Program: Family Medicine Residency
Training Site: Surrey-South Fraser
Hometown: Langley, BC
What attracted you to a career in Family Medicine?
Several factors. One was the diversity in family practice. I have the opportunity to do office based practice, emergency medicine, hospitalist medicine, and sports medicine all of which are interests of mine. Many of my colleagues are pursuing careers in other avenues of family medicine as well such as obstetrics and palliative care. There is a plethora of opportunities within family practice which allow one to refresh their day to day careers essentially at whatever interval they would like. For example we have a faculty member that was a full time GP, then a hospitalist and is now doing emergency medicine. Family medicine also allows one to do adult medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatry and requires one to practice all areas of medicine. Everyday in clinic is interesting! Lastly the job market is fantastic!
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a resident at UBC?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at UBC for family medicine. We have a supportive program that empowers and provides residents the resources and flexibility to pursue their goals for training while also providing a strong teaching environment. The province has a rich multicultural community, with each region providing it’s own unique multicultural experiences and (from a medicine point of view) its own unique pathology. Our program here in Surrey has an amazing group of GPs and specialists. We truly get the best of both worlds with the opportunity to learn in smaller community hospitals like Langley Memorial, Delta and Peace Arch, along with a large tertiary care hospital in Surrey. The program staff have always been extremely supportive and receptive to feedback and us residents are a tight knit group.
What has surprised or challenged you?
Gaining a work life balance was actually much more difficult than expected. The added responsibility as a resident, although a welcome change, also took some getting used to and at first can certainly be nerve-wracking.
What advice would you offer to incoming residents?
Make time for yourself and your friends and family. Seek opportunities to learn and build your skills. Residency programs are set up to provide you with a baseline set of skills but if you want to get better at something (central lines, lump excisions for example) or acquire more skills you must go out and seek them. Especially in family medicine you are expected to pick up a great deal of skills in two years, try and make the most of it!
What’s one thing that we might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a sucker for romantic comedies.
What’s next for you?
I will be working in a clinic, as a hospitalist and picking up some rural emergency shifts. I also am hoping to do some teaching through the Surrey Family Medicine CTU next year.