MD Candidate/McGill MSc student in Experimental Medicine offering chemistry (general and organic) lessons to students from high school to college

Find out more about Peter

• When and why did you develop an interest in your chosen field?

  I always have really loved teaching and engaging with others in order to both learn and help learn science together. In high school, I would often form study groups with my friends and would lead study sessions where we all asked each other questions, summarize the course material, and test each other on the content. When I got to McGill, I took PHYS 102 in my first year and was amazed by the devotion and passion of the teaching team, and I was invited to be part of the team of mentors leading tutorial sessions for the Winter 2021 semester. This led to an avalanche of new ventures in teaching: I started giving private tutoring sessions, became a TEAM mentor for PHYS 101 as well, led an independent research project on science education and teaching through PHYS 102 in 2022, and am now the lead mentor for PHYS 102 at McGill.

• What makes you passionate about your subject?

  I think that science is just amazing! There are so many different ventures to go into and always more to learn. The reason I tutor students in a variety of different scientific disciplines is that I truly believe in the importance of cohesiveness in science. Maths, physics, chemistry, and biology all interact with each other and the intricacies that lie within their co-dependent relationships are necessary to understand. Still, personally, I really love the research aspect of the sciences. There's always something new to discover and that makes it fun and entertaining.

• What do you like about tutoring? What makes you a "Superprof"?

  From my experience with tutoring, the best part of it is the feedback and the result. Having my students or their parents call me and thank me for my help or inform me of their great performance on a test or a raise in their grades just makes it all a bit more worth it! I tend to hold a close relationship with my students and like to reassure them that I'm always available for any questions or advice. It just makes me really proud to see them all succeed!

• Do you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you? Please explain.

  I have a few teachers along my path that have truly shaped fundamental characteristics over the year, and who inspire me to pursue tutoring. Throughout my high school years, I had an English teacher who was always present and supportive and made herself openly available to her students. She saw my potential and ambitions and helped me reach even farther than I thought I would. She helped me find the school's book club and always exchanged ideas and recommendations with me. Today, 7 years later, we're still frequently in touch and it always makes me happy to hear from her. Also, throughout my time at McGill, I've met some fantastic professors who have guided me and directed me toward new fields that I never even knew I could be interested in. I worked with Dr. Provatas and Dr. Denis for my independent research project in science education and I can truly say that they were instrumental in my involvement in science teaching on campus.

• What are your keys to success?

  My keys to success? Determination, initiative and sharing. I think the more work one puts in, the bigger the output and the reward. But it is also always great to talk to others, socialize, network, and share experiences too.