Nathan Souza (2006 - 2007)

Brazil

The Sauvé Program ended up being much more than what I expected. The freedom and support to dedicate myself to causes that really interest me was precious and it took me a while to realize that. While here, I was able to exercise, 24 hours a day, the right to explore personal and global challenges. Thus, my social consciousness broadened globally and I realized that the Sauvé Program's scope was broader than Montreal and Canada.

Nathan qualified as a medical doctor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, holds a Masters degree in Medical Education from the National Institute of Public Health, Havana, Cuba. He is currently in the McMaster University's PhD Health Research Methodology Program in Canada and is an intern at the Research Promotion and Development Unit of the Pan American Health Organization, Washington, D.C., USA.

After winning a national scholarship to complete his International Baccalaureate at Canada's Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, Nathan committed himself to becoming a medical doctor who would redress the injustices he experienced as a child. He has also spent time teaching scuba-diving to disabled people and studying German on a scholarship from the German government. From 2002 to 2006, he worked as a family and community doctor in rural Ceará, one of Brazil's poorest regions, where he contributed to projects combining primary healthcare, self-empowerment and citizenship. Nathan also taught bioethics and forensic medicine at the Federal University of Ceará. "Values such as humbleness, self-respect, tolerance and a sense of social justice have become a way to carry on my life," he writes.

As a Sauvé Scholar, Nathan published accounts of his previous work and experiences as a family doctor and faculty member in Sobral, Brazil. One essay, on the challenge of increasing the number of medical schools in Brazil, won a prize from the Ceará Medical Council. He attended seven international conferences, presenting at two. Nathan also established a partnership with McGill's Family Medicine Department, completed the Faculty Development Office and the Participatory Research Group training programs and connected Sauvé Foundation with the Social Equity and Diversity Education Office at McGill. He co-edited the book "Sauvé Scholars 2006-2007 Reflections".