From Student to Supporter: How one alum is honouring his roots with a gift to MHC
Dr. Ryan Oland is the Chief of Medical Staff at the WestView Health Centre in Edmonton and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Alberta.
He has spent the majority of his life committed to caring for others, with a career spanning nearly 30-years in the field of medicine. Now, as he considers the legacy he wants to leave behind, he is honouring the experiences that shaped his career by choosing to include Medicine Hat College in his will.
A graduate of MHC’s Class of 1995, Ryan enrolled in the University Transfer: Science program directly out of high school. He fondly recalls the warm and welcoming nature of the faculty and the feeling of community across campus as his introduction to post-secondary education.
“I was 17 for almost my whole first year there so I lived at home for my whole time at Medicine Hat College,” says Ryan, who maintained a 4.0 GPA during the two years of his program. “I was still underage which bode well for me, because my nose was in a book the whole time.”
In an era which Ryan defines as ‘grunge music and Sarah McLachlan,’ he says his time at MHC formed the way that he approaches life. He found his community of friends both within his program and by joining student council – now known as the Students’ Association. Initially signing up to get into concerts and cabarets, the experience provided vital skills that, unknowingly at the time, prepared him for his career in medicine.
“It's not really one of those things that they tell you when you're getting into medicine, but you do need to be a leader, and my experience on student council at Medicine Hat College actually did help with that.”
He adds that hard work and perseverance are traits that those entering the medical field should possess, traits that helped him become successful in his studies and career. Applying those skills in his studies, Ryan was proud to receive Student of the Year at the 1995 Convocation ceremony, the first of many major accomplishments he would make in pursuit of his goals.
Why he’s choosing to give back
A reflection of his lived experience and hope for the younger generations in his own family living in southeast Alberta, Ryan recognizes the benefit that smaller community colleges have on students in the region.
“Medicine Hat College has a good handle, not only on the traditional academic faculties, like nursing and education, but they also have programs for practical career skills, that you wouldn't necessarily have a degree program in, and I think it's a good spread.”
Recalling the benefit of faculty support for those focused on academics, he hopes future students will continue to benefit from the large array of programs offered at MHC.
“I think that Medicine Hat College was a springboard for me to launch into medicine. I always appreciated the support and it was invaluable at the time.”
How to make an impact
A gift to Medicine Hat College not only benefits our students – it benefits our region. We believe that every individual should have access to education that equips them to lead a more fulfilling life.
Learn more about giving back to MHC at www.mhc.ab.ca/donate.