Class of 2024: Medical student prepares to bring public health to primary care in Southwest Virginia

Name: Lauren “LB” Canary

College: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Major: Medicine

Hometown: Central Maryland

Plans after graduation: Enter medical residency program in family and community medicine at Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke

Favorite Hokie Memory: Match Day when members of the Class of 2024 learned where they will be going for residency, the next phase of their journey to becoming a medical doctor

Canary received a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from Emory University and worked as an infectious disease epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This was followed by a role in public health advocacy as director of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. When applying to medical schools, she was attracted to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine for its commitment to health systems science, the beautiful surroundings of Roanoke, and the supportive culture among faculty.

Breaking down barriers, building up community health

Entering medical school during the COVID-19 pandemic, Canary supported local public health initiatives by volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps to do contact tracing and implementing training for medical students to become certified to administer the vaccine in the community. She partnered with patients, physicians, and community providers to launch the Virginia Hepatitis Coalition, which successfully advocated for the removal of Medicaid prior authorization requirements for hepatitis C treatment.

Canary has been active in the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition, a syringe exchange program located in Roanoke, even bringing a car full of supplies with her when she came to Roanoke for her medical school interview. During her preclinical years, she accompanied various harm reduction participants to emergency room visits and doctor’s appointments.

Canary fostered opportunities for medical students to interact with community members they may not see in the clinic, by inviting them to join her in street outreach and hosting overdose reversal and hepatitis C testing trainings.

“I wanted to be able to help medical students understand what people are facing, how hard it is to get to a doctor’s appointment, and overall start to break down the stigma that has negatively impacted the health care of some of these clients,” she said.

Recently, Canary partnered with Virginia Department of Health District Director and health systems science Professor Cynthia Morrow, Carilion Family Medicine Residency Program Director Mary Beth Sweet, and Danny Clawson, director of the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition and Canary’s wife, to launch an on-site wound care pilot program. The program provides participants with earlier intervention and helps family medicine residents learn more about patients experiencing homelessness and substance use.

Inspiration for a heart of service

Inspired to support those experiencing poverty, in part through her own life experiences, Canary serves on the board of directors of RAM House, a day shelter serving unstably housed residents in Roanoke. As a National Health Service Corps scholar she will continue working with medically underserved patients after her residency program.

Following graduation, Canary will embark on a residency in family and community medicine at Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. She will take the support and guidance of a number of mentors along the way, one in particular is Brian Unwin, professor of internal and family and community medicine and geriatric medicine specialist at Carilion Clinic.

As a physician dedicated to patient care, Unwin often makes house calls to patients who have difficulty getting to him. As part of her family medicine rotation, Canary was able to accompany him on occasion.

“Dr. Unwin is committed to meeting his patients where they are,” Canary said. “He recognizes the benefits of seeing patients in their environment. That’s the kind of doctor I want to be.”

Unwin said, “LB is the kind of human I want to be. She cares about the dignity of every human being and is particularly passionate about the care of the disenfranchised. We are blessed to have her stay in southwest Virginia.”

Leadership and accolades

During medical school, Canary has served on the board of directors for the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians and medical school's curricular committee as it reimagines preclinical training.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to stay engaged and support growth of pipelines for students interested in primary care to stay in Southwest Virginia for residency,” she said.

She also is excited about engaging LGBTQ students in medicine, having created a chapter of the Medical Student Pride Alliance during her time in medical school. As a fourth-year student, she has supported leadership opportunities for first-year students with whom she has launched free LGBTQ youth tutoring, syringe access for trans patients in hormone replacement therapy, and med student community engagement with the Roanoke Diversity Center and Blue Ridge Pride Sports league. During residency, she plans to stay engaged in advising the club and in growing LGBTQ inclusive care in Roanoke.

For her commitment to public health during her medical training Canary was awarded the 2024 United States Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee Excellence in Public Health Award.

Canary has garnered accolades during medical school, including the Medical Society of Virginia Salute to Service award, the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award, and acceptance into the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism honor societies.

Of all her experiences though, Canary notes she is most proud of her role as a caregiver for her mother during her four-year battle with lung cancer. Unfortunately, her mother passed away during Canary’s first months of medical school.

“Having instilled in me a desire to serve those less fortunate, my mother’s spirit will be with me in every step of my career.”