Suffia Malik
@suffiawrites.bsky.social
Health Journalist & Resident Doctor in Family Medicine
🩺 Reporting on medical education, global health, and Cdn health systems
🖊️ Fellow with @dlsphjournalism.bsky.social
Tips? suffiawrites@gmail.com
🩺 Reporting on medical education, global health, and Cdn health systems
🖊️ Fellow with @dlsphjournalism.bsky.social
Tips? suffiawrites@gmail.com
Pinned
Suffia Malik
@suffiawrites.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Hi! I’m a journalist & resident MD in family medicine training in rural Ontario. I see the headlines about Canada’s health system in my everyday. I write a lot about medical education (being in the thick of it myself). I’m also passionate about women’s and global health. Let’s connect!
I called a patient yesterday and the first thing I said was KNOCK KNOCK 😭😭😭
July 16, 2025 at 8:38 PM
I called a patient yesterday and the first thing I said was KNOCK KNOCK 😭😭😭
Statistics Canada is AFTER me - I’ve gotten multiple letters, texts, calls to my phone - calls to my DAD - to fill out an optional health technology survey. I’m on the run from a statistics agency
July 8, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Statistics Canada is AFTER me - I’ve gotten multiple letters, texts, calls to my phone - calls to my DAD - to fill out an optional health technology survey. I’m on the run from a statistics agency
I’m a Gen Z resident and it makes me nervous how easy it is for people to get stimulants, weight loss drugs, or acne meds online without ever being examined physically.
June 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I’m a Gen Z resident and it makes me nervous how easy it is for people to get stimulants, weight loss drugs, or acne meds online without ever being examined physically.
Reposted by Suffia Malik
i thought i studied enough english but it now seems that i dont cause i'd never figure out that 'divert' means to 'kidnap'
BREAKING: A Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists has been diverted to Israel, Israel's Foreign Ministry says.
A Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists has been diverted to Israel
Israel’s Foreign Ministry says a Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists has been diverted to Israel.
bit.ly
June 9, 2025 at 2:10 AM
i thought i studied enough english but it now seems that i dont cause i'd never figure out that 'divert' means to 'kidnap'
Reposted by Suffia Malik
International journalists can’t enter Gaza. But healthcare workers can.
That makes their testimony vital. They can cut through to the reality of the atrocities Israel is committing in Gaza.
In today’s video, you’ll hear their firsthand accounts of witnessing a genocide:
That makes their testimony vital. They can cut through to the reality of the atrocities Israel is committing in Gaza.
In today’s video, you’ll hear their firsthand accounts of witnessing a genocide:
May 28, 2025 at 9:46 PM
International journalists can’t enter Gaza. But healthcare workers can.
That makes their testimony vital. They can cut through to the reality of the atrocities Israel is committing in Gaza.
In today’s video, you’ll hear their firsthand accounts of witnessing a genocide:
That makes their testimony vital. They can cut through to the reality of the atrocities Israel is committing in Gaza.
In today’s video, you’ll hear their firsthand accounts of witnessing a genocide:
Reposted by Suffia Malik
When will more Canadian physicians be brave enough to speak out?
"Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a paediatric specialist at al-Tahrir hospital, was treating victims of ongoing Israeli attacks across the Palestinian territory when she received the bodies of 9 of her children killed by a strike in Khan Younis."
"Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a paediatric specialist at al-Tahrir hospital, was treating victims of ongoing Israeli attacks across the Palestinian territory when she received the bodies of 9 of her children killed by a strike in Khan Younis."
May 24, 2025 at 5:12 PM
When will more Canadian physicians be brave enough to speak out?
"Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a paediatric specialist at al-Tahrir hospital, was treating victims of ongoing Israeli attacks across the Palestinian territory when she received the bodies of 9 of her children killed by a strike in Khan Younis."
"Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a paediatric specialist at al-Tahrir hospital, was treating victims of ongoing Israeli attacks across the Palestinian territory when she received the bodies of 9 of her children killed by a strike in Khan Younis."
For Walmart to delete your email address, you must ‘prove your identity’ by submitting a “Privacy Access Form” w your home address - then get an instantaneous email denying your request and demanding a utility bill/govt ID. If you don’t in 10 days, I kid you not, they will ‘cancel the request’.
May 24, 2025 at 10:18 AM
For Walmart to delete your email address, you must ‘prove your identity’ by submitting a “Privacy Access Form” w your home address - then get an instantaneous email denying your request and demanding a utility bill/govt ID. If you don’t in 10 days, I kid you not, they will ‘cancel the request’.
“One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” - Omar El Akkad www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777485...
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad: 9780593804148 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From award-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad comes a powerful reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values ...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
May 22, 2025 at 12:49 AM
“One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” - Omar El Akkad www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777485...
Reposted by Suffia Malik
take five minutes tonight to call or email your MP and ask what "further concrete actions" Canada will be taking immediately, as Israel continues to block essential aid from reaching Gaza www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/stat...
Joint statement from the leaders of Canada, the United Kingdom and France on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank
The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law.
www.pm.gc.ca
May 21, 2025 at 2:55 AM
take five minutes tonight to call or email your MP and ask what "further concrete actions" Canada will be taking immediately, as Israel continues to block essential aid from reaching Gaza www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/stat...
Reposted by Suffia Malik
maybe we shouldn't be disappearing students via secret police for opposing the actions of a state that behaves in this way
Video obtained by my colleague Farnaz Fassihi shows how the IDF deliberately attacked, over several minutes, a convoy of ambulances and other emergency vehicles in #Gaza. #Israel wrongly claimed that the vehicles drove without emergency signals and headlights. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/w...
Video Shows Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Under Gunfire Barrage, With Ambulance Lights On (Gift Article)
The U.N. has said Israel killed the workers. The video appears to contradict Israel’s version of the incident, which described the vehicles as “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency ...
www.nytimes.com
April 5, 2025 at 3:09 AM
maybe we shouldn't be disappearing students via secret police for opposing the actions of a state that behaves in this way
ID folks: Are you following vaccine preventable diseases and looking at the current measles outbreak with worry? Please message me for an urgent story.
March 17, 2025 at 8:24 PM
ID folks: Are you following vaccine preventable diseases and looking at the current measles outbreak with worry? Please message me for an urgent story.
Ramadan Mubarak! 🌙✨ I’m going to be a bit less active here to focus on maximizing the benefit of this holy month. Muslims like me will be fasting from before sunrise to sunset, praying in night congregation & increasing our remembrance of God. If you need to reach me over the next 4 weeks, ✉️ in bio!
March 1, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Ramadan Mubarak! 🌙✨ I’m going to be a bit less active here to focus on maximizing the benefit of this holy month. Muslims like me will be fasting from before sunrise to sunset, praying in night congregation & increasing our remembrance of God. If you need to reach me over the next 4 weeks, ✉️ in bio!
Hi! Family medicine resident MD here. Great video! I think there’s an important solution to remember - family docs that get paid via annual fee shouldn’t get financially punished if their patients go to a walk in! Other provinces (like NS) don’t punish their family docs like this. It makes sense! 🧵
My family doctor told me not to go to a walk-in clinic, why? @maryanneoketch.bsky.social walks you through the financial and patient health reasons for this unusual request on Nerds on Health Care. #onhealth #onpoli
Why did my doctor tell me not to go to a walk-in? | Nerds on Health Care
YouTube video by TVO Today
www.youtube.com
February 26, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Hi! Family medicine resident MD here. Great video! I think there’s an important solution to remember - family docs that get paid via annual fee shouldn’t get financially punished if their patients go to a walk in! Other provinces (like NS) don’t punish their family docs like this. It makes sense! 🧵
Reposted by Suffia Malik
For over a year, it's been unclear why a lot of farmland is being assembled in Wilmot. @thenarwhal.ca & Waterloo Region Record have learned it's for a possible Toyota site to keep the automaker here amid Trump’s tariff threat
An election eve scoop by me & Terry Pender
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-wilm...
An election eve scoop by me & Terry Pender
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-wilm...
Wilmot farmland expropriated for future Toyota site | The Narwhal
A controversial land assembly project in Waterloo Region is aimed at attracting new investment from Toyota to support the electric vehicle supply chain
thenarwhal.ca
February 26, 2025 at 2:13 PM
For over a year, it's been unclear why a lot of farmland is being assembled in Wilmot. @thenarwhal.ca & Waterloo Region Record have learned it's for a possible Toyota site to keep the automaker here amid Trump’s tariff threat
An election eve scoop by me & Terry Pender
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-wilm...
An election eve scoop by me & Terry Pender
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-wilm...
My latest for @healthydebate.bsky.social 🩺 Did you know that medical students learn how to conduct physical exams from trained actors? While these programs have been around for decades, advocates and experts are pushing to close an important diversity gap. healthydebate.ca/2025/02/topi...
‘The first time students see a patient of colour should not be in hospital’: The need for diverse patient actors - Healthy Debate
Advocates across groups say increasing standardized patient diversity is crucial to prepare Ontario’s future doctors for diverse groups.
healthydebate.ca
February 12, 2025 at 2:38 AM
My latest for @healthydebate.bsky.social 🩺 Did you know that medical students learn how to conduct physical exams from trained actors? While these programs have been around for decades, advocates and experts are pushing to close an important diversity gap. healthydebate.ca/2025/02/topi...
Reposted by Suffia Malik
‘The first time students see a patient of colour should not be in hospital’: The need for diverse patient actors healthydebate.ca/2025/02/topi... @suffiawrites.bsky.social @healthydebate.bsky.social
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
February 11, 2025 at 5:02 AM
‘The first time students see a patient of colour should not be in hospital’: The need for diverse patient actors healthydebate.ca/2025/02/topi... @suffiawrites.bsky.social @healthydebate.bsky.social
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
#obgynsky Are you a clinician impacted by the purge of CDC guidelines/patient resources on reproduction and gynecology? I’m looking to understand this rapidly changing situation for a story. Please reach out!
February 4, 2025 at 7:50 PM
#obgynsky Are you a clinician impacted by the purge of CDC guidelines/patient resources on reproduction and gynecology? I’m looking to understand this rapidly changing situation for a story. Please reach out!
BC folks - how has the HPV self swab for cervical cancer been going? Ontario will still be doing brush collection with speculum exams and I want to know whether or what we’re missing out.
February 4, 2025 at 7:38 PM
BC folks - how has the HPV self swab for cervical cancer been going? Ontario will still be doing brush collection with speculum exams and I want to know whether or what we’re missing out.
Reposted by Suffia Malik
Critical clinical guidance should never be out of reach. ACOG is ensuring that members can access recently removed federal guidance by hosting key CDC resources on our website. Transparency and access to comprehensive guidance are fundamental to our collective success. bit.ly/3WKHQpf
February 4, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Critical clinical guidance should never be out of reach. ACOG is ensuring that members can access recently removed federal guidance by hosting key CDC resources on our website. Transparency and access to comprehensive guidance are fundamental to our collective success. bit.ly/3WKHQpf
There’s a bunch of changes coming to Ontario’s cervical cancer screening guidelines in March. Big shift to HPV virus screening but no self swab option yet. Still, this will now result in less frequent tests (5 years from 3) for people w negative results.
February 1, 2025 at 9:52 PM
There’s a bunch of changes coming to Ontario’s cervical cancer screening guidelines in March. Big shift to HPV virus screening but no self swab option yet. Still, this will now result in less frequent tests (5 years from 3) for people w negative results.
Reposted by Suffia Malik
"The decision to penalize Dr. Ma for her invaluable contributions during a global pandemic sets a demoralizing precedent, and affects the morale of all health professionals who helped in these unprecedented times."
#medsky
www.change.org/p/urge-premi...
#medsky
www.change.org/p/urge-premi...
Sign the Petition
Urge Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones to Reconsider Dr. Elaine Ma's Case
www.change.org
January 31, 2025 at 9:55 PM
"The decision to penalize Dr. Ma for her invaluable contributions during a global pandemic sets a demoralizing precedent, and affects the morale of all health professionals who helped in these unprecedented times."
#medsky
www.change.org/p/urge-premi...
#medsky
www.change.org/p/urge-premi...
Reposted by Suffia Malik
Can’t find a doctor in Ontario to help you get an IUD? This might be why www.thestar.com/news/insight... @suffiawrites.bsky.social @thestar.com
Get weekly updates: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
Get weekly updates: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
January 28, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Can’t find a doctor in Ontario to help you get an IUD? This might be why www.thestar.com/news/insight... @suffiawrites.bsky.social @thestar.com
Get weekly updates: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
Get weekly updates: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
Reposted by Suffia Malik
I’m part of a research study team at Mac looking at gender pay gaps in family medicine. This comes up time and time again. IUDs are underpaid and often done by women MDs.
Latest for @thestar.com 📰 Did you know family doctor’s lose money for every IUD they insert for their own patients? Because of this more patients are waiting longer and travelling over an hour to reach the fewer doctors in their area who provide the service. www.thestar.com/news/insight...
Can’t find an Ontario doctor to help you with this common birth control? This might be why
'You shouldn't have to wait a month,' says one Ontario physician. But her peers lack much financial incentive to use IUD insertion kits.
www.thestar.com
January 26, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I’m part of a research study team at Mac looking at gender pay gaps in family medicine. This comes up time and time again. IUDs are underpaid and often done by women MDs.
Latest for @thestar.com 📰 Did you know family doctor’s lose money for every IUD they insert for their own patients? Because of this more patients are waiting longer and travelling over an hour to reach the fewer doctors in their area who provide the service. www.thestar.com/news/insight...
Can’t find an Ontario doctor to help you with this common birth control? This might be why
'You shouldn't have to wait a month,' says one Ontario physician. But her peers lack much financial incentive to use IUD insertion kits.
www.thestar.com
January 26, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Latest for @thestar.com 📰 Did you know family doctor’s lose money for every IUD they insert for their own patients? Because of this more patients are waiting longer and travelling over an hour to reach the fewer doctors in their area who provide the service. www.thestar.com/news/insight...
Reposted by Suffia Malik
Expedited licensing program for foreign-trained doctors off to a slow start in Ontario with 28 physicians now working. Program now targeting 100 new primary care providers for high-need communities, by Maan Alhmidi www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... via @theglobeandmail.com #IMGs
Despite missed target, Ontario cities pin hopes on program for foreign-trained docs
Despite the slower-than-expected uptake in the beginning of the program, the province now says it’s aiming to bring 100 foreign-trained physicians to northern and rural areas by the end of the year
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 15, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Expedited licensing program for foreign-trained doctors off to a slow start in Ontario with 28 physicians now working. Program now targeting 100 new primary care providers for high-need communities, by Maan Alhmidi www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... via @theglobeandmail.com #IMGs