Canada Montgomery

Canada Montgomery is a fourth-year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 obtaining a BS in Biology and Neuroscience. In addition, she minored in Gender/Sexuality/Women’s Studies and received a History and Philosophy of Science certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. Between graduating college and starting medical school, she worked as a nursing assistant in the Neuro-ICU at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. In medical school, Canada became heavily involved in community outreach initiatives. She was a co-chair for Cut Hypertension, a hypertension prevention program organized through West Philadelphia barbershops, and a clinical coordinator for Covenant House, a homeless shelter for at-risk youth. With a passion for community engagement and health advocacy, Canada gained interest in the disparities facing marginalized populations that lead to health inequities. Moreover, she plans to address these issues in the context of patient outcomes and surgical care based on her neurosurgical clinical interest. She has received the IHI Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety and is a student in the “Operation Equity: An Intro to the Social Determinants of Surgical Health” course organized by The Center for Surgical Health to gain additional insight in how to improve surgical patient outcomes via addressing health and healthcare disparities. Canada intends to engage in clinical and policy research related to health disparities within neurosurgical patient populations as a means to implement quality improvement initiatives that improve surgical outcomes. As a student in the Medical Education Certificate Program at the Perelman School of Medicine along with pursing a MSHP, Canada hopes to utilize her education and research to promote policy change within and beyond healthcare institutions while fostering opportunities for health advocacy.