“My goal was to come to Canada, obtain my nursing license, and then apply for a Master of Public Health at Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, but first, I needed to immigrate to Canada as a skilled nurse successfully, and that meant submitting an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to prove my credentials.” - Salima Mithani
For Salima Mithani, coming to Canada from Pakistan was an opportunity to expand her educational horizons, help others, and immerse herself in a new and diverse culture. But before she could pursue these dreams, Salima needed to navigate the immigration process.
As a nurse working in Pakistan, Salima was passionate about healing. “I was eager to transition from a clinical background and begin studying the preventative side of health,” says Salima. “Working with underserved communities back home, I saw so much inequality, which inspired me to go beyond bedside care, and explore the preventative side of health. I wanted to know how we can prevent people, particularly women and children, from needing medical treatment in the first place.” She began exploring study options abroad, and decided Canada was the perfect place to continue her studies.
“My goal was to come to Canada, obtain my nursing license, and then apply for a Master of Public Health at Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto,” shares Salima. “But first, I needed to immigrate to Canada as a skilled nurse successfully, and that meant submitting an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to prove my credentials.”
Time was not on Salima’s side: she needed to apply quickly to meet a strict deadline due to a cap on nursing applications. “I chose Comparative Education Service (CES) at SCS because I found the website easy to navigate, and the process seemed more straight-forward compared to other options,” says Salima, who was admittedly nervous about meeting her deadline. “My credential assessor knew my situation and constantly kept me in the loop about the status of my application. We were regularly in touch, and whenever I had a question, I always heard back within 24 hours, which was a huge relief. It was comforting to connect with my specific assessor, who cared about my file, and was working hard to ensure I would meet my application deadline.”
Not only did Salima submit her immigration application on time and move to Canada in 2016, she also obtained her nursing license, and was accepted into her program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. In June 2019, she graduated with a Master of Public Health, specializing in Health Promotion and Global Health, with a focus on maternal and child health. Today, she is living in Ottawa, working as a Clinical Research Coordinator for a Global Maternal and Child Health Project. Next, she plans to pursue online studies in Project Management at SCS, to grow her coordination abilities.
“Coming to Canada and studying at the University of Toronto has been amazing,” smiles Salima. “So many doors have opened for me both personally and professionally. I feel proud to be part of such a diverse country that has so much to offer. Every day I keep learning new perspectives, and I’m excited to help promote health equity in Canada and abroad.”
CES offers a $200 voucher towards any course at SCS to all clients who take advantage of our Comparative Education Service.