Helping hand

An important moment that would shape the future of Mahwash Saeed [B.Sc./06, MD/10] took place when she was a thirdyear medical student at UM. She was on her first rotation and was caring for a patient with uterine cancer. The patient developed a pulmonary embolism and passed away.

The patient’s sister thanked Saeed for being kind and available. She told Saeed to never lose that part of herself as she moved forward in her career.

“It’s something I try to remember all the time,” says Saeed, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine. “That moment has really helped me not become jaded.”

Saeed, who joined UM as a faculty member in 2016, is a cardiologist at St. Boniface Hospital and runs a clinic where she sees patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). She is one of only two physicians in Winnipeg – and only a handful in Canada – who specialize in POTS, a disease that mainly occurs in younger women and causes a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue after standing up.

“For many years, a lot of people brushed POTS off as a fake diagnosis,” says Saeed, who grew up in Thompson, Man. “When they see me, these patients are so happy to finally be validated and to have a doctor who’s willing to help them.”

Helping people feel better is what inspired Saeed to become a physician in the first place. As a child, she often saw the doctor and was once admitted to the hospital with sepsis.

“I loved how the doctors and nurses worked so hard to make people feel better. I wanted to do the same,” says Saeed, who also completed her residency in internal medicine and a cardiology fellowship at UM. She is currently pursuing her master of health professions education at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Supporting students

Not only does Saeed improve patients’ lives, she also helps guide and support students through medical school at the Max Rady College of Medicine.

Since 2024, she has served as assistant dean of undergraduate medical education (UGME) student affairs, a role she was attracted to because she enjoys communicating with others. In this position, her duties include career counselling and helping students with both professional and personal issues.

“I’ve had students go through family emergencies, learners who struggled to pass exams despite being excellent clinically, and students who have endured illness all walk across the stage to get their degrees. It’s so rewarding to see them thriving as new physicians,” says Saeed, who previously served as a course director and director of curriculum with UGME.

Saeed credits her passion for mentorship to those who helped guide her and the culture at UM’s medical college. One professor who stood out was Keevin Bernstein [MD/78], a nephrologist who encouraged Saeed and gave her the confidence to pursue her goals.

“The people at UM are kind,” she says. “Colleagues are willing to open their office door to you. They are willing to give you advice and to help you form that professional identity for yourself. I don’t know if I would have received that anywhere else.”