Meet Women's Imaging Fellow Dr. Suzan Razaz
As Canada’s healthcare system has long grappled with gender gaps and disparities, investing in women’s health in all areas of care is crucial to bridging those gaps. This includes training and research, something the University of Toronto’s (UofT) Department of Medical Imaging (MI) offers its Women’s Imaging Fellows like Dr. Suzan Razaz, MD, FRCPC.
Dr. Razaz completed medical schooling at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in her home country of Iran, as well as her residency in diagnostic radiology at the Kerman University of Medical Sciences in Kerman, Iran. After moving to Canada, Dr. Razaz worked as a Research Fellow in the Division of Abdominal Imaging at the Joint Department of Medical Imaging (JDMI) before restarting her education in MI’s Diagnostic Radiology Residency program before getting accepted into the department’s Women’s Imaging Fellowship, which she is currently working in at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
With a passion for science, academics, technology and patient care, Dr. Razaz found the perfect intersection of what was meaningful to her about healthcare in radiology, where she could pursue her love for scientific exploration while caring for others. These main focuses of hers easily transferred into the division of women’s imaging when Dr. Razaz was accepted into MI’s Women’s Imaging Fellowship.
“Something I love about women’s imaging is its direct impact on patient care and wellbeing,” she says. “I also find the multidisciplinary nature of this field fascinating, as it often involves collaboration with various specialists across the continuum of care.”
In her fellowship, Dr. Razaz focuses on abdominal and breast imaging, which has kept her busy with a range of pathologies, high volumes of cases, diverse procedural opportunities and engaging multidisciplinary rounds, challenges she’s been successfully navigating. The continuous technological advancements in medical imaging – and keeping up with them – have also been a rewarding challenge for Dr. Razaz.
“Keeping up with the technology is crucial to providing patients with the most accurate diagnoses and effective treatment plans,” she says. She also stresses the existing disparities in women’s imaging, explaining how “addressing disparities in access to breast imaging services and promoting awareness of the importance of the service among underserved populations are both ongoing challenges in the field.”
Dr. Razaz’s acute awareness of healthcare gaps for underserved populations and her empathy for patients has made women’s imaging a rewarding experience, particularly in her ability to detect early breast cancer through mammography. “Providing patients with reassurance through accurate diagnoses can be profoundly rewarding,” she explains.
Looking forward, Dr. Razaz is excited to apply the comprehensive skills and knowledge she’s gained during her fellowship to enhance patient care. Overall, Dr. Razaz continues to keep patients and their care, from early detection to diagnosis to treatment, at the forefront of her work in medical imaging.