Students, instructors and guests gathered at RRC Polytech’s Roundhouse on Feb. 26 for RED Talks Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHPs) an evening designed to help learners build confidence using English while discussing topics related to working in Canada’s health-care system. 

Hosted by the Centre for Newcomer Integration (CNI), the event featured short presentations from internationally educated health professionals followed by small-group discussions at each table. The format allowed students to listen, reflect and practise speaking in a supportive environment. 

The speakers’ stories — honest reflections on the challenges and progress involved in rebuilding a career in a new country — created a sense of shared experience in the room. Students recognized parts of their own journeys in the stories and used the discussions to share perspectives and practise communicating with classmates. 

Jesse Friesen served as master of ceremonies, guiding the evening and introducing speakers who shared personal stories about rebuilding their careers after arriving in Canada. 

Jason Zhang, a pharmacist trained in China, shared how communication became the missing piece in his journey to becoming licensed in Canada. After initially failing the final practical exam, he realized the challenge was not knowledge, but confidence in speaking with patients and colleagues. 

“Everyone builds their own puzzle,” he said. “Some are faster, some are slower, and both are okay. It’s always the small pieces that make the big picture.” 

Nabila Fertassi, who trained as a physician in Morocco, spoke about rebuilding professional identity after moving to Canada and encouraged students to stay connected to their purpose. 

“Each of you holds a shared purpose” she said. “to rise above challenges to seek knowledge with determination and to turn that learning into hope, growth, and possibility.” 

She also emphasized that perseverance is easier with the support of others, including family members, classmates and colleagues who understand the challenges of starting a professional journey in a new country. 

“No one can do this alone,” Fertassi said. “We need supportive partners, friends who encourage us and colleagues we can learn from. Together, we can achieve goals that seem impossible alone.”  

Laila Souto Rodrigues, a registered nurse originally from Brazil, spoke about the importance of focusing on small steps while working toward a larger goal. 

“I didn’t need to see the top of the staircase,” she told the audience. “I just needed to focus on the next step.” 

She described how simple actions, such as changing her phone to English, watching television in English and volunteering in health care, helped her gradually build the communication skills needed to continue her nursing career in Manitoba. 

Throughout the evening, students discussed the speakers’ messages at their tables and shared their own experiences navigating language, education and professional pathways in Canada. 

The event also included a master class led by CNI instructors Cheryl Jerome, Mary Brychka, and Amy Armstrong. The session demonstrated what classes in CNI’s Health English programming are like, highlighting how communication training is tailored to real world health-care situations and how effective communication can lead to better outcomes for both patients and health-care providers. 

The event was organized by a CNI team led by Debbie Kroeker, Chair Occupation Language in Health-care, and Aigerim Kassymova, Strategic Coordinator, with support from Mary Brychka, IEHP instructor, and other members of the CNI working group.