Donny Li of McMaster University is one of 16 medical students from across the country to be named by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) as a recipient of the 2025 CMHF Award.
The award recognizes medical students who have demonstrated outstanding community leadership, superior communication skills and a strong commitment to advancing medical knowledge.
Donny Li, a third-year medical student at McMaster, says it is one of the greatest honours of his life to be named by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) as a recipient of the 2025 CMHF Award.
"Receiving this award is truly one of the greatest honours in my life," said Li, who hails from Mississauga, Ont. and is in his final year of medical school.
"I feel so lucky and fortunate, especially because I know there are so many talented people all around me who also deserve such recognition. What this award means most to me, therefore, is a sense of accountability and responsibility to hold myself to the high standards that come with receiving this award, and to strive towards making the most positive impact I can for those around me with the career that I have the privilege of pursuing," he adds.
Li was inspired to pursue a career in medicine by both personal and academic experiences. He credits the resiliency of his tight-knit family and his leadership in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets with inspiring him at an early age. Academically, his undergraduate degree from McMaster's Honours Health Sciences program - particularly the Anatomy and Physiology course - cemented his passion for human medical sciences.
Li was also involved in medical oncology and palliative care research during his undergraduate degree, examining the complex care needs of cancer survivors following treatment. He has delivered over 30 presentations at hospitals, universities, and professional organizations, nationally and internationally, including Portugal, France, Japan, and South Africa, among numerous publications. His work is supported by over $25,000 in research funding, and he co-supervises undergraduate thesis students.
He hopes to specialize in internal medicine, an area that interests him for its medical complexity, knowledge depth and breadth, and meticulous diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making.
Li has an active extracurricular life - he is the president of the McMaster Medical Student Council (MMSC) and serves as associate director of Government Affairs for the Canadian Federation of Medical Students, advocating for national public health and infrastructure reforms at the federal level. He has worked with the Ontario Medical Students' Association to publish 16 policy recommendations enhancing student conduct standards across all Ontario medical schools.
"My sincere congratulations to Donny Li on this national recognition," said Paul O'Byrne, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences. "Donny has made all of us here at McMaster proud, and it is inspiring to watch a soon-to-be McMaster physician enjoy this success early in their career."
CMHF awardees will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a travel subsidy to attend the 2026 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Calgary, Alberta, where they will have the opportunity to network with the newly inducted CMHF Laureates.
