaceburg Rotary Club, a member of the Sydenham District Hospital Auxiliary, and an avid volunteer with the CKHA Foundation for events in the Wallaceburg community.
