Cailean Dakota MacColl Honors Family Roots and Resilience at Graduation

From the Inspiration of Her Father and Sister to a Successful Match in Brooklyn

Following the University of Minnesota Medical School commencement on May 1, new Duluth campus graduate Cailean Dakota MacColl is reflecting on a journey that was guided by a deep family legacy of service and a profound personal commitment to advocacy. A member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, MacColl grew up with a unique perspective on the medical field. Her father was the first Métis surgeon in Saskatchewan, and his influence was a constant presence in her early life. "I was very privileged to grow up to know that a hospital was a safe place," MacColl said. "I spent a lot of time in his office. I used to watch the surgeries he would do, since he was a laparoscopic surgeon, they were all recorded."

Despite these early roots, MacColl’s path to her own medical degree was not straightforward. It was a family crisis that ultimately clarified her calling. When her sister became ill and struggled to navigate the healthcare system, MacColl stepped in as her primary supporter. "My sister needs an advocate, I have the energy to do so, I better do that for her," she realized. This experience, coupled with the influence of healers in her family, set her on a new course. "It was the combination of those traditional medicine people in the family, my dad being one of the first MD-trained Native people in Saskatchewan, and also my own pathway of just finding what that meant for me," MacColl said.

Throughout her four years of medical school, MacColl remained steadfast in her commitment to authenticity, even when facing the high stakes of residency applications. She decided to pursue dermatology and MedDerm, a competitive field with very few spots annually. "I didn't apply to any other specialties, even though I was advised to do so, because I really had a feeling that I needed to go about the process in a way that felt very genuine and good to me, and honored my story, and honored who I was, and my people," MacColl explained.

When she found she did not match in the initial round and navigated the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), she refused to view it as a defeat. MacColl notes that there is a heavy stigma around SOAPing and that it is often viewed as a failure, though she walked away from that experience feeling she found a perfect fit. "It felt like I was actually doing something, and I felt like I was in control, and I felt like I was advocating for myself." 

Through the SOAP process, she found a spot at a dual program in emergency medicine and internal medicine in Brooklyn, New York. "I moved through that process in a way that felt right to me, knowing that if someone looked at my application and saw me and said, 'This is who we're looking for,' that I would end up at a place that would accept me wholly for who I was," MacColl said.

As she reflects on her time in medical school and prepares for the next step in her journey, MacColl views her role as a sacred duty to ensure every patient feels heard and respected. "I think that's a really humbling responsibility that I got picked for," MacColl said. Looking back at the obstacles she overcame to reach this point, she offers a final piece of wisdom for those continuing their education. "I would say protect your peace, protect your joy, protect the things that make you a person outside of being a medical student," MacColl said. "I'm so glad that I'm ending up where I'm ending up. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."