Physicians Making An Impact: Dr. Jamaica Cass

Dr. Jamaica Cass is the Indigenous Health Lead with the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine.

When Dr. Jamaica Cass started medical school, one thing became clear very quickly. “Of 200 students in my class, I was the only one who identified as Indigenous,” she says.

The opportunity to address this lack of representation is one thing that inspired Dr. Cass to work with TMU’s School of Medicine. Another is TMU’s approach to building the new school. “The position posting strongly stated that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion values and a commitment to Reconciliation would be foundational to the School of Medicine,” she says. “TMU has been deliberate and intentional about their work, and about involving Indigenous voices as early as possible so they can try to do things right from the beginning.”

As Indigenous Health Lead, Dr. Cass ensures that supports recommended by national Indigenous Educational bodies are woven into the School of Medicine from the start. She also works closely with the school’s Indigenous Communities Council (ICC) to co-create policies and procedures, such as a values statement around Reconciliation and Indigenous Health. “I bring everything to them for their input and strategic guidance,” she says.

Dr. Cass’s love of working with others is what drives her; it’s also what inspired her to become a doctor. Before attending medical school, she earned her PhD from Queen's University in breast cancer molecular biology and worked in health research. “I’ve always been interested in disease and my research reflected that, but I missed interacting with people,” she says. “I didn’t want to sit by myself all day.” Dr. Cass also wanted a career where she could make a more immediate impact. “When you discover something in research, it can be 10 years until it becomes useful in clinical practice,” she says.

A member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Turtle Clan, Dr. Cass now practices Indigenous Health as a primary care physician on-reserve at Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Her clinic’s interprofessional care model includes nursing, health coaching, wound care, traditional healing and adult mental health support. “Working together, my colleagues and I can provide really, really good holistic care,” she says. “I work with a vulnerable and complex population, and this model provides me the time with my patients to explain things in detail, like exactly why I’m asking them to take a new medication.”

Providing longitudinal and education-focused primary care is one of the most rewarding parts of Dr. Cass’s job. “I love being a part of my patients’ journeys,” she says. “I also love the opportunity to make sure they fully understand their care. For many diabetes patients, for example, no one has ever explained to them what the numbers on their chart mean.” Having experienced the success of interprofessional care firsthand, Dr. Cass is enthusiastic about the School of Medicine’s focus on equipping the physicians of the future with the skills to develop interprofessional healthcare networks. “It will be great to see this approach in operation on a significantly larger scale,” she says.

What has Dr. Cass found most rewarding about her work with the School of Medicine? “All of it, really,” she says. “I’m working with an amazing, collegial team that genuinely takes all opinions into consideration.” She has also sincerely appreciated seeing the realization of the School of Medicine’s foundational commitments, particularly around Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. “It really speaks to the integrity of the team that has been recruited thus far,” Dr. Cass says.

Doctors who identify as Indigenous represent less than 1% of physicians in Canada today. Through her work with the School of Medicine, Dr. Cass is committed to changing that. “I want doctors like me to see themselves represented.”