Dr. Alika Lafontaine on diversity and inclusion in medicine

Turning Point with Priya Sam

Dr. Alika Lafontaine’s biggest turning point happened when he was in medical school. He was the only Indigenous student in his class and after some negative experiences, he was left feeling like he didn’t belong. As he considered dropping out, two people came along who changed everything.
Dr. Lafontaine is now the President-elect of the Canadian Medical Association and the co-founder of Safespaces Network, an organization that aims to address unconscious bias and racism among healthcare professionals by providing a safe space for patients to report their experiences.
In this episode you’ll also hear how Dr. Lafontaine was diagnosed with a learning disability as a child and how his parents chose home schooling and why he decided to specialize in anaesthesiology.