“It’s hard to say now because I haven’t experienced too much in the field of medicine,” said Pancyr about choosing a specialty. “Right now, I’d like to become a family physician, stay in Saskatoon and work with programs like Station 20 West and SWITCH.”

Pancyr has already worked with both Station 20 West and the Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health (SWITCH). She was a member of a course offered for the first time this year at the U of S, the dynamics of community involvement. It was taught by Nancy Van Styvendale in the Department of English. As part of that class, Pancyr worked for Station 20 West to create and distribute a survey. She plans to continue volunteering for them over the summer as they work to give the public more information about the project as well as to solicit feedback from the community.

“The class allowed me to get out into the community and get some practical experience from things learned in the classroom,” said Pancyr. She has also volunteered at the Royal University Hospital for the past three years, gaining as much hands-on experience as possible in her chosen field.

Pancyr said that volunteering is a great way to get involved in a specific area and find out if it is really right for you, because the reality of the job might differ from classroom learning. She said that she was also driven by her volunteer work. “Getting involved in the community and getting practical experience is a great motivating factor. Seeing the benefit for others is great.”