Personal Career Portfolio
Ibrahim Raja
Fifth-Year Health Sciences Co-op Student
University of Waterloo
Where medicine meets innovation.
I am interested in how clinical care, technology, and advocacy can come together to make healthcare more accessible.
Understanding the system → Discovering the possibilities → Advocating for change
About me
Finding My Direction
I am a fifth-year Health Sciences student at the University of Waterloo. Co-op placements added a year to my degree, but they also gave me the chance to explore my interests beyond the classroom. I entered university torn between computer science and healthcare. Although I chose Health Sciences, I never lost my interest in building things with technology.
Through emergency medicine research, cardiac rehabilitation, and primary care research, I have learned that healthcare problems do not always have straightforward clinical solutions. Some relate to geography, others to technology, and others to whether someone can access consistent care. Each experience has helped me understand the kind of work I hope to pursue.
Three co-op placements
Experiences That Shaped Me
01 / Understanding inequity
Mount Sinai Hospital
Emergency Medicine Research
During my first co-op, I worked on a time-motion study observing emergency physicians across Ontario. Visiting northern hospitals, including Timmins, showed me how limited local resources could require patients to travel or be transferred to larger centres. I began to understand how geography can shape the care someone receives, even before they meet a physician.
→ Led me to: Advocacy
02 / Connecting technology and medicine
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Program Assistant
At a cardiac rehabilitation program linked to Milton Cardiac Care, I helped onboard patients and prepare information for physicians. I also programmed a calculator using the Framingham formula to estimate ten-year cardiovascular risk. This showed me that I did not have to choose between medicine and technology. I could use both to build tools that support patients and healthcare professionals.
→ Led me to: Digital health
03 / Learning to advocate
Sunnybrook Hospital
Primary Care Research
My final co-op gave me more responsibility, from preparing ethics materials to developing questions and interviewing patients. Many patients at the clinic did not have family doctors, and some were newcomers navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system. Listening to them showed me that research should do more than identify problems. It should help inform practical solutions.
→ Led me to: Patient-centred solutions
What guides me
My Core Values
01
Advocacy
Living with a chronic condition has helped me understand how intimidating seeking care can feel. My work at Sunnybrook reinforced the importance of advocating for people whose needs might otherwise be overlooked.
02
Empathy
Volunteering and service have taught me to question my assumptions and consider other perspectives. I believe understanding someone’s circumstances is essential before trying to find a solution.
03
Growth
I struggled when I first began learning French. Rather than give up, I practised with friends and sought extra learning opportunities. That experience reinforced my belief in persistence, reflection, and continuous improvement.
Career interests
Chronic Disease Prevention & Digital Health
I am particularly interested in cardiovascular and metabolic health, especially among populations disproportionately affected by chronic disease. As someone from a South Asian background, these issues feel personal. I hope to explore how mobile health technologies can support healthier habits, improve prevention, and address barriers faced by underserved communities.
Where I hope to go
Looking Ahead
Co-op & research —— Medical school —— Clinician-innovator
01 / Next 1–3 years
Short-Term Goal
Over the next one to three years, I hope to enter medical school while continuing to pursue research and advocacy opportunities. I want to develop my clinical understanding while learning from mentors, communities, and new experiences.
02 / In 10–15 years
Long-Term Goal
I hope to become a clinician-innovator who combines medicine and technology to address problems within healthcare, developing interventions and digital tools grounded in patients’ actual needs, particularly in chronic disease prevention and healthcare accessibility.
Closing Reflection
I no longer see healthcare and technology as competing career paths. My experiences have shown me how combining them, while listening to the people they serve, can create opportunities for meaningful change.
Ibrahim Raja
University of Waterloo · © 2026
Hospital corridor photo: Tasha Kostyuk on Unsplash.
