Examining collegiality in Saskatchewan - Saskatchewan Medical ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Q&A: Sask R1s consider rural practice Carla Holinaty, 27 (above left), and Rose Graf, 25 (above right), are classmates, friends, and first-year residents in the University of Saskatchewan’s family medicine program. They recently spoke with SMA News Digest about why they’re considering practising in rural Saskatchewan. For you, what is appealing about practising in rural Saskatchewan? CH: I think the most appealing thing is that you get to maintain so much variety in your practice. I grew up in Saskatoon, but because my parents are from rural Saskatchewan, I always had rural experiences growing up. I think that’s part of the reason I like the idea of practising rurally, as well. RG: I grew up on a farm just outside of Wishart, SK, population of about 100. Practising in rural Saskatchewan is appealing for me because it feels like home. It’s also an opportunity to practise a very wide range of medicine, anything from trauma to obstetrics to geriatrics. That variety is why I went into family medicine, so practising rurally would allow me to maintain all the skills I’m learning during my training. 8 Spring 2011 SMA News Digest What challenges do you foresee in having a rural practice? CH: I think the biggest challenges in rural practice have to deal with manpower and the ability to work safely at things you love. I do not want to start a practice in a location where there is a high probability of ending up as the only family physician in town. While I realize that these places still need physicians, I think that the risk of burning out as a solo doc is just too high. I want to start a practice where I can see myself staying long-term, perhaps for the entirety of my career. I also want obstetrics to be a big part of my practice, so it will be very important for me to end up in a location where I can provide that service safely for my patients. RG: I would want to work in a community where there are more than two physicians, so that I’m not on-call all of the time. It’s nice to have the support and experience of other physicians when you are starting out. Another challenge is that setting boundaries in a small community is difficult as the patients you see are going to be people you see in other parts of your life too.
Dr. Carla Holinaty and Dr. Rose Graf at West Winds Medical Centre in Saskatoon. What support can the provincial government or the SMA offer to further encourage you to practise rurally? CH: The rural return-of-service bursaries are an excellent opportunity for medical students and residents. That said, I think it is important to remember that there are communities within Saskatoon and Regina that are also extremely underserviced and have highrisk populations, such as in urban lowincome neighbourhoods. I wish there was more support and encouragement for people who would consider working in those locations. Otherwise, the biggest thing the government can do is to start recognizing that today’s residents are tomorrow’s physicians. The apparent lack of recognition that we are an integral part of the system leaves many of us with a bad taste in our mouths, and it’s difficult to stay committed to staying in the province when we are made to feel unwelcome. RG: I think it would be great if the SMA organized a presentation for all students who are interested in rural practice to talk about the opportunities out there. One benefit would be knowing who else is considering that career path, so that you could talk about the benefits of a particular place and even consider working together. It is difficult to go it alone, particularly being the “new young female in an old boys club.” Business training would also be helpful; salaried positions are much more appealing as I have very little business knowledge. Prairie Doctor: Physician’s book explores life in rural Saskatchewan After growing up in various towns around England and Wales, Dr. Lewis Draper moved to Glasgow to attend university. There, he met his wife, Erica and they started their family. It wasn’t long before they were on the move again, first relocating to Nigeria then back to Scotland before ending up in Saskatchewan. At the end of their first year living on the Canadian prairies, the family drew up a list of pros and cons, and finding they had a lot more pros than cons, they decided to stay permanently. RURAL LIFE Prairie Doctor, Dr. Draper’s second book, traces the family’s move from Glasgow to Wadena to Lafleche, where they lived for nine years. In this book, Dr. Draper aims to point out that medical practice in a small, isolated town can be rewarding in every sense of the word, despite what politicians and health care ‘experts’ may say. Prairie Doctor (© 2010 by Lewis Draper) is available for $20.00 from High Hill House Publishers, Box 1080, Lumsden, SK S0G 3C0.
Page 1 and 2: SMA CEO OTTAWA-BOUND | Q&A: RURAL L
Page 3 and 4: Ice and snow melt on the South Sask
Page 5 and 6: We have a professional responsibili
Page 7 and 8: tual respect amongst colleagues eve
Page 9: tioners/family physicians and other
Page 13 and 14: The Physician Health and Well-being
Page 15 and 16: Better patient-centered care for lo
Page 17 and 18: Medical office property insurance:
Page 19 and 20: 2011 schedule set for the SMA’s i
Page 21 and 22: SMA introduces session for physicia
Page 23 and 24: The 6 th Annual Doctors’ Night Ou
Page 25 and 26: classifieds ANNOUNCEMENTS SMA contr
Page 27 and 28: The Saskatoon Community Clinic is r
Page 29: LOCUM OPPORTUNITIES Locum Opportuni
Page 32: Return undeliverable Canadian addre

Examining collegiality in Saskatchewan - Saskatchewan Medical ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?