The MacCast Unconventional — Dilshan Pieris

By the time Dilshan Pieris (MSc. ’19, BHSc. ’17) was in his fourth year of his undergrad in Health Sciences, he was a member of several student clubs that blended art and wellness to enhance the lives of vulnerable populations. It was also in his fourth year that he discovered the Health Education program, which led him to realize that he could figure out a career that combined his passion for art and music with his dedication to helping grow healthy communities.

“I had a vague idea since high school, that I wanted to go in to med school. But that’s as far as the master plan went,” says Dilshan. “It is very much figuring things out as I go.”

Having figured out how to navigate what he calls a black box of a career journey, he is proudly now a medical student at the University of Toronto. As he continues to look forward and think about the future, Dilshan says he often thinks of developing a practice that combines music, poetry, and fine arts with medicine to enhance wellness.

McMaster has more than 210,000 alumni living in 140 countries around the world, and they are some of the most amazing people you would ever want to meet. The Unconventional podcast will introduce some of our alumni who are working — in the arts, as cutting-edge entrepreneurs, leading the way in health, education, technology and more — to make our world a brighter place in their own unique way. Download the latest episode, or catch up if you’ve missed one, on Apple, Spotify, or Soundcloud.