Life after graduating from high school can take students anywhere in the world, like Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. This 1,500-year-old city features stunning old buildings, steep cliffs and hills, the Tbilisi Sea (an artificial lake), and a centuries-old botanical garden.
Sundus Mirza (’20), a Calgary Academy alum, lives at this crossroads between Europe and Asia. She has spent several years living in Georgia, studying to become a doctor while living with her siblings.
Now in her final years of medical school, Sundus reflects on her past, navigates her remaining studies, and looks forward to a future as a family doctor, following in her father’s footsteps.
A Short Stay at CA
Sundus attended Calgary Academy for two years—most of it spent online due to COVID-19. Graduating in 2020, she experienced the school’s only parking lot graduation.
Despite social distancing, her favourite thing about her time at CA was the community. She notes that she met “absolutely amazing” people, remembering time spent bonding between online classes and planning for graduation.
Sundus appreciates the support Calgary Academy provides. She remembers her teachers, Mr. Noel, Ms. Holwell, and Ms. Parks-Gierl, consistently cheering her on as she applied for medical school.
“The overall support system encouraged us to be more confident in ourselves and just believe that we could do it… Calgary Academy has been a huge part of my life for that.” – Sundus
With involvement in the grad committee, helping plan the 2020 yearbook, and winning the James E. Chaput Award for Outstanding Personal Qualities, Sundus made the most of her time at CA despite the restrictions placed by the pandemic.
After graduating, Sundus set her sights on becoming a doctor. However, she first had to pack her bags and move from Calgary to the Georgian capital.
Studying in Georgia
Sundus has lived in Tbilisi for the past few years, attending medical school to become a doctor. As a British Canadian citizen, she had many options for places to study. Her university in Georgia, like those in Europe and Asia, offers a five-to-six-year degree that attracts many aspiring doctors.
She remembers stepping off the plane after landing in Georgia, a brand-new place to call home, and thinking, “I really did this.” Sundus remembers having the option to take the majority of her classes online due to COVID-19, but she decided to dive fully into a new culture and country.
“Online classes were an option that ran through my head a couple of times. But then I was like, ‘I’m here. I’ve made that first step. I think I should just keep going.’” – Sundus
Sundus has continued to experience life in a new country, adapting to Georgia’s slower pace and culture, which is different from Canada’s. She spends her days between her studies, shadowing doctors at the hospital, and exploring the country with her siblings.
With medical school finishing in the summer of 2026, Sundus has begun thinking about what type of doctor she wants to be and which country she will eventually practice medicine in.
With experience in various departments at the hospital where she studies, she can pursue pediatrics, cardiology, or another field of medicine she is passionate about. However, she sees her likely future as a family doctor.
“I think the goal is to graduate as quickly as possible…. Field-wise, I think family medicine is where the heat is, so to speak… and there’s a huge variety of what we get to see with patients.”