Voke Ewhrudjakpor has always had a keen eye for problems that need solving.
When the fourth-year member of Woodsworth College was teaching a STEM workshop at Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, she learned about one of their most pressing societal issues: “I’d talk to the teachers who lived there, and they’d say it’s really unfortunate that there’s no health care facility within four hours of here — and that we don’t have timely access to specialists.”
It was one of many experiences that inspired her to pursue a career in public health. With its emphasis on the many social factors that affect physical and mental well-being, it’s a passion she’s held for a long time.
In particular, Ewhrudjakpor is interested in global health — or “public health abroad” — which is why she chose to study at U of T.
“U of T was one of the only schools in the country that offers a global health program, so I set my sights on studying here,” she says. “Having grown up in Winnipeg, I also saw it as an opportunity to do something away from home.” In June, she’ll graduate as a global health specialist with a minor in immunology.
When she entered U of T in 2021 as a National Scholar, U of T’s most prestigious award for high school students entering the university, Ewhrudjakpor sought activities that would set her on her chosen path. One of the things she’s most interested in is supporting the ambitions of other aspiring Black medical students.
To that end, she’s serving this year as co-president of Black Doctors of Tomorrow. Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2025, the organization is dedicated to helping students prepare for careers in medicine and associated health care fields. Activities include peer mentorship, workshops, advocacy, outreach and sourcing research opportunities.
Their work is much needed: while 5.5 per cent of Ontario’s population identifies as Black, Black doctors continue to be severely under-represented in the workforce. Further, Ewhrudjakpor says that aspiring Black health care practitioners face many obstacles.
“The whole pre-med situation in general can be very alienating to a lot of Black students,” she says. “So essentially, our aim is firstly to create a community — to bring the group together and create an environment that is welcoming and inclusive. And to create a space where they can share in that process with each other, while learning about resources and opportunities that are available to them.”
I come from a family that has always been involved in the community, and I found that when I got to university it was really hard to find time to volunteer. I think that’s something that future physicians and health care practitioners should be well versed in. So I started a partnership with the Fort York Food Bank — we now send a pair of volunteers once or twice each week to help set up the food bank, and clean up for the next day when they open it up to community members.
Over the last few years, Ewhrudjakpor and her colleagues have organized several significant events. These have included a Black undergraduate pre-health and research conference, held in conjunction with York and Toronto Metropolitan University. Last year, they convened a presentation and fireside chat which highlighted the opportunity gap for Black STEM students in the human biology department, and identified ways to better support students in the program.
Ewhrudjakpor also initiated a collaboration with the Fort York Food Bank.
“I come from a family that has always been involved in the community, and I found that when I got to university it was really hard to find time to volunteer. I think that’s something that future physicians and health care practitioners should be well versed in.
“So I started a partnership with the Fort York Food Bank — we now send a pair of volunteers once or twice each week to help set up the food bank, and clean up for the next day when they open it up to community members.”
A top student, Ewhrudjakpor believes in paying her success forward. She currently acts as a chemistry tutor with the Victoria College peer tutoring program. And she’s spent considerable time tutoring student athletes through the Academic Support for Athletes Program (ASAP), the formal academic support program for Varsity Blues student-athletes.
As a team captain on the Varsity Blues track and field team, she’s acutely aware of the challenges involved in balancing schoolwork and athletics. She competes in shot put and weight throw: it’s an indoor event that is similar to hammer throw, which takes place outdoors.
There are such a wide variety of topics in this field that interest me. Having a background in public health has really informed the way that I want to practice medicine, through a very inclusive and culturally competent lens.
“The team is also extremely supportive. They always tell you that you are a student first, so if there’s a practice you can’t make because you need to study or have a test, they’re extremely accommodating with that.”
Of course, her own superior time management skills have been key to her success: not only in fulfilling her obligations in the areas of athletics and academia, but in extracurricular activities such as conducting research at the Hospital for Sick Children.
“I’m someone who is very meticulous with my schedule and my planning; there is no block of time on my schedule that is not accounted for,” she says. “I’ve been that way since high school — I’ve always been a very busy person.”
Right now, Ewhrudjakpor is looking toward a health care career that ideally will see her deeply engaged in public and/or global health, possibly working with organizations such as the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders.
It’s a vision of health care that stresses the whole person, and demonstrates that non-medical factors, such as access to services, should always be considered when seeking to improve human wellbeing.
“There are such a wide variety of topics in this field that interest me,” she says. “Having a background in public health has really informed the way that I want to practice medicine, through a very inclusive and culturally competent lens.”