Clinic: (L to R) Dr. Kunmi Akarakiri, Dr. Tracy Burton, Dr. Beverly Burton, Dr. Ashley Rommens, Dr. Jared Van Bussel. (Photo: University of Lethbridge)

By Joel Mendelson

Pincher Creek clinic partners with local family to support students

Apr 25, 2024 | 11:48 AM

PINCHER CREEK, AB – A family of local doctors has established two new awards at the University of Lethbridge (U of L).

Drs. Beverly and Tracy Burton practise medicine in Pincher Creek, Alberta. Their mother Christine Beverly is a retired science teacher.

The three have joined together to create the Burton Family Bursary for Women in STEM. The goal is to encourage students to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics, particularly students with the goal of pursuing health or medicine.

Additionally, Tracy and Beverly and their colleagues at the Associate Clinic have established the Pincher Creek and Piikani Health and Medical Scholarship. This will go to a U of L undergraduate student from Pincher Creek or the Piikani Nation who intends to pursue health or medicine.

“It’s important we give women the opportunity,” Christine says.

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She adds, “Not everyone has the funding, and we don’t want that to be the barrier for someone to be able to go into the sciences, to find their passion and make a difference in the world and themselves.”

Tracy says they want to encourage people with the funding.

“We hope that people from this area will decide to go into a medical field, whether that’s as a physician, a nurse or an allied health professional, and then say they want to come back to the community that supported them,” says Tracy.

The University has decided to match the awards as well, doubling in the impact of the bursaries.

“It’s always been important for Bev, Tracy and I to give back,” says Christine.

“Establishing the scholarships is a way of giving back to our community for enhancing our lives and making a difference to each of us.”

Beverly Burton is a member of the U of L board of governors.

“I think it’s important for girls to see what women can do,” She continues, “Then they say, ‘OK if they can do it, I can do it.’ We’ve been practising for more than 15 years, so some of the ones we’ve seen since they were little are now going to university. They say ‘I want to be a nurse, or a doctor and you helped put me in that direction.”

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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