Julia Sawatzky
While originally from Edmonton, Julia lived in the US, Japan, Germany and the UK before returning home to ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ for medical school and residency. This background shaped her interests in the broader social and structural factors that affect health, and she completed masters degrees in epidemiology and public policy during medical school. She is now in her third year of residency in Emergency Medicine.
Vision for Social Accountability
Since her first year of medical school, Julia has been nurturing a strong interest in Planetary Health and the ways in which climate and environmental change intersect with other social and structural determinants of health. Her medical training has provided many opportunities to bear witness to how the natural environment influences health for our patients and communities, as well as the ways in which environmental harms are disproportionately borne by structurally underserved communities. Her vision for social accountability therefore encompasses a vision in which the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry views the land upon which we are situated as a teacher, listens earnestly to the perspectives and needs of the communities we serve, and translates that learning into action that promotes social justice and the mutual flourishing of people, nature, and future generations.
Hobbies + Interests
Outside of residency, Julia is a board member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and the Co-Chair of CAPE's ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ regional committee. She loves to spend time in nature, with friends and family, and cooking, baking or crafting.