Name: Marisa Sit
Title: Ophthalmologist and Educator
Number of years working in health care: 19
I was born and raised in: Orillia, Ontario
I decided to get into health care because of the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. It’s a true privilege to have the chance to hear someone’s story and understand how their health is affecting their lives and then to be able to change it for the better. A career in medicine is intellectually stimulating and also fulfilling in the many personal interactions that we have over time.
My role here at UHN is to see and treat a breadth of patients with eye disease and also to perform eye surgery. As a comprehensive ophthalmologist, I see a wide variety of eye conditions and treat with medications, perform laser procedures and also eye surgery, including cataract surgery. As we are a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto, I am involved in teaching our residents daily and also teaching our medical students. As I remember all the positive and impactful teachers and mentors who helped me along my path in personal growth and also medical knowledge and surgical skills, I hope that I am able to inspire the next generation of ophthalmologists and doctors.
The thing I love the most about my job is the people! From the patients, my colleagues at Toronto Western Hospital, the administrative team, our technical services staff, our nurses and all our support staff, it is amazing to be part of this team! We all play our own part in this system. I’ve learned so much from my patients, my colleagues and the team around me.
The most incredible thing I’ve seen at work is how medicine can really transform the lives of individuals. I’ve seen patients before surgery who were very isolated, filled with sadness, but after a successful operation to help them see better, their lives have been transformed. I love hearing stories about how they can watch their favourite Toronto Maple Leafs afterwards, or see their family members or see better to carry out their daily activities! Even a seemingly mundane story about how patients can see to clean their house makes me so happy. Medicine can truly transform lives, and I am grateful have the opportunity to be a part of this.
I’m inspired by seeing how resilient many patients are. They are strong minded as they tackle all of life’s challenges. They face adversity with courage.
How does donor support impact your work? We, at the Donald K Johnson Eye Institute, are so grateful for donor support. It allows us to use advanced technology and equipment to serve our patients and equips us with the tools we need to do our work in the best way possible. Thank you!
I sometimes worry about current affairs in the world, where conflict and war in the world results in loss of lives on all sides, climate change, how the world will look years from now.
I’ve found joy recently from riding my road bike as the weather is getting nicer outside. Sometimes you ride with a tail wind but things can change in a moment and you can be facing a head wind! The important thing is to put your head down, keep pedalling and carry on!
My favourite book (or movie) is any book or movie with a happy ending because there can be so much sadness in the world and sometimes it’s nice to read a book or watch a movie and know for sure that everything will work out in the end.
My ideal day off is spending time with family and friends, outdoors enjoying fresh air with some kind of physical activity – bike riding, hiking, skiing. Then having dinner with lots of storytelling and laughter. I enjoy all of this and this is what fills my heart and keeps my cup full!
Did you know you can recognize a UHN staff member through our Honour Your Hero program? Express gratitude for the care you or a loved one received and share a personal message of thanks with the people who supported you throughout your care journey. Your gift will supported research, education and the enhancement of patient care right here at UHN.
