Feature: Dr. Jenna Rebelo

For the first Chief of Staff Feature of 2025, I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Jenna Rebelo, our exceptional new otolaryn-gologist/Ear Nose Throat (ENT) surgeon and member of BCHS' Department of Surgery! We chatted about her training, journey in medicine, and return to Southern Ontario after spending five years in Sault Ste. Marie. I am thrilled to now introduce her to the BCHS community!

Dr. Rebelo’s journey began just down the road from Brantford, as she spent her early years in Hamilton. While she loved her hometown, she was also excited to explore. “I couldn’t wait to get out of Hamilton!” she now shares with a laugh. She headed to Kingston for undergraduate studies at Queen's University, which was followed by a Master’s in Biomedical Communications at the University of Toronto.

In Toronto, Dr. Rebelo developed her passion for medicine, and specifically for a career in surgery. Her Master's program is unique in Canada, and is one of only a handful in the world, with a focus in medical visualization including medical illustration, media, and user experience design. Dr. Rebelo enjoyed the cohesive and tight-knit community she built during her program, and found that the work she was doing gave her a unique and creative perspective, reaffirming her interest in pursuing further education in medicine.

Dr. Rebelo then attended McMaster University for medical school, where she developed her interest in head and neck surgery. She had completed a surgical illustration course with a Plastic Surgeon during her Master’s, and finding it fascinating, thought she would pursue a career in plastic surgery. However, due to scheduling, she spent part of an early plastic surgery block in an ENT elective, and quickly had a change of heart. As she puts it, "By the time I finished the ENT elective, I had no interest in plastics!”

Now set on ENT, Dr. Rebelo returned to McMaster for her residency, which she completed in 2018. As she was considering communities to establish her practice during her training, a staff physician suggested Sault Ste. Marie.

While Dr. Rebelo had never been to Northern Ontario before, she tried Sault Ste. Marie out on an elective, and found that she loved the community and breadth of practice. Shortly after completing her training, Dr. Rebelo headed north to set up her practice at the Sault Area Hospital, where she stayed for five years.

As she settled into her practice, Dr. Rebelo found herself enjoying the wide variety of community ENT practice. "I like to be kept on my toes," she says, explaining that she thrives in a setting where she can maintain as many skills as possible.

While she deeply enjoyed her time in Sault Ste. Marie, and particularly loved the medical community there, she decided to move back to Southern Ontario. As she was contemplating job opportunities last year, she reconnected with several mentors from Hamilton, as well as with Dr. Sydney Godzisz, BCHS Chief of Surgery, who she knew from their days in residency.

While Dr. Rebelo had thought about practicing in Brantford for many years, having heard about it from staff physicians at McMaster, the efforts of Dr. Godzisz and others tipped the scales. "It was a concerted effort. Dr. Sydney Godzisz told me about the opportunity here, and we wanted to move back and be closer to family as well," she explains.

Dr. Rebelo's day-to-day work at BCHS now involves a mix of clinic, audiology, and surgery. She sees both pediatric and adult patients across the full spectrum of ENT care, including assessment and management of head and neck cancers.

Dr. Rebelo has found a supportive environment at BCHS. "The nurses have been awesome, and the OR is a lovely group," she says. She values the teamwork and the positive work environment, and is thrilled to have landed in a community as supportive and collegial as she had also found Sault Ste. Marie to be.

“I'm very excited to be here and learn how things work, and I see myself as a resource for the community. I want to do as much as possible, so don’t hesitate to send patients for assessment!" She also emphasized that she is happy to speak with referring providers on the phone when there are questions about a patient’s management.

Outside of work, Dr. Rebelo loves spending time with her two young children. She also enjoys art, especially drawing and painting, though finding space and time for this with a toddler is challenging! During the COVID-19 pandemic, she learned to knit, finding it both creative and practical. "Kids lose their stuff all the time," she laughs, "so I can knit endless hats and mittens."

Dr. Rebelo now lives in Ancaster, enjoying her return to the area and community. She has found her new neighbourhood to be lively and welcoming, and has enjoyed meeting people walking their dogs and decorating over the holidays. (Fun fact: Dr. Rebelo and I are neighbours!)

I am delighted to welcome Dr. Rebelo to BCHS. We are very fortunate to have a surgeon of her caliber within our community, and I look forward to each of you getting to know her in the months and years ahead!

(Author: Dr. Anirudh Goel, Chief of Staff and Vice President, Medical and Academic Affairs at BCHS.)