Melanie Fontaine in the biology section of the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex
As a pharmacy technician, Fontaine is no stranger to medical environments. It was that exposure that sparked her drive to become a doctor.
“I want to be more involved with patients and their treatment,” says Fontaine, a student in Concordia’s Department of Biology who started at the university in 2013. “That desire prompted me to make a change.”
The Faculty of Arts and Science’s 12th Floor Entrance Bursary in Biology supported that change. The funding covered Fontaine’s tuition for both fall and winter semesters in her first year of study.
“I was crying with joy when I received the letter,” says Fontaine on opening an envelope with Concordia’s shield emblem, which contained the great news.
Fontaine entered the pharmacology field as a technician in 2010, completing a training internship at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Verdun, Que., in 2011. She migrated to the Montreal Children’s Hospital that same year.
“I felt pretty cut off — I was in the basement all day,” says Fontaine of her day-to-day routine at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Her job was to prepare injections and medications for patients.
Without a college diploma, Fontaine entered Concordia as an independent student, working on prerequisites to get into the Department of Biology.
“Concordia admits independent science students who are under 25 years old,” she says. “Other schools I looked at didn’t have that option.”
Fontaine says the school welcomed her with open arms: “Everyone was so attentive and informative.”
A tough transition
Since the age of 15, Fontaine has maintained a 35-hour work week. Scaling back on that was a challenge.
“When you’re in university, you’re earning less — and there are more expenses,” says Fontaine, who pays her own way.
With the increased course load that comes with being a full-time student, Fontaine sliced her hours at the Familiprix in Chambly, Que., where she’s been employed since 2014.
Compounding an already busy schedule is Fontaine’s volunteer work.
“When you apply to med school, community involvement is important,” she says.
Fontaine completed an eight-week volunteer program at the Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre — a long-term care facility in Côte Saint-Luc, Que. — over and above full-time work. She also volunteers with Médecins du Monde, which advocates for equal access to healthcare around the world.
At Concordia, Fontaine was a note taker at the Centre for Students with Disabilities in 2014.
