About

Kala Draney

Kala Draney is a alumna of the Food, Nutrition, and Health program, and is currently studying in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. She is from Skeetchestn, which is of the Secwepemc nation.

What are three adjectives that describe you?

Anxious, open-minded, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Why did you choose the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS)?

I chose LFS because since I could remember I was always interested in health, more specifically in nutrition. Before transferring to UBC I did my first two years of university in general sciences at a different school. This period solidified my desire to pursue a degree related to nutrition. LFS was my top choice because it offered a variety of courses that interested me and were unique among other Canadian universities.

How did your studies in Food Nutrition and Health Prepare you to be a medical student and a health professional?

This background gave me solid foundation of the primary sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics. This program was also more flexible compared to the dietetics program, which gave me opportunities to explore my other interests through my electives such as psychology. What I value most about this program is that it provided an opportunity to gain understanding of the importance of nutrition and a holistic view on health. All together, this degree has helped me understand the biomedical model of health and the importance of other aspects of medicine such as nutrition or mental health. My aim is to utilize my knowledge of nutrition and holistic health to help improve people’s well being and access to healthcare.