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Dr. Susanna Martin, a paediatrician with a passion for medical education, is enjoying a retirement in Saskatoon filled with travel and hikes with her family — but not even retirement can keep her away from the classroom entirely.

Throughout her long career, Dr. Martin has always been drawn to teaching. You can still find her each week at the University of Saskatchewan challenging and delivering insights to future physicians as an associate professor of paediatrics.

“I developed a real passion for teaching medicine, not only when it comes to clinical practice but other important skills as well, such as communication with patients and families around difficult topics,” she states. “It’s a privilege to pass on my knowledge, imparting my love of paediatrics to learners, and watching them grow.”

In fact, Dr. Martin, who earned her medical degree at McGill University and established her first paediatric practice in Grand Falls-Windsor, Nfld., moved to Saskatoon largely to pursue this passion. As a University of Saskatchewan faculty member, she held diverse roles including paediatric residency program director, undergraduate clerkship director and course director of a new clinical skills course, before leading assessment throughout the undergraduate program.

She says her approach to teaching, which she continually honed through conferences and courses, is hands-on: “Medical students have to be involved in their own education and be able to access as many experiences as possible, learn from their mistakes and gain confidence in their abilities.”

Early in her training, Dr. Martin had the opportunity to work in paediatrics — and it didn’t take long for her to be drawn to the specialty.

“Right off the bat, I loved working with kids,” she says. “I found it so rewarding and I felt it was a privilege and honour for parents to put their trust in you.”

She learned that the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre was having trouble keeping a paediatrician on staff. In her last year of medical school at McGill, Dr. Martin worked there on several occasions. She recalls feeling drawn to the sense of community and the friendly people she met, and she and her husband decided to move to Newfoundland, where she launched her Grand Falls-Windsor practice.

Treating children and teenagers is a special experience, Dr. Martin says, and to this day many patients stay in her thoughts. Some made indelible impacts on her, such as those she stayed with through their end-of-life care. “They had so much to teach me through the challenges that they and their families were facing.” 

Dr. Martin joined the MD Physician Council in 2024, as another way to help make a difference in the lives of Canada’s physicians and trainees. She recognizes there is an overall urgent need to tackle health and well-being for medical professionals, and that alleviating financial stress can have considerable impact.

Having taught medicine for decades, Dr. Martin feels there is room for financial knowledge and awareness to be embedded in curriculum.

“When I was a student, there was so much to learn, from personal planning to business options such as incorporation or employment contracts as opposed to fee-for-service,” she says. “There was little emphasis on financial planning, and I think it continues to be that way.”

Dr. Martin brings to the MD Physician Council unique perspectives stemming from her experiences working under various practice models which changed during her career. Certainly, her perspectives will be essential in determining how best to support trainees and recent graduates.