Showing a canvas-printed photo of the Stekyoden (also known as Roche de Boule) mountain range in its fall colour splendor, Dr. Savanna Naylor shared with me the story of how she is completing a full circle journey to return to Hazelton, BC to practice medicine.
Savanna was born and raised in Prince Rupert on Tsimshian territory. When she was two years old, her family bought a small farming property, near the remote community of Kitwanga, BC, in the Upper Skeena region, close to Hazelton. Every summer and almost every weekend, Savanna spent time with her family at the Kitwanga farm.
“I grew up in Prince Rupert and love the community, but the cabin on the farm is still my favourite place and there is really nothing else like it,” Savanna said.
Savanna feels honoured to have lived alongside and learned about both the Tsimshian Indigenous culture in Prince Rupert and the Gitxsan Indigenous culture in the Hazeltons. Growing up with that understanding made both places special to her.
Over the years Savanna had many people tell her she should become a physician because she was good at science, but she actually wanted to be a park warden instead. Becoming a physician didn’t really become her destiny until after she changed her undergraduate major at the University of Northern BC (UNBC) from biology to biochemistry.
In biochemistry, all her classmates were planning on going into medicine, which made Savanna consider medicine as well. The more Savanna learned about biochemistry and different kinds of diseases, the more she became interested in pursuing medicine.
In the third year of her undergraduate degree, Savanna applied to the Northern Medical Program (NMP), a distributed site of the University of BC’s Faculty of Medicine and delivered in partnership with the University of Northern BC. However, she was not accepted. She continued on to successfully finish her degree and then applied for a job as a Medical Office Assistant (MOA) at the clinic in Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton, where her best friend was working as a nurse. While interviewing for the job, Savanna shared with the clinic manager that she was trying to get into medical school and was unsure how long she would be able to work there. The manager asked that when Savanna became a doctor, if she would consider coming back to Hazelton to do her return of service work. Savanna got the job.
The MOA role was a perfect introduction to health care for Savanna, giving her insight into the less glamorous side of medicine while she fell in love with Hazelton. “It was the best year of my life, really,” she said. “I love the community. I love nature. It was like an extension of the cabin; it had the same feeling, joy, and resilience - there's just so much there.”
Savanna applied a second time to the Northern Medical Program and again did not get accepted. The competition for entry into Canadian medical education programs is stiff, and for some it can take a number of attempts to get one of the coveted spots!
A local physician suggested she apply abroad, an option which she had not previously considered, despite having dual citizenship in Canada and the United Kingdom (UK). With a bit of research, Savanna discovered Ireland had incredible medical schools and with her UK citizenship, she was eligible as a citizen for entry. She applied and was accepted into the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin and has since completed her studies and returned to complete her residency (the period of advanced training in a medical specialty following the graduation from medical school) in Canada, on Vancouver Island.
While in Ireland, Savanna received a gift from the physicians in Hazelton - a canvas photo of the Stekyoden mountain range in Hazelton. The stunning photo made her homesick and solidified her need to return to the North once she completed her studies. Motivated every day by the Stekyoden photo, Savanna has the photo rolled up and ready to go back to Hazelton with her. True to her word, she never forgot her promise to the clinic manager in Hazelton and begins her return of service at Wrinch Hospital in Hazelton this fall.
Savanna always knew she would go back to Hazelton, to be outside and to experience the protection of the majestic mountain range called Stekyoden. Savanna, your mountains are waiting for your return! We are so pleased to be able to welcome Savanna back to the North as Dr. Naylor and wish her well as she completes her residency!
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