Brampton doctor’s viral post translates into patients from across the GTA

A Brampton doctor has gone viral after sharing her journey on social media while opening up her new practice, striking a chord with thousands across the GTA who have never had a Black physician. 

Dr. Ashley Sebastian’s comment section on her TikTok videos is proof of that appreciation, with hundreds and thousands of views and comments from people across the GTA excited for the representation that she brings to medicine, translating to real patients from far and wide.

“Initially, I didn’t expect my videos to go as far as they did, but it’s perceived really well by the community,” Dr. Sebastian tells CityNews.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, there is a disproportionately low number of Black physicians in Canada, with only 2.3 per cent of Ontario’s doctors identifying as Black, although Black people make up about 4.7 per cent of the population. 

“It’s very humbling to know they’re putting their trust in me, driving hours to see me to feel seen and heard because I think that’s a big issue in the Black community here in Toronto.”

In a 2025 survey of almost two thousand Black women and girls, conducted by the Black Women’s Institute for Health, about 67 per cent said they felt their concerns were “dismissed or not taken seriously” by a health-care provider. Meanwhile, about 42 per cent of respondents said they avoided seeking health care because of concerns of how they would be treated as a Black woman.

“There’s a lot of discrimination within the medical profession that we don’t want to accept, but it does exist,” said Dr. Anthony Sebastian, Ashley’s father, who has been practicing medicine for over 30 years. “One thing is access, and cultural relevance as well, which I think is extremely important in medicine. It’s not about diagnosing disease alone, but understanding the social conditions that most people live.”

Both doctors agree success begins with the education system, saying that by exposing Black youth to STEM-related careers, there is potential for more Black people to have a future in science.

A Brampton doctor has gone viral after sharing her journey on social media while opening up her new practice, striking a chord with thousands across the GTA who have never had a Black physician.  Dr. Ashley Sebastian’s comment section on her TikTok videos is proof of that appreciation, with hundreds and thousands of views and comments from  Local 

A Brampton doctor has gone viral after sharing her journey on social media while opening up her new practice, striking a chord with thousands across the GTA who have never had a Black physician. 

Dr. Ashley Sebastian’s comment section on her TikTok videos is proof of that appreciation, with hundreds and thousands of views and comments from people across the GTA excited for the representation that she brings to medicine, translating to real patients from far and wide.

“Initially, I didn’t expect my videos to go as far as they did, but it’s perceived really well by the community,” Dr. Sebastian tells CityNews.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, there is a disproportionately low number of Black physicians in Canada, with only 2.3 per cent of Ontario’s doctors identifying as Black, although Black people make up about 4.7 per cent of the population. 

“It’s very humbling to know they’re putting their trust in me, driving hours to see me to feel seen and heard because I think that’s a big issue in the Black community here in Toronto.”

In a 2025 survey of almost two thousand Black women and girls, conducted by the Black Women’s Institute for Health, about 67 per cent said they felt their concerns were “dismissed or not taken seriously” by a health-care provider. Meanwhile, about 42 per cent of respondents said they avoided seeking health care because of concerns of how they would be treated as a Black woman.

“There’s a lot of discrimination within the medical profession that we don’t want to accept, but it does exist,” said Dr. Anthony Sebastian, Ashley’s father, who has been practicing medicine for over 30 years. “One thing is access, and cultural relevance as well, which I think is extremely important in medicine. It’s not about diagnosing disease alone, but understanding the social conditions that most people live.”

Both doctors agree success begins with the education system, saying that by exposing Black youth to STEM-related careers, there is potential for more Black people to have a future in science.