Dominique de Waard
Dominique de Waard is a 2nd-Year Resident in Cardiac Surgery at Dalhousie University. She joined the CHAT community in 2017 as a medical student while working on a project that looked at the effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy in women. This trial, Cardiac Resynchronization in Women: A Substudy of the Resynchronization-Defibrillation for Ambulatory Heart Failure Trial, was ultimately published in the JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology Journal in 2019. During her educational experience, she recognized the potential for change that research provides as well as the positive impact on patients.
“Throughout my undergraduate degree and medical school, I had many research opportunities which helped broaden my knowledge and allowed me to explore different types of research”, Dominique says. “As a CHAT trainee, I was awarded a CANet Travel Award, which provided me with the opportunity to attend a national research meeting and present our research. I met many CHAT members during the conference who were all welcoming and supportive. I also attended a CANet Annual Scientific Conference where I was touched by the involvement of patients and family members. It was inspiring to hear their stories and highlighted the importance of advancing research.”
“I have had an interest in research since my early undergraduate days where I was inspired by researchers at a local children’s hospital. With a focus on quality improvement and an eagerness to explore new areas of research, I plan to pursue a master’s during my residency that is focused on implementation science and qualitative research.”
Outside of cardiac surgery and research, Dominique has a passion for gardening. She explains that there is nothing more peaceful than tending to her plants for a few hours a week or as exciting as watching a new flower bloom.