What I'm up to now:

I'm currently taking a year off before applying to postgraduate programs! With the time off, I am participating in a few research projects and patient initiatives at a cardiology clinic. I also work as a tutor for elementary students on various subjects. In the fall, I will be preparing for medical school applications with the hopes of pursuing psychiatry as my specialty someday.

 

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Be engaged with the course content - one of the things that helped me most with PNB courses was making it pertinent and/or relatable to me. What real-life examples support this concept/term? Are there any interesting articles/books/websites that can teach me more about the topic? In psychology, there are endless real-life applications which is one of my favourite parts about the discipline.  

• Never hesitate to ask for help – it goes without saying, but there’s no such thing as a bad question! Be it your professors, TAs, or peers, there is always someone who will be willing to help you.

• Remember there is time – it can be easy to feel burnt out in university where much of your time is spent studying or working, but please spare time to enjoy it too. Take breaks when you need them and spend time with people who motivate you and bring you joy. When I graduated from university, I felt very confused about my career and future, and even though I’m still figuring it out, that’s okay – everyone progresses at their own pace 😊

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• My first piece of advice for PNB Mental Health students is to get involved! Whether through joining a club, volunteering in a lab, or participating in a mentoring program, getting involved will allow you to meet new people with similar interests and gain valuable experiences beyond academics.

• My second piece of advice is to reach out to your professors. Regardless of whether you need help in a course, are looking for a new research experience or want advice on careers/academia, your profs have a wealth of knowledge and are there to support you! 🙂

What I’m up to now:

I’m currently a first-year law student at Queens University. 

 

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Don’t stress too much about your grades or the feeling that you’re not doing enough. Everything will work itself out in the end and you’ll end up where you need to be but enjoy your time in PNB Mental Health while you can because it’s filled with amazing people and time will fly by before you know it!

What I'm up to now:

Currently working for Public Health Ontario, while preparing for graduate studies.

​

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Be open to any opportunities

• Make growth choices (instead of making decisions based on what you want, make decisions based on what you need and what would be best for you)

• Take initiative. Seek out opportunities for yourself, don't wait for opportunities to come to you

​What I’m up to now:

Hello! My name is Gabby, I am a former co-president of the Mental Health Society (2019-2020). After graduating from McMaster, I moved to Calgary where I spent a year working at Alberta Children’s Hospital on the Children’s Inpatient Mental Health Unit as a psychosocial rehabilitation assistant. In this role, I provided behavioural, emotional, and social support to children aged 5-18, and their families. I was happy to spend much of my free time hiking, snowboarding, and relaxing before returning to Ontario to pursue my Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at Western University. This program has enabled me to be involved in research through the completion of a thesis, learn theory and skills through course content, and gain practical work experience with a year-long placement—all things I am excited to be able to do!

 

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• One of the biggest pieces of advice I can impart to current students is to take time out of your busy days and weeks to do the things you love. It is not easy to do in the moment, but will positively impact your mental health, productivity, and motivation in the long run. Reflecting on my time at McMaster, my fondest memories are those spent playing on intramural teams, spending time with my friends, and exploring new places throughout the city.

What I'm up to now:

Since graduating from PNB Mental Health in the spring of 2020, I have been in London, Ontario completing a Master of Arts in Education Studies in the Field of School and Applied Child Psychology at the University of Western Ontario. The program is a great combination of two of my passions: psychology and working with children and youth! Through my master’s program, I have also had the opportunity to work as a research assistant where I am conducting research focusing on following children and youth’s mental health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

​

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Find what you are passionate about by taking a variety of courses that interest you and exploring many different volunteer and work opportunities. Personally, this allowed me to have a better understanding of what I did and did not enjoy. I always found the question of “what do you want to do after you graduate?” very daunting, but when I focused on opportunities that brought me joy, I was able to obtain a clearer picture of my post-graduation goals.

• Do not be afraid to talk to professors and put yourself out there. Connections and networking are so important, and I would not be where I am at today if I did not reach out to professors after class about research opportunities or participate in things like the PNB Peer Mentorship Program, for example. This program in particular provided me with connections to older peers which helped guide me through the PNB Mental Health Program and onto my post-graduation endeavours.

• Finally, in addition to exploring your interests and making connections, my advice would be to have fun and enjoy the community this program offers, such as through various social events. These are great ways to make friends and ensure that you maintain a healthy balance of both studying and fun!

​What I’m up to now:

I graduated in 2021 from PNB (Mental Health Specialization) I am a graduate student at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC, doing a Master’s in Clinical Psychology (Forensic Track). My supervisor is Dr. Jodi Viljoen, and I am a part of the Adolescent Risk and Resilience Lab. My research focuses on protective factors and violence risk assessment. In my spare time I enjoy running, hiking local trails, going to the cinema, and trying out Vancouver’s incredible restaurants.

 

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Do your best to find professors/research supervisors that you enjoy working with. Developing a close working relationship with these individuals allows you to contribute in meaningful ways, which can be crucial in opening doors to future opportunities. 

What I'm up to now:

This year I began my PhD in the School and Applied Child Psychology at Western University. Prior to doing my PhD, I completed a master’s at the University of Toronto, OISE, in Developmental Psychology and Education, as well as a master’s in School and Applied Child Psychology at Western. I am also currently working as a psychometrist, completing psycho-educational under the supervision a clinical psychologist. I am really enjoying this opportunity and learning a lot that I know will be useful as I work to finish my PhD.  

​

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Don’t forget to enjoy the experience! Being in the program is a lot of work and at times, it can be very busy. But it is important to make sure you are enjoying the experience and taking the time to do things that you enjoy. A good balance of schoolwork/studying and other activities that you enjoy is key!

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions! I remember being hesitant to ask the upper years and graduate students questions, but quickly learned that everyone is happy to help. You can learn so much from your colleagues, and you never know when someone has gone through a similar experience or has a similar question. Additionally, the faculty in the Psychology department are also very supportive and willing to help.  If you are unsure about something or even if you have questions about the future, don’t hesitate to reach out for help and guidance!

• As you approach the end of the program and are thinking of what you want to do when you finish, make sure that you explore all of your options. There are so many different pathways to take following an undergraduate degree (many that I was not aware of at the time) and I think it is important to explore all of the areas that you may be interested in! It is definitely beneficial to be open-minded and thoroughly explore your options before making this big decision. One of the best ways to do this is by reaching out and asking questions to those who are already in the field that you are interested in. 

​​

mmuell2@uwo.ca

What I'm up to now:

I completed my B.Sc in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour  at McMaster University, and a Masters of Arts in School and Applied Child Psychology at Western University. I am currently completing my PhD in the School and Applied Child Psychology program at Western University. Along with school, I am working as a psychometrist at a private practice in Hamilton. After my PhD, I hope to work as a clinical psychologist in either a school or community setting.

​

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Take a breath! One of the things that I remember most from being in PNB was how busy it was. Between balancing 5 courses, completing a thesis and trying to get extra experience for grad school, I often felt like there was no spare time. My tip would be to take a breath and let things happen. It WILL all work out  

• Enjoy yourself! Within the chaos, make sure you find time for the things that you enjoy. Whether it be going to a program social, having a movie night with roommates, or taking a study break for a hike, do it! Those are the memories that you will remember when you are like me, reminiscing in 3 years. 

• Take good notes (or as good as you can)! If you are planning to continue in school or even work in the field, you will constantly be referring to notes from the classes you are taking now. Try to remember when you are writing a thesis or grant applications, you will miss having someone tell you the information that you need. 

​

amuelle7@uwo.ca

What I'm up to now:

After graduating from the PNB Mental Health Specialization, I went on to do a Master of Science in Biomedical Communications at the University of Toronto for 2 years. I studied medical illustration, visual storytelling, and specialized in interactive media design; my thesis project involved developing documentation and assets to create a video game that explained cellular metabolism to undergraduate students. After graduating from my Master's program, I worked for almost 2 years in UX/UI design for a small healthcare tech design firm in the U.S. Currently, I am freelancing as a medical illustrator and animator. 

​

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• The program can be tricky to navigate with all of its course requirements. Be sure to look ahead at your required courses and their prerequisites to plan out your third and fourth year to be as least stressful as possible!

• At times, the program can also be pretty demanding; don't forget to check in with your own mental health and well-being frequently!

What I'm up to now:

I am currently a PhD student studying Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo. My PhD dissertation explores the role of family factors on treatment attitudes for people with anxiety. My interest in clinical psychology was fostered through the PNB program at McMaster, where I specialized in Mental Health.

​

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• While it’s important and valuable to explore your interests by joining labs, volunteer groups, talking to profs/ grad students, etc, be sure to also prioritize self-care

​

https://uwaterloo.ca/anxiety-studies/people-profiles/olivia-merritt

What I'm up to now: 

After graduating from the PNB Mental Health program in 2017, I spent a year working as a professional magician and performed at corporate events, carnivals, and birthday parties throughout the GTA. I was then accepted to medical school at the University of Ottawa and am currently in my fourth year there. While in Ottawa I’ve tried to keep myself busy and involved with the community. I was the pianist for the Ottawa Pops Orchestra from 2018 – 2020 before the pandemic unfortunately shut things down. While there though I got the opportunity to play some of my favourite movie soundtracks including a Star Wars concert, Harry Potter concert, and Disney concert!

 

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Go out to Mental Health Society events! They’re a great way to meet other people in your program. I remember as a second year in the Mental Health specialization, I barely knew other people in my program and it took me the better half of the year to find some of my peers. It’s pretty important because the Mental Health program has a few additional hoops you have to jump through compared to the PNB program, probably the best example of which is the mandatory 3rd year clinical placement (3I06). So finding your peers is super helpful as they can help make sure you submit 3I06 applications on time, or making sure that your course choices for the next year fulfill the requirements of the program. 

• With all these mandatory courses however, there’s a lot less room for elective courses, so make yours count. Especially if you intend on applying for post-graduate programs, you want to make sure you’re able to fit in all the pre-requisites for those programs with these elective spots. Depending on the breadth of postgraduate programs you apply to, this may mean having to take some courses during the summer. For instance if you wanted to have the pre-requisites to apply to medicine, dentistry, and physiotherapy, it might be difficult to fit in all the elective courses you would have to take. But if you knew you wanted to apply just for medicine, or just for physiotherapy, then there should be more than enough room in the program to fit in those elective courses. Depending on your post-graduate plans, It’s definitely something you want to think ahead about and plan for.

What I'm up to now:

Following my time in PNB Mental Health, I pursued further education in a medical degree. I subsequently decided to combine my passions in neuroscience and medicine, and I am currently training as a neurology resident physician at McMaster.

​

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Working as an IntroPsych TA and participating in research helped me develop relevant skills I apply routinely to my day-to-day work. An exciting thing about the program is the abundance of opportunities within the department—it’s a great time to get involved, develop your skills, and explore your interests. Talk to upper-year students and professors for how to get started!

What I'm up to now:

Right after graduating from PNB, I worked for 2.5 years as a research assistant and coordinator at McMaster's School of Nursing on projects related to palliative and end-of-life care among long-term care populations. As of September 2020, I started my Master's in Health Research Methodology at McMaster under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Couturier whose work concerns pediatric eating disorders. For my thesis, I am leading a mixed methods pilot study exploring the feasibility and acceptability of a suite of interventions designed to help adolescents (and their parents) transition from pediatric care to post-pediatric care upon turning 18. I also work as a research assistant in the same lab helping with other projects related to supporting parents of children with eating disorders as well as evaluating the virtual implementation of various evidence-based treatments for pediatric eating disorder patients. Otherwise, I spend a lot of my time reading, baking, hiking, gardening, or hanging out with my family and friends, partner, and cats 🙂

 

Tips for current PNB Mental Health Students:

• Medicine and Clinical Psychology are not the only avenues or options post-undergrad! The skills you acquire during this program allow you to really succeed in a myriad of other settings--consulting, research, human resources, non-for-profit, MBA, and more.

• If you have a feeling you are interested in a particular topic, pursue opportunities to work in that area or with that population. Originally, I thought that my area of interest was in mood/affective disorders. But, after doing my thesis in this population and volunteering with these groups as well as learning more about other psychiatric illnesses, I realized that my interests shifted! By exposing yourself clinically or directly to the populations or types of research you gravitate you, you will either confirm these interests or pivot to other ones!

• Learn how to say no 🙂 I have not been surrounded by PNB Mental Health-ians for a few years now, but I think it is safe to assume that this group is comprised of individuals who are highly motivated, very enthusiastic about their work, and take on more than they can chew sometimes... 🙂the biggest thing I learned through my Master's actually, while juggling many projects and personal issues as well, is how valuable it is to say no! It allows you to complete the projects you are currently on to the standards that you expect of yourself. Additionally, there is this assumption that you should take any opportunity that comes your way! Although most opportunities are great learning opportunities, any time you are offered something new, really ask yourself "will the time and effort I put into this help me to achieve my goal of X, Y, or Z?" If you want to learn more about how to say no in academic settings, I invite you to read Dave Sackett's three-part series on how to say no. Here is a link to the final of the 3 articles: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1740774513477934?journalCode=ctja