About me    

I am Saboor Zeeshan, and 1 am a 19-year-old student athlete pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Health Physiology (2nd year). My main aspiration in life is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon; ever since I was six years old, my grandparents (may they rest in peace) would always bring from overseas, plastic doctor kits a gifts.  I would perform mock surgeries on my family members, not knowing that my main goal in life would be to eventually perform real ones.  I am convinced that a lifestyle in which my earnings are based on my direct assistance of others in vulnerable and life-threatening situations is one of the most direct ways I can honour the piety that my grandparents demonstrated daily. I aim to practice medicine in underserved and underprivileged areas of the world and to provide my assistance to the poverty-stricken, disabled and less fortunate.  Through my career, actions, hospitality, kindness, and sincerity, I want to leave a positive impact on this world and hopefully play my part in bringing about change for the better. 

On the other hand, as a high-level athlete, I aspire one day, either before medical school or during it, to sign with a professional Canadian football team.  I absolutely love the sport of football and have given everything into it over the years, learning a lot about myself and my potential as a member of society.  For sure, at some point in my life, most likely after I retire from a professional medical career, I want to coach youth football.  I want to make an impact on children through sports the way my coaches have done for me; I want to play my part in providing safe environments for our youth, free from drugs, violence, and other societal problems.

This is why, at the University of Calgary, I have chosen a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physiology degree.  Kinesiology was for the most effective way that I found that I could join my love for medicine with my love for football and sports.  I hope to gain a berth in the Cummings School of Medicine after my undergraduate degree to fulfill my lifelong career goals.

 
Volunteering

Pre-medical Internship in Mombasa, Kenya (4 weeks, over 200 hours)

International Medical Aid selected me for their four-week overseas pre-medical internship program.  During my time there, I shadowed doctors, assisted in surgeries, and supported medical professionals in an under-resourced and overcrowded public hospital in Mombasa.  I was active in a chaotic medical environment filled with diseases and illnesses that are not native to Canada, and was helping doctors and physicians with whatever they may need to ensure as many patients received care as possible.  I was also involved in community outreach and mental, menstrual, and hygienic health instruction to underprivileged youth in local schools.  I experienced a keen sense of community and camaraderie upheld by Kenyan youth and layered on my own sense of what it feels like to be part of something bigger than myself.  I have had the extreme honour of understanding my humanitarian and medical potential as well as understanding how to effectively breach culture and language barriers to administer the highest standards of healthcare in any given circumstance.

Patient Experience Volunteer at South Health Campus Hospital (170+ hours)

Selected by the Alberta Health Services as a Patient Experience Volunteer at the South Health Campus Hospital in Calgary. My main task is to assist and give company to predominantly senior inpatients, individuals who may feel loneliness after long periods of time in hospital residence.  I communicate with them in positive and encouraging manners, take them for walks on wheelchairs, and ensure their needs are being met to my capacity as a volunteer. I am also at the disposal of nurses, aiding them in any tasks they require and listening to their requests for whom I should be visiting.  After each visit, I am tasked to write down the specifics of each visit in a unit binder for nurses and volunteer coordinators to consult regarding the nature of certain patients.

Youth Advisory Committee for Sorts Injury Prevention Research Center at University of Calgary (50+ hours)

Selected in high school to join the newly introduced Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) for the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre at the University of Calgary as a Football Representative. Alongside 9 other student-athletes with varying athletic backgrounds, we emphasize the often marginalized youth perspective in sports injury prevention research, an area that is focused heavily on youth despite being dominated by adult researchers. We coordinate and deliver informative presentations to high schools about our research, attend fairs and symposiums representing our research division, create infographics related to research results in ways youth-friendly appeal, and collaborate with senior researchers in grant proposal development by providing adequate feedback and suggestions.

***delivered a TedTalk on this topic available on YouTube (“Tackling Safety Concerns in Youth Contact Sports/Saboor Zeeshan”)

Junior Vice President – Children’s Health – University of Calgary (50+ hours combined)

Selected as Junior Vice President of External Affairs for what will become University of Calgary’s “Club of the Year” in 2025 as a first year undergraduate.  Club vision is to raise funds and awareness for many causes related to children’s health, such as fundraising for the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Believe in Gold (Childhood Cancer) Foundation, etc. As part of the External team, my main goal is to communicate with companies and secure donations for the variety of events that we host, such as raffles, bake sales, etc. After securing funding, I am also responsible with coordinating pick up and drop off of donations in a timely and appropriate manner. I also assist with sales tracking and table management on event days.

Junior Vice President – Hemoglobal Club – University of Calgary (20+ hours)

Selected as Junior Vice President of the Community Outreach for the novel and first ever chapter of Hemoglobal outside of Ontario at the University of Calgary. This organization seeks to raise funds and awareness for individuals with fatal blood disease in south-asian countries. Predominant tasks are to coordinate with Student Union to confirm bookings for our events, outreach to high schools to deliver presentations about the organizations, deliver presentations to high school students about our cause and potentially opening up a subchapter at the high school, and assist with sponsorship and donation acquisition. Moreover, I assist with sales tracking and table management on event days.

Research Assistant – SHRED Concussions Research – University of Calgary (40+ hours)

Recruited as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for concussion prevention research at the University of Calgary. As a Team Lead for high school football and an assistant for wrestling and rugby, my primary task is to facilitate data collection for researchers; this includes reporting tracking injuries of athletes of various teams, managing injury data in highly secure research database, match and practice filming advanced research-based filming techniques, etc. As a team lead, I am also instructed to take a more senior role in bridging data collection with researchers which requires more visits to schools, problem-solving and guiding of other new assistants. Other tasks include conducting baseline concussion tests to athletes before season, delivering presentations to sport teams, maintaining ongoing communication and relations with coaches.

Football Coaching – High School + Jr. Stamps Camp + Raw Camp Lethbridge (50+ hours)

Have done a lot of assistant coaching over the past year; return yearly to my high school to help coach spring camp tryouts. With the Calgary Colts, I volunteer with the Calgary Stampeders organization as a coach at the Jr. Stamps Camp, where I help coach and play football with young children. Additionally, help coach with private football training institution called RAW.

Shaukat Khanum Hospital + Namal University – Calgary Chapter Volunteering (20+ hours)

Involved with a chain of charity-based hospitals and universities being opened in my homeland of Pakistan that provide free healthcare and education to impoverished individuals. Annually host a dinner gala for both hospital and university, and attend the dinners as a volunteer, assisting with table management, gathering donations, nightly itineraries, and more.