Kate Bourne - 2023 Winning Essay
When I was three years old my father died. This early exposure to illness and death sparked an interest in me, and a drive to pursue a career in medicine. This interest was further developed when, in high school, I became ill with undiagnosed illness. Experiencing a diagnostic delay of 13 years, I was ultimately diagnosed with an autonomic disorder. This led me to my career goal to become a clinician-scientist in this field.
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is an autonomic disorder that primarily impacts young women. The average diagnostic delay is 5 years, often disrupting education and employment. My research focuses on the debilitating impacts of POTS, and potential treatments, including compression garments.
I am currently a PhD and MD student in the University of Calgary’s Leaders in Medicine Program. In 2020, I was selected as a CIHR Vanier Scholar. I have 22 peer-reviewed publications (9 as first author), and 32 published conference abstracts. Using a large survey with thousands of POTS patients, I have published research detailing economic impacts, sex differences, and impacts of pregnancy on POTS. I conducted a clinical trial of compression garments that was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
In the community, I have volunteered over 2,200 hours as a first responder and I have been a leader with Girl Guides of Canada for 13 years. My personal experiences, leadership skills, and training background provide a strong foundation for my future career as a clinician-scientist in Canada.