Breaking Barriers: A Journey as a Female Immigrant in the Medical Field | MAG005

Hello Hello Hello beautiful people welcome back to magnetize it's your girl Grace Oben. I have to be the most amazing guest you can ever ever imagine when Dr. Yvonne Kang So, Dr. Yvonne Kangong is a board certified family and obesity medicine doctor, clinical lecturer with the University of Calgary medical school. She is the CEO of breakers health and medical weight management, consultancy and public speaking company called otter. K f s Rex meals diabetic and weightless friendly meals and spices co author of a best selling and tautology. The warrior women project is sisterhood of immigrant women and author of What obesity got to deal with it. She received a teaching award in 2019. And then a word from the Alberta Legislative Assembly for community service in 2020. So help me welcome. Dr. Yvonne Kangong. Dr. Yvonne, thank you so much for being here. I know you are so busy, I know your schedule. So I am really honored to have you here today as my guest at magnetized podcast. And I am really, really honored to have here. So how are you doing?

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: I'm doing great. My my I'm very excited. My honor to be here today. Thank you so much great for having me. I'm looking forward to this conversation.

Awesome. So you know that everyone when I was reading your bio, you know, they're all this achievement, this accolades. However, we know we know that these things don't just come like that. All this achievement, many could direct all of these things. They don't just happen. There are there are there are there have been you've gone through some some winter seasons in life in the process of becoming all of these they've become so would you like to share to us an experience that kind of, as I'll call it, a time in your life? That was a winter when you went through a really major life crisis? And can you just talk to us about it? And what was that?

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: Thank you. Great. So my winter season? Oh, wow, it's winter in Calgary. And I really don't like winter. And I don't think anybody likes winter in their life, which is the downside of life, but that's part of life, you have the ups and you have the downs. And you have to learn to be resilient with that. So my season was, I arrived in Canada as an international trained doctor. And, you know, I didn't have my immigration papers. But finally I got my immigration papers, and decided to take the exam. But guess what, I failed the first time. So that was the lowest point in my career where I was like, Okay, I went to med school, I did very well in my classes and everything. And now I'm taking the exam that I know, I'm supposed to know. But then I failed it. Too thought came to my mind, abandon everything. After all your mom, you can take care of your kids and your wife, you can take care of your man and family. But then my husband looked at me and said, You haven't come this far to abandonment right now. You got to keep going. And all was I ever said didn't quit with that. I was like, really, I just want to be home and take care of my kids. Nothing wrong with that. Do you know it's an amazing career. It's um, it's very amazing to be there for your children. I had the time that I spent with them at home. I don't regret it till today. But then there was something more I had gone to school, I've gone to that. I've gotten to that level, and why give up. So I picked up the pieces. Now I have to change my strategy. Because when something doesn't work, you have to sit back and think and say, so what really went wrong? What did that I didn't put enough time to study. What is that I didn't have enough support for that. I was very stressed out and I didn't create that time to rest in between the studies. And so I looked around town and I found somebody group and I joined them and the rest is history.

The rest is history. Indeed. You know, I I liked how you said you kind of like sat back and reflect on even though what your husband said. You kind of you were upset about it. But then you kind of realize that it's not just about you know being not being there for the kids or making choice to be home stay mom, then it's much more than that. So when you are thinking What was that much more that hits you, that made you kind of like change your mind and decided to, to pick up again.

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: So for me, at the age of 11, I knew I was going to be a doctor. You know, I grew up in a community in Boyle, the Catholic province of Cameroon, and I never was a gynecologist, late Dr. Bianca may still recipe, you know. And so I was always attracted to people in medicine. And I always wanted to know, you know more about medicine, and when you appropriate time for me to be baptized as a Christian and confirmation. Dr. Salah anguishes now in South Africa, I chose her as my godmother. So, you know, looking back, I said, why did that I kept going towards this direction, somehow made for this profession. And so that's what kept me going to say, I haven't gotten this far. You know, for me to turn back now and say, I can do this. And my late mom may have so recipes, she was a nurse. And she believed in me, and she knew I was going to be a good doctor. And until she died, she was putting me in medical school. But I said, No, I cannot let let the dream die, I need to keep going somewhere out there. I'll be important to the community, I'll be there to save life, I'll be there to give hope to people to just that kept me going.

mazing so don't ever talk to me, you know, as an immigrant woman in Canada, I know that it wasn't a smooth ride, being where you are today. So we like to share some of the some of the experiences, you know, the speed bumps and the stop signs. And do you want to share some of this? What was your experience like going through the whole process? So

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: you know, you know, also the culture shock. So I arrived when I was in Montreal, and I had to do a rotation in French. And I go to the hospital, you know, become on French. It's not the same like the French, French, Quebec French. And so someone comes in saying, Hey, Mr. Luca, sir is the heart so but in Quebec, a ledger Gemma loker means I'm most obnoxious. So yeah, my is my camera on Thank you, Gemma Luca, I go with my oscilloscope and I'm doing a cardiac exam. And then I come back and I present my preceptor, Gemma loker. And he's like, they all burst out laughing. You know, like, really to just spend 10 minutes doing a cardiac exam when this person is just not. Right. So that's one example. Another one was, someone came with a piercing on the phone, I was so cared that this girl was gonna choke. So I rushed to my preceptor and at that foreign body pouring body, we need to try to get this out, you know, and, and the person kept picking it up and down. And to me, I felt like he's gonna choke on this. But I didn't even take the history or anything, I run back and I said, Oh, my goodness, we have to deal with it. So those are just some of the things, you know, are you go to the warrior trying to communicate with the patient, and sometimes they can understand you, you know, it's almost like, especially of the boat syndrome, you know, you pronounced differently and, you know, and, but just those are just some of the challenges. And I tell you, it was not easy. But you know what, you raise your head of pi, you say, I'm here to say, I am going to fight till the end, I am going to keep pushing, if I feel I will get up, I will go because I am made for more.

So whether with a challenge is when when you are going through the actual schooling, the actual education and everything, whether it is some challenges, and if they were what were these challenges? I mean, as an immigrant, you know, in a completely new environment, different culture, completely different educational system from the one you you are coming from, or you've been used to your whole life prior to that time. So how did you navigate all of those challenges? In the medical school

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: in the medical? Yeah, so I did my medical school in St. Lucia West Indies. So when you come in, you're an international trains. And so for you to be able to get to the level of Canadian medical students, you have to go through all those things. And so that's one of the big sets exams that I took. First, you have to send your documents to be recognized for your being eligible to write the exam to write the exam, you know, you fail or you pass and it's not only about passing It's also passing well. Right? So once you get that, so when I apply for residency, that was the second time we were about it, we started at 5000 applicants at that time. And then we got went down to 1000. And that year, they had 14. What are the odds? Right, they had 40 spots for the whole of our data for International Trade doctors. So you are competing with everyone else who has passed this exam. So you have to study extra hard, you have to be dedicated you you know, sleepless nights. So this way all the pit bomb, you know, and the only way I went through it was the grace of God, that was with me, because God found several in me, because I don't think there were other people out there who weren't as qualified as I was because of sharing me. And I also worked hard. And so yeah, it's very challenging. And sometimes you can give up along the way, because it's almost like you keep knocking the door. The doors closed, you move to another door. It's close. You know, I applied at University of Regina, I got declined. I applied to different tools I didn't get in. But finally, when I was the time when the time was right when I applied, I got accepted to interview for foreign dentists in our better. And Calgary in the University of Alberta, Edmonton and Calgary. So, yeah.

In the middle of all of that, what did times that I was there any time that you felt like this, this thing is just too much for me. I'm just gonna let go like it's just too much. I didn't expect it to be like this. How

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: many times? Many times that creating that time to study, right? You get in that you get tired and you feel like you're missing out on your kids live your family life, your husband, everything. You know, but I always look at the North. You know, look at the North Tower, watch. You go, Where do you want to be? You know, there's nobody who has succeeded by just staying there and given up. You know, I always look back at KFC to serve KFC. You know how what he got him to get the magic KFC that we all enjoy, you know, so it's always like, you're going to try you're going to try you're going to try a Walt Disney, you know, always look back at all their struggles and all their stories. Before you get up.

Did you have some kind of support system? Yeah, to help you or how was it? Yeah.

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: So as I mentioned earlier on, I found like a study group. Study Group, yes, here in Calgary, and then also in, in, in a better or Calgary as a whole, we have what we call other international medical graduate Association. And so I joined them. So we used to have like volunteers that would come and just give us classes, you know, to get us into the system. And then another thing that I do while waiting is I didn't type in Public Health from a Canadian university. So somehow you have to look at something you have to have an urge over some audits. Why would they choose you over others if you have the course. But I did a master's in public health at Lakehead University. And after I was done with a Master's, I decided to do some volunteer work. So I for every immigrant, I'll tell you, volunteer, volunteer, volunteer, it opened doors for you because sometimes we have that mentality of oh, they're not gonna pay me but I got bills to pay. But guess what, volunteer work opens the door. I got a volunteer work at the Alberta Children's Hospital Emergency I was doing a study on gastroenteritis with like diarrhea and nausea, vomiting. So I you know, from there, it just connected with the people doing the study. And now just talking to someone wondering like, Oh, tell me more about it later. I did a master's in public health blah, blah, blah. And she goes, Oh, you know, would you consider being a research coordinator for a project? We have our bingo. This is what I do, right? Okay. Oh, Shaw. That's where I started. So now I have my foot in the door. I better health services gonna be volunteering at the Alberta Children's Hospital is going to be added on my theory. Project Coordinator for a research study at their better Children's Hospital is going to be added in my theory. The project coordinator for our diabetes study that we had is going to be added in my theory. And with all the people that I worked with, they're able to provide me a solid reference. So they were able to provide me a public reference that I could be used and apply for residency to Canadian experience. Very important.

So those are important you know, sometimes you get like immigrant women lead in particular, who share some experiences that they went through that were not very pleasant. Someone said something or looked at them in a way or made something that made them feel like they didn't belong in that in that setting. Right. So, did you ever experience something like that? Oh, yeah,

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: then rotations, sometimes they will ask the question, you know, like, an example I can think is internal medicine. You know, we talked about the whole body and fit them. So they ask the question, and you give the answer, and it looks like everybody's resist, like, Oh, so you know, right? It's almost like, so where did this come from? And I say, Hey, listen, I went to medical school. So and there were times that I didn't know the answer. Right? And I'll just feed. And then you get this look of like, oh, you're done. And I was asked to laugh at myself, because I always, you know, when I felt comfortable, my team, I'll look at them and say, Sorry, I am from Africa. And that's just not the I broke the ice. And then sometimes they'll be like the yesterday you give them you give the answer to the question. I'm like, back to them from athletes. That Oh, No. and No. One other scenario is talking about real challenges where I had a white patient, I was on call that day in the unit. And so he was having chest pain. So they called me to attend to him. And they went to the patient, and it's like, what are you doing? You called me the doctor? And I showed him my badge. I'm the resident doctor, that No, don't touch me. No, I don't want to. I went to the nurse's station. And I was like, well, sorry. He said, he doesn't want me to touch him. You know, so I can do otherwise by documented and there was not a personal cost. Right? So there's less it's hard to make do and try to see how they can support it. And I said, Well, let me see if I can get somebody from another department to come help me because I don't want anything to happen to this patient. So I got someone so I went now these are the residents. And this, this patient looked at me and said, I'm sorry, I treated you that way. So for me that was really heartwarming, because I just felt like oh, why am I even here? I'm not wanted. It's almost like Am I really a parasite? Do I have something in me that this person would let me examine them to and I'm gonna be wearing gloves anyway. Right? For the time that way you felt like oh, wow. But then there were times that you felt appreciated. You know, everyone is different. Yes, we say there's racism but it's not everyone. You know that that way right? Some people maybe it was a bad day for him. You know, I would look at the two sides of the story. Maybe it was a bad day for him maybe there was no movie. So

yeah, you know, moving from one city to another, especially with as a family person is challenging as it is and then try moving from one country to another. I can only imagine. So how was that with you your family and your kids? How did you how did you navigate the the whole emotional emotional roller coaster the the everything that comes with moving into a new a new country and and stuff like that?

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: Well, you got to do what you got to do. Right? It's very challenging. You can't You know, I arrived one winter. November was one wintry fall clutch wintry for me. That was winter. It was cold, right. And then you call me or you can walk in your profession. You know, you're struggling, you know, first when I came, I didn't have any papers. So I was like a vehicle then I have to see how I can change my pieces. Right? And then it takes time. Then finally you get to start working. You do whatever you want to do. You have to you have to pay bills. Right. So luckily for me, I'm bilingual. So I worked in call centers in one child. So for telemarketing. So we're selling different products. Right. And, you know, with telemarketing, you have to meet up with the sales. Yeah, I just have to make sure that when I know that I'm getting fired, I quit. So that was the goal. When you know that you're getting fired, because you're testing them going to the board. They don't tell you anything, they just come and they coach you the thing, try this strategy, try this strategy. So one day you come a little late from work where you've just gone to another Interview Preparation

you know, it's, it's so funny because I worked in a call center as a collection officer. Oh, that's one of that's one of my I would say my very first job different jobs I got in Canada first I work at Tim Hortons you know, though there was a Tim Hortons nearby my where I lived. And I was just walking past one day and I saw a sign it helped me did I walk right in, I'm like, gosh, I haven't daughter, I haven't gotten back home that needs to be taken care of. I have no time to be picking and choosing jobs here. In Canada, not at that time, we'll come back for now, at this entry level, anything goes as long as it's legal. It's not against my values. I will do it if it means I'm gonna clean the streets. So was that kind of like a mindset to or you were picky and kind of like

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: training Come on, that is a beggar has no choice. dollars to build, you know, I need to eat right now I want someone when you know, I had a friend we used to do that together. When I see her name coming down, my name coming down. We're like tomorrow calling you will come in a little bit late to go to the next call center. We'll do the interview complete. And then by lunchtime when we say our name is going down we go for lunch. And

it's it's so amazing how we're laughing about these things, you know, that? That at that time? It was almost like, there were there were tears, right? There were moments that I believe it's exactly like you. But there were moments that I'll be I'll be crying. Right. I'm like, This is not that this is not what I envision. This is not what I thought it was going to look like. So so how did how are your kids able to transition as well when it was difficult for them? Or were they like kids? No kids, they easily makes friends. So how was it? Yeah, no,

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: they just said, Well, you know, the kids are born in Canada. Right? Oh, okay. Yeah, they born in Canada, the oldest came a little late born in Cameroon. So it was quite an adjustment for her. But the other two they were born in Canada, so they just said just fine. Right? But man that's coming as an immigrant, right? Oh, say the best time I had was really working in a factory like that was my my highest paid job. My

Oh, you did.

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: I was putting stickers on the back of plastic containers that was eight hours maybe paid $17 or 16, then you're talking the late 90s, early 2000s of good money. But the issue was I had to be fast not to call the queue. Because you have to move fast. Because if not everybody just signs and all their hands like Hurry up, you're holding the queue, you're like, Oh, wow.You have to beg somebody they have to stop the queue.

You know that? It's so um, are you such an inspiration? You know, you search and look at you like, who even tell who tell that. You went through you worked in a factory you worked as a call center salesperson, and all of that. They look at look at you today. Look at what this everything and and that is why sometimes I always say to people, it's not about where you come in from. It's not about where you started. How you started, is where you had it. It's all about where you're headed. If you have a vision you have your dream. Exactly. Sitting at home hoping that that dream will fall on your lap. You are joking. You have to start somewhere. Right? So imagine you now I mean you You are the Medical Director. Hello like Hello, Brighton. They look at how you look at how your journey was looking how you started. And I'm really hoping that someone listening to us will be inspired someone who probably they just came and maybe coming from wherever they're coming. They will Already some body something. You know, a lot of times you hear immigrants said, I sold everything to come to Canada. You know, I gave up everything and look at it. I don't even know, you know, but I always said to them, you are starting, there's always a start point. Exactly. Yeah, you're in a completely different country. You don't expect to, to move from here, from wherever you're coming from under your lanyard. Some people do that. In some cases, you have to like, say to yourself, This is my new reality. I know where I'm headed to. Um, this is what is available for now. I'm gonna do it. But then I still know where I'm going. So how did that great Yes, I

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: mean, that great. I tell people, wherever you are. If you're learning for me, I learned perseverance, patience, working in the call center, pick up people in thoughts, you people will say things to you. I learned teamwork working in a factory, because if you're not there, it's slowed down the queue. Right. So it's so important. And when I was in the call center, that was, you know, all the training that they do in the call center, the customer service. I use it till today. I know when somebody's getting a text, from my training from the call center, I know that I cannot raise my voice. I cannot be on that same level like them because they're going to class. But I have to go to bring my tone of voice down to wherever you are. You you learn and you might feel like you're stuffing them. I feel like you're struggling, but it's preparing you for greater things to come. That's one advice. I want to throw it out there.

That's so amazing. It's kind of like refines your your mannerism, the training. I remember one time I was on. And I had I had called this this individual, and it was there Friday night. And he answers the phone. And he said, What did you say your name is again? I said Grace said guys go get a life. He said, Please grace, go and get a live. Show my girlfriend? I my friends having fun. On a Friday night? Are you a word on a phone calling asking for? I'm like, it was so fun. And I laughed about it. But as you rightly say, it teaches you patience. It teaches you teamwork. It teaches you it teaches you to create space for other people. Yeah, right. Even the way you even the way you you talk to people, you're it's a foundation. It teaches us a lot manners and all kinds of things. So I like that you throw that out. So how did all of this shift your perspective on life, uh, your goals and everything.

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: You know, the audit, as I said earlier on, it prepared me where I am today, I have been the bad days, I've seen where I barely had nothing. I've seen where you can either at the cash to pay grocery, which your fingers crossed, and you waiting for the town of thinking like that is gone through, right? And then now you're able to afford. So because of that, I know that there are still people out there that need the support. So if I'm able to reach out for someone I will reach out without even with some time. Because you know what, I've been there. And I'm hoping that those who've gone through challenges, and they finally find themselves in a comfortable way, you know, to share with others, what are you sharing your own experiences, because I don't want people to make go through the same struggles that I went through, I'm gonna give them all the tools. I'm gonna give them all the support that they need. And that's why right now I mentor a lot of international trained doctors, you know, because it's so important because I believe in mentorship, I have mentors along the way. And even now in my leadership role. I have mentors that I talked to, you know, because I just think it's important, we look at things differently. And somebody who's been somewhere before you, you know, who have more experience and knew they're able to guide you to say, Okay, well, this is the way I would address this situation. Absolutely. Right. So it's so important to have a mentor, whatever you do, or a coach, right. It's just so it's important to have one who will bring you back to your to reality and say, Hey, you messed up, you know, pick up, keep going. Yeah,

it's so amazing that you said that because one of my Episode that I did I spoke about meant a coach, having a coach. And the analogy I used was, imagine you go into somewhere, you're going somewhere for the first time, you've never been there before. And then you get up, pack your bags, and you said, I'm just gonna figure this whole thing out all by myself, you might eventually get there. But with so much suffering and struggle, and and all those things, and pain and waste of time, waste of money, and all of those things. However, when you have someone who can guide, you can hold your hand and said, This is the way because I have walked this path before. So I can confidently take you through this path. It's just amazing. You know, so it's amazing that you said that. So Dr. Yvonne? Imagine someone is listening to us someone who probably they just moved. They just made a big move. And they're like, woof, I didn't expect it to be this difficult. I didn't I didn't bargained for this. I didn't know that this is how it's gonna be like, What? What can you say to that person? Being someone who have gone through something like that?

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: Yeah, I'll tell them to keep pride aside. People suffer because of pride. And the example I'll give it for me, I use the food bank. And I'm never ashamed to say I use the food bank. And I'll never be ashamed to say that. And so because that report is there is there for you. Right? There are other organizations that can help you with clothing, they can help you. Some companies like during Christmas time, they can give you like a basket of food baskets, or gift baskets. Sometimes it's money, make use of all of that, take advantage of it, because why it's travel when you have done the surface. Right? So if someone new come from like, oh, have you heard about Value Village? Have you heard about Goodwill? Have you heard about this organization that can give you this and that at the food bank? And like, Hey, keep pride aside. Make it I know it back home, we all believe it or only beggars and things like that. But you know what, even here you can be financially stable, and something comes rocks your boat or to the ground? Where are you? What

are you gonna do? You lose the job? You need to eat?

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: Right aside and take advantage of those resources. At the end of the day, you're not competing with anyone else. You're taking care of you and your family.

Absolutely, you had Dr. Yvonne key pride aside, I use this I use the food bank as well. As a matter of fact, the food bank was so helpful to me to the point that I asked them if I could volunteer way of giving back because the form was so helpful. And I was so grateful that I had to approach the manager and as I say, cannot do you need a volunteer staff? Because I am she was like, absolutely. And I volunteered there for months. Right. Good. So keep Brian aside. Yes. Use the support system. We are in a country that there's a lot a lot of support out there. We are in Canada there's so much available for for people with a new immigrants, whether it's people who are going through just going through financial difficulties. There are all of these supports available all of these resources. Take advantage of the use it Dr. Yvonne said key pride aside. One One last word.

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: One I'm not used to one word.

Okay, one last sentence.

Dr. Yvonne Kangong: Better. One last sentence. Keep going. Resilient, keep keep pushing, you're gonna fall back, get up. Get up and keep going. And when you get to a position that you can, you're able to provide for yourself and others or when you get to a position where you achieve your goals for somebody else. And leave them up and show them the way show them the way. What I see sometimes people get to a certain position and they don't want others to get to where they are. They want them to struggle. Why? Why would you want someone to struggle when you pass going through that path? Please? Let's put an end to that. And let's support each other. There's enough out there for everyone. Absolutely. There

is enough out there for everyone. That was the amount Easy Dr. Yvonne Kangong you know put pride aside, there is help. You don't have to go through a by yourself there is support, you can reach out to me Providence guide.com There are a lot of resources. Everything is available if you are new in Canada, or you just moved you just made a big move with by yourself with your family. And these are rough. They don't really have to be there is so much available. If you go online, you will see information. So reach out to the next person, talk to someone because there will be someone there who has the information that you're looking for, again, is to get rid of it and you can find me at Providence guide.com. Any day anytime. Have an amazing time. See you next week. Bye