News

鈥淲ith graduates like Ms. Archibald blazing the next trail in our health system, our future is a little bit brighter,鈥� says Dr. Jeanna Parsons Leigh, Sociologist and Assistant Professor, 鲍鱼tv Faculty of Health

Spring 2022 MHA (Master of Health Administration) grad Emma Archibald is 鈥渟till a bit in shock鈥� about receiveing the 2022 Governor General鈥檚 Gold Medal. This honour is awarded to the university鈥檚 most outstanding master鈥檚 graduate, who has demonstrated equally remarkable achievements in academia and extracurricular leadership. Only two medals are awarded among the entire pool of master鈥檚 graduates; one medal to a master's graduate in the Humanities and Social Sciences and one medal to a master's graduate in the Natural Sciences and Engineering.

The MHA program initially piqued Archibald鈥檚 interest as it presented the opportunity for her to bridge her corporate career 鈥渨ith her ambitions of working in healthcare鈥�. The faculty consistently connects students with alumni and mentors in the health workforce, helping to ensure future graduates鈥� professional success in their chosen fields.

Returning to school after years spent working in England, Archibald was a Cohort Representative for the Association of Health Administration Students in her first year, ultimately rising in her second year to become the Association鈥檚 president.

鈥淏eing in the student association really helped me to build a relationship with faculty members,鈥� explains Archibald. 聽

Across the course of her degree, Archibald completed her residency at The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia. She credits her experience there as fueling the 鈥済enesis of her thesis project,鈥� which used 鈥渕ultiple methods across two phases to explore physician health approaches in Canada and the perspectives of Medical Regulatory Authorities and Medical Associations in Canada on the issues in physician health.鈥�

Across her thesis research, Archibald was fascinated by the 鈥渃omplex identity paradox鈥� of being a physician-patient working in the field of public health.

Archibald鈥檚 humility, intelligence, and work ethic were evident to faculty and students upon her entry into the MHA program. As the country works to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Jeanna Leigh Parsons insists how Archibald鈥檚 thesis work 鈥渋s likely to have a direct and lasting impact on physician health programming in this country.鈥�

After her incredible tenure in the MHA program, Archibald will be furthering her 鲍鱼tv education, starting at the Schulich School of Law in September 2022.

BACKGROUND:

Other awards of Archibald鈥檚 include the 2022 Bluenose Chapter Award, presented to a student with high academic standing and a high degree of professionalism. In 2012, she was awarded the McEuen Scholarship, covering tuition and accommodation costs of a Canadian Student at St. Andrews University in Scotland, where Archibald went on to complete a Joint BSc Honours in Biology and Economics.