When Amrit Singh sets his mind on an academic goal, he usually achieves it. So, when he zeroed in on winning the Governor General’s Silver Medal for 2024, odds were good he’d win it.

It took a ton of work to achieve the highest standing in an undergraduate degree program, but Singh did what he set out to do with an overall GPA of 4.27.

“I heard of it a long time ago and I’ve been wanting to win it for quite a while.”

Singh is graduating with a Bachelor of Science  (biology major) from the Pre-Medicine/Pre-Veterinary concentration program. Choosing a career in medicine, he says, was inspired by watching his dad navigate the health care system. His father was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2019. From that experience, Singh identified significant gaps in knowledge, research, and infrastructure.

“I realized there’s a lot of pain, and the job for someone in that profession should be to minimize pain and maximize comfort for patients and their families,” Singh said. “That’s why I want to do it. I’ve felt that side and I don’t want other people to feel what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations my family went through.”

Singh emerged from the experience with a keen interest in oncology — the study, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of cancer. As he carries on to med school and chooses a specialty, that’s one possibility.

“I want to better understand how it (cancer) works and figure out exactly what happened to my father.”

Whatever specialty he runs with, Singh eventually hopes to have his own clinic in the Fraser Valley.

“It’s always been a dream of mine, to work on a more personal level with patients,” he says. “Instead of a quick visit to a doctor’s office, I want my clinic to be more of a sit-down, chat-for-an-hour thing where my patients and I work through a problem as a team. I’d love to help people out in our local community, because this area feels like home to me.”

Reflecting on his time at UFV, Singh says he could list dozens of people who’ve made his educational experience a great one, but James Bedard (associate professor, biology), Justin Lee (biology department head and assistant professor) and Nathan Bialas (associate professor, biology) stand out.

“I do wish I could mention more,” he says with a smile. “I could go on and on.”

Singh wants to give special credit to his mother and sister.

“Without their continued support, I would not have received this prestigious award,” he says. “They helped me by not only giving me as much time as I needed for assignments, but also via emotional support, especially during tough periods of the year.”

Singh will have them in mind, and in the audience, when he walks across the stage at Convocation. He’s wondered how that moment will feel.

“I’m planning on taking a gap year, so for the first time since I was five years old, I’m not going to be a student,” he says with a grin. “I think there’s going to be a moment of ‘Is this real? Is this happening?’ and I am expecting a mix of emotions. My time here is something I can never go back to, which is sad in a way, but at the end of the day I’m also proud of what I’ve done and I’m excited about taking the next step.”