Program: Family Medicine Residency
Training Site: IMG-St. Paul’s Hospital
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
What attracted you to a career in Family Medicine?
Leadership and versatility are two characteristics that family physicians encompass on a daily basis. Family physicians are found treating patients in the clinic, emergency department, labour and delivery suites, and hospital wards. They work continuously as front line leaders of patient care and are the key coordinators for a multidisciplinary approach to patient-centered care. I found that my leadership qualities and my ability to adapt to various situations best fit a career in family medicine.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a resident at UBC?
Meeting new people and developing new personal and professional relationships.
What has surprised or challenged you?
Because of the versatility of family medicine, what was most challenging to me was being knowledgeable in wide variety of topics in medicine, ranging from the prenatal care to palliative care to orthopedics to gynecology. However, I was surprised at how important it was to realize the limitations in my own knowledge in order to be a safe, effective, and responsible resident physician.
What advice would you offer to incoming residents?
Always, always, always balance the responsibilities of residency with some fun. You’ll recover faster from call and avoid burnout.
What’s one thing that we might be surprised to learn about you?
I was born in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, Africa and at the age of two, my family had to decide whether to move to Germany or Canada. After a few moves, we settled in Vancouver and have lived here ever since.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to be joining a family medicine practice in Fort St. John and also working in the local emergency department starting in August 2016.