Meet the Team

FRCPC Program – R5

Dr. Kira Genise

Dr. Kira Genise

Kira hails from the nations capital where she completed her undergraduate and medical degrees. Having lived briefly in BC, she got a taste of the mountain life and yearned for adventure in the wild west. She traded politics and BeaverTails for the excitement of Calgary and mountains. When not saving lives, she spends her time outside running, biking, hiking and camping.

Dr. Scott Wakeham

Dr. Scott Wakeham

Scott was born and raised in Dawson Creek, BC. After making the leap across the border and graduating from pharmacy school at U of A, Scott moved to Ontario and graduated from medical school at Queen’s University. He’s excited to be back in Alberta and a few provinces away from bagged milk. Scott enjoys hiking, kayaking, camping, baking, cross country skiing, and yoga. As an escape room enthusiast, he is also excited to see where he can escape from in Calgary. Academically, Scott’s early interests are in toxicology, addiction medicine, and health advocacy.

Dr. Bobby Johnston

Dr. Bobby Johnston

Walks like a model, acts like a clown, and throws more shade than a lamp. Interests include resuscitation, addictions, teaching people how to cook (especially when it’s their recipe and didn’t ask for help), grown up sleep-overs with his best friend, rock-climbing, back-country everything, avoiding butterfly jumps in barre, and indigenous health. Bobby started his health care journey in critical care nursing, and is incredibly excited to take the leap into Emergency Medicine in Calgary Alberta learning from amazing physicians. On Wednesdays he wears pink, and he can usually tell when it’s raining

Dr. Duncan Simmons

Dr. Duncan Simmons

Duncan was born and raised in Cow Town. He completed a degree in Life Sciences at Queen’s University, and medical school at the University of Alberta. Outside of the hospital, Duncan can be found cooking, playing volleyball or hockey, skiing, biking, or fly fishing.

FRCPC Program – R4

Dr. Mary Freymond

Dr. Mary Freymond

Mary was raised in the backcountry of Bancroft, a small rural town in Ontario. Making maple syrup and stacking firewood were common themes of her childhood. She moved to the big city to pursue her BSc in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph, her MSc in Exercise Physiology at McMaster and then medical school at the University of Toronto. Mary’s interests include prehospital care, trauma and rural medicine. She enjoys running, snowboarding, hiking and camping (can’t wait for the mountains!).

Dr. Jonathan Wong

Dr. Jonathan Wong

Jonathan was born and raised in Calgary. Prior to medical school, he completed a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Calgary and worked as an Engineer-in-Training for two years. He traded in spreadsheets and calculations for a pair of scrubs and a stethoscope while completing medical school at the University of Calgary. Jonathan is excited to join an amazing group of Emergency Medicine physicians and residents in Calgary. Outside of medicine, he can be found on the pitch playing soccer, hiking, golfing and planning his next adventure.

Dr. Dirk Chisholm

Dr. Dirk Chisholm

Dirk was born and raised in Calgary, where he also completed his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology and worked in a variety of settings as a Primary Care Paramedic. After a brief jaunt up the QEII for medical school at the University of Alberta, he is excited to join the amazing Emerg team back home in Calgary, and to once again have Chinooks. His early interests are in prehospital, transport and disaster medicine and outside of work loves trail running (slowly), hiking, skiing and spending too much money on coffee.

Dr. Julia Madill

Dr. Julia Madill

Julia was born and raised in Edmonton, AB. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Alberta and worked as a Registered Nurse in the NICU at the Foothills Medical Centre prior to starting medical school in Calgary. Academically, Julia is interested in medical education and pediatrics. Outside of medicine, Julia loves to dance, hike, travel, spin, and practice yoga. In her spare time you can find Julia at the dog park with her pup or exploring a new local restaurant with her pals!

FRCPC Program – R3

Dr. Tess Loch

Dr. Tess Loch

Tess hails from Edmonton where she worked as a registered nurse at the Royal Alex Hospital in emergency and L&D before making the big switch to medicine. She moved to Calgary for medical school and fell in love with the city but remains a loyal Oilers fan. Tess’ early career interests include pediatric emergency and addictions medicine. In her spare time, Tess loves getting out the mountains to ski and hike, but really shines at the après. She also enjoys hip hop music and dance, running, cycling and is a fountain of useless pop-culture knowledge. Tess also loves animals (except birds) and can be found at the dog park with her dog Bo, or being frequently interrupted on Zoom by her cats, Regina and Gretchen.

Dr. Julia Cirone

Dr. Julia Cirone

Julia was born and raised in the wilds of Toronto. She moved to Kingston, ON for an undergrad in Life Sciences at Queens University. After Kingston, she and her husky mix, Koda travelled on down to Windsor, ON for medical school at the Western Med campus there. After all that bouncing around Ontario, she has finally come to her senses and is making her way out Calgary. In her time outside the hospital, she can be found reading in a coffee shop or park, practicing yoga, or sitting at the pottery wheel. Julia is beyond excited to join the Calgary emerg team and to help Koda live out his mountain dog dreams!

Dr. Allen Vorobeichik

Dr. Allen Vorobeichik

Allen was born and raised in Toronto where he completed a degree in psychology and worked as a support worker for youth with developmental disabilities. Having moved to Calgary for medical school, he worked concurrently an addictions support worker and quickly fell in love with Calgary's EM program. Academically, Allen is interested in global health/health equity and social medicine. Outside of medicine, Allen loves making/collecting music, photography, the outdoors, and opportunistically planning weekend getaways. You can typically find Allen at concerts, the dog park, or in the mountains for some skiing, hiking, and climbing.

FRCPC Program – R2

Dr. Katie Gourlay

Dr. Katie Gourlay

Katie was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. After a brief side quest driving search and rescue boats for the Canadian Coast Guard, she completed medical school at the University of Alberta and quickly fell in love with the Rocky Mountains along the way. Her early academic interests include EMS/transport medicine and palliative care. She loves running, cycling and ski touring - reach out if you’d ever like to tag along!

Dr. Jayelle Friesen-Enns

Dr. Jayelle Friesen-Enns

Jayelle is of Cree and Métis descent and was raised in a small town called Rosenort in rural Manitoba. She completed all of her post-secondary education at the University of Manitoba and is excited to now move to the mountains where there are many opportunities for hiking and camping. Academically, Jayelle is interested in exploring prehospital medicine, wilderness medicine, and improving Indigenous representation in healthcare through medical education. Outside of medicine, Jayelle can be found reading a good book, making beaded earrings, cycling, or discovering a new hobby. She is super excited to be joining the Calgary EM team and looks forward to introducing everyone to her cats, Dash and Artemis.

Dr. Pavneet Singh

Dr. Pavneet Singh

Medical Student Liaison ([email protected])

Pavneet was born and raised in New Delhi, India. He moved to Calgary to compete a PhD in molecular biology and had a career in research before making the switch to medicine. He quickly found a penchant for emergency medicine. He is also interested in improving access to healthcare, reducing stigma and barriers for marginalized populations, along with a strong commitment to EDI. Outside of medicine, Pavneet loves mountain scrambling, road biking, and hiking with his dogs. He is also a self-proclaimed home barista and can be found around town buying a variety of good coffee beans!"

Dr. Niklas Bobrovitz

Dr. Niklas Bobrovitz

Nik was born and raised in Calgary. He completed his bachelors and masters at the University of Calgary before moving to the UK to do his doctorate at the University of Oxford. He then completed medical school at the University of Toronto. His academic interests are in public health emergencies, emergency care utilization, and the quality and impact of emergency medicine research. He is very happy to be home for EM residency in Calgary! Outside of the hospital Nik loves to spend time in the mountains, run, hike, ski, play basketball, and start reading books but never finish them.

FRCPC Program – R1

Dr. Jade Chow

Dr. Jade Chow

Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Jade completed three years of her Bachelor of Science at the University of Regina. She then took a slight detour out east to complete medical school at McMaster’s Niagara Regional Campus. Finding her passion for emergency medicine along the journey, she is excited to be back out west for residency. When not at the hospital, Jade can be found tending to her (too) many houseplants; climbing a rock somewhere; or blasting a vinyl record at full volume.

Dr. Tyara Marchand

Dr. Tyara Marchand

Tya was born in Vancouver and raised in interior British Columbia on the lands of the Okanagan reservation. She completed her undergraduate degree in biological anthropology and medical school at the University of Calgary. Tya’s academic interests include quality improvement initiatives in acute care and investigating strategies to improve Indigenous health equity within Alberta’s emergency departments. When not on shift, she can be found chasing her high-energy four-year-old around, paddle boarding in Kananaskis and exploring Calgary’s iconic cafes for a vanilla latte.

Dr. Adrian Teare

Dr. Adrian Teare

Adrian was born in Toronto before making the move to the Paris of the Prairies (Saskatoon) with his family at age 9. He completed a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Saskatchewan and stayed on at his home school for his medical degree. Adrian is passionate about health advocacy and has had leadership roles in several initiatives advocating for harm reduction, reproductive rights, and immigrant/refugee health. He looks forward to pursuing additional training in addiction medicine and incorporating it into his future practice. When not at the hospital, Adrian loves to keep busy with martial arts (boxing, muay thai, jiu jitsu), playing guitar, reading (but more often simply adding to his ever growing list of books to read), and spending time with his friends. He also has a few of his own hip hop albums circulating on the internet that he MIGHT share with you if you’re lucky.

Dr. Ben Campbell

Dr. Ben Campbell

Ben grew up in the woods of Pictou County, Nova Scotia and has been migrating westward ever since. He completed a math degree at Queen's in Kingston, Ontario, where he also became adept at firing cannons every summer. His first career in environmental sustainability brought him to Calgary, and he has been fortunate enough to stay for the switch to medical school and now residency. So far, he has interests in geriatrics, toxicology, and strengthening generalism in medical education. Ben likes to cook, run, read, play board games, sing karaoke and drink/brew beer. His husband Zach is an urban planner, with whom he shares a never-ending bucket list of cities to explore. They recently adopted a hairless middle-aged cat named Prune.

Staff

Dr. Anjali Pandya

Dr. Anjali Pandya

FRCPC Program Director

Dr. Kelsey Ragan

Dr. Kelsey Ragan

FRCPC Assistant Program Director

Madhavi Talasila

Madhavi Talasila

Program Administrator – FRCPC and CCFP(EM)

Dr. Charles Wong

Dr. Charles Wong

Program Director (CFPC-EM Program)

CCFP-EM Program

Dr. Anil Keshvara

Dr. Anil Keshvara

Anil grew up in the charming town of Medicine Hat in southeastern Alberta before heading to the University of Saskatchewan for both his undergraduate and medical training. After completing his family medicine residency, he spent six rewarding years practicing full-scope rural medicine back in his hometown, affectionately known as "the Hat.” Always eager for new challenges, Anil has now moved to Calgary to dive into the exciting world of emergency medicine. When he’s not geeking out over point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) or medical education, Anil swaps his scrubs for adventure. He enjoys fishing trips in northern Sask, playing music with friends, hockey on the ODR, and hiking with his Aussiedoodle Obie.

Dr. Daniel Park

Dr. Daniel Park

Dr. Hannah Boone

Dr. Hannah Boone

Hannah Boone was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. She holds a BMus in Orchestral Trumpet Performance from McGill University and completed her MD and Family Medicine Residency at Memorial University of Newfoundland, dividing her time between Newfoundland and Nunavut. Throughout residency, she continued to play trumpet with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Jazz East Big Band, and does pottery in her spare time. She cherishes any chance to get outside for a swim or a hike, no matter the weather. Her academic interests in Emergency Medicine are rural trauma training and teaching. She is thrilled to take to the mountains for this R3 year in Calgary!

Dr. Kayla Baker

Dr. Kayla Baker

Dr. Andrew Paxton

Dr. Andrew Paxton

Dr. Shaila Gunn

Dr. Shaila Gunn

Dr. Kyle Exner

Dr. Kyle Exner

Kyle is a Calgary local and completed both his undergraduate and his doctor of medicine at the University of Calgary. He then spent two years bouncing around various towns in British Columbia as part of his rural GP residency training, spending the majority of his free time skiing or hiking. Outside of medicine, he can be found on the golf course, at the hockey rink, or adventuring abroad.

Dr. Vincent Soh

Dr. Vincent Soh