Prescription for leadership

By Danica Hidalgo Cherewyk

A Carribean cruise unexpectedly changed the course of Dr. Margo McCrae’s [B.Sc.(Pharm.)/09] career.

After a stop in the Cayman Islands, the UM pharmacy alum returned to Winnipeg and found herself researching hospitals and applying for jobs there.

She joined Doctors Hospital in George Town, Cayman Islands, as a hospital pharmacist in 2013. In March 2026, she became the hospital’s first pharmacist appointed as chief executive officer.

McCrae’s path to becoming CEO wasn’t part of her original plan. When she enrolled at UM, she intended to use her pharmacy degree as a stepping stone to medicine.

“I thought having the foundation of being a pharmacist would set me up so well for a career as a physician,” she says.

It wasn’t until McCrae started the program that she realized she had found the right profession.

Shaping the pharmacist

McCrae says one mentor who solidified her path was Dr. Robert Ariano [B.Sc.(Pharm.)/80], her preceptor during a rotation at St. Boniface Hospital and an adjunct professor who continues
to teach in the college.

“Observing how he practiced and seeing how passionate he was – and what a respected expert and critical part of the care team he was – really inspired me,” she says.

Dr. Lavern Vercaigne [B.Sc.(Pharm.)/ 91], who also teaches in the college, was another faculty member she admired.

“Some aspects of pharmacy education can be dry, but he found a way to make it interesting,” she says. “His class was one I was always excited to go to.”

After graduating in 2009, McCrae joined St. Boniface Hospital.

“I learned how interprofessional teams operate in hospitals and what makes that machine work,” she says.

McCrae says the skills she gained through her hospital work and experiential learning opportunities at UM – including a rural placement at a local pharmacy in Boissevain, Man. – proved
invaluable in the Cayman Islands.

“Working in a small community pharmacy taught me a valuable lesson: what it means to really know your patients and to be truly part of the community you serve,” she recalls, adding at St. Boniface she gained an understanding of how every part of a hospital connects.

Leading care in the Cayman Islands

As a member of a small team at Doctors Hospital, McCrae wore many hats. Over time, her responsibilities expanded beyond clinical practice into operations, policy and leadership.

She led the hospital through Joint Commission International accreditation in 2025, a rigorous process that evaluates quality and patient safety across all areas of care.

Today, as CEO, she leads a team of more than 250, including 47 physicians representing 20 specialties.

“We’re expanding our urgent-care capabilities and bringing new services to care for patients with increasingly complex needs,” she says.

'A pharmacist at heart'

McCrae continues to serve on the pharmacy and therapeutics committee.

"I’m always a pharmacist at heart,” she says.

Outside of work, McCrae enjoys taking advantage of the Cayman Islands’ natural beauty through scuba diving, running and beach volleyball.

“Being a pharmacist prepared me for my role as CEO,” she says. “The profession taught me to be detail-oriented, conscientious and a critical thinker. I would choose pharmacy again if I had to do it all over.”