April 26, 2017
Inside This Issue:
Many Benefits to Practising Rural Medicine for this U of S Graduate
“I don’t have a long commute or do a lot of driving to get to and from work. I see many of the same patients regularly so I know their medical history and I really like the health care team where I work.” These are some of the reasons why Dr. Christine Ryan chose to practise medicine in Shellbrook, a rural community approximately 50 kilometres west of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
“When I was in med-school I did both a rural experience and PREP (Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan Rural Externship) experience in Shellbrook and they were great. My aunt and uncle had a farm close to town so I would stay there and drive in with them every morning. That’s when I got see what practising doctors actually did and how they did it. One of the big reasons I chose to go back to Shellbrook and practise medicine was because I got to know the nurses that worked there. The doctors that worked there were really good too, but by the time I was done med school none of them were still around, so it was really the nurses that I had an opportunity to train with and the whole Shellbrook team that helped me decide where to practise.”
Originally from Unity, Saskatchewan, Dr. Ryan has been practising medicine in Shellbrook for several years now. She spends most of her day at the community’s new hospital and clinic. She sees many of the same patients at both locations; it all depends on the type of need that the patient has at the time. Dr. Ryan knew at an early age that medicine was going to be part of her professional future. After graduating from high school she enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) for her undergrad and then applied to medical school. It was after getting into med school that Dr. Ryan started to think about what type of medicine she wanted to practise. After thinking about paediatrics early on, Dr. Ryan eventually found the rural, family medicine more and more appealing.
“I’m really glad I picked that path [rural family medicine]. I did check some other things out, but after doing PREP and the community experience when I was a med student, both of which I took in Shellbrook, I was quite confident I knew I wanted to practise rural, family medicine.”
Dr. Ryan’s typical day starts around 8 a.m., but it all depends on when patients arrive and when the rest of the health care team can come together. The day usually starts at the clinic, which is a primary care clinic so different people arrive at different times throughout the day. These appointments usually take her to the noon hour depending on patient needs. While at the clinic Dr. Ryan says one of the things she looks forward to is all staff having lunch together. The break gives them time to have lunch, do charting and even go for a walk if there’s time. Clinic hours resume after lunch until closing. After that Dr. Ryan again has time for charting and catching up on paperwork. Dr. Ryan works at least a few times a week at the Shellbrook hospital doing different procedures and then at least once a week at the community’s long-term care facility to meet her patients and see how they are doing. Dr. Ryan is also on call at least once a week (12-hour shifts), which keeps her busy as Shellbrook is one of the busier emergency departments in the region.
“Even if you’re not sure you want to go into rural medicine, give it a try. It may not ultimately be something you want to do, but the scope of practice you’ll experience in these places will give you a leg up on doing all types of medical procedures. I found that my rural training was strengthened by the stuff you can’t learn in a classroom. You get to do a bit of everything and that is a great skill set to have.”
Hear Dr. Ryan's story in her own words by watching it on Vimeo. While you're there, subscribe to saskdocs' Vimeo channel to learn more about the many great physicians we have practising in Saskatchewan.
TOP
Public Health is a Passion
Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka is passionate about what he does. He lives and works in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, but his role as the Medical Health Officer for the Northern Inter Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) goes far beyond the borders of this thriving city. Dr. Ndubuka not only loves his work and the people he works with, he embraces the community where he lives, one that is situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River and is commonly referred to as the “Gateway to Saskatchewan’s North.”
Dr. Ndubuka came here from Nigeria looking for an opportunity to further his career. In 2012 he applied for a family physician opening in Melfort that a friend had referred to him. Soon Dr. Ndubuka found himself and his family moving to a new city and province. Since then the Ndubukas haven’t looked back.
“I just love it here,” said Dr. Ndubuka. “It is exciting to live and work in the North, there’s lots to do for both adults and kids; you have walking trails, biking trails, in-door sports facilities; my children play soccer and do ice skating; and I coach soccer as well. You can be anywhere in this city in about 10 minutes and the culture here is one we embrace.”
His employer, NITHA, is a one-of-a-kind, First Nations managed organization that delivers health programming to 33 northern on-reserve communities in six health regions across the province’s north. It is a region that is vast, sparsely populated and at times difficult to access. “A large proportion of the population served by NITHA is First Nation. My work in this area includes communicable disease surveillance such as monitoring HIV, tuberculosis, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) rates and mumps. These are all public health concerns that need to be monitored and controlled. They happen to be ones that I am very interested in learning more about so that is why I really love what I’m doing right now.”
NITHA is continually focusing on team-based primary health care. It delivers health care services to the people of the north through what is known as a third-level service. Third-level health services are provided by NITHA to bands and tribal councils. These services include disease monitoring, planning, education, training and technical support. The second level of service is provided by multi-community bands, tribal councils and in some cases, single bands in several communities. They deliver program design, implementation, administration and training of staff. The first level of services is provided in the community directly to community members. It is a unique way of delivering health care services and one that involves physicians like Dr. Ndubuka, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, dieticians, epidemiologists and more.
According to Dr. Ndubuka, another important aspect of delivering public health services is advocacy and education. “When you are trying to make an impact in a specific community on some public health issues, advocacy for better programming and disease awareness are key components of this job. It is this part of the job that I enjoy, although it is challenging because there are a variety of health issues to advocate for and educate people about and you’re doing all of these within a unique and dispersed population in Saskatchewan’s north.”
Dr. Ndubuka, his wife and four children are working, going to school and giving back to a community and province they now call home. NITHA, Prince Albert and Saskatchewan are happy to have them and glad they chose to live, work and play in a province where more physicians, health care workers and their families are welcome.
“Prince Albert is a great place to live and raise a family. I work in a profession I am passionate about, I can drive anywhere in the city within a few minutes and I have an opportunity give back through volunteering and being part of a larger community that has allowed me to do this all.”
Hear Dr. Ndubuka's story in his own words by watching it on Vimeo. While you're there, subscribe to saskdocs' Vimeo channel to learn more about the many great physicians we have practising in Saskatchewan.
TOP
Caring for People Inspires this Nurse Practitioner to Work in Saskatchewan’s North
Wendy Quinn has always held a special connection with northern Saskatchewan. Quinn is originally from Alberta, but moved to Prince Albert in the 1990s with her husband and felt at the time it was a better environment to further their careers in health care and dentistry.
“My husband and I, before we started a family, actually worked in northern communities including the eastern Arctic. After moving from there to Saskatchewan we initially thought that being closer to our families in Alberta was the best choice, but we found it was a struggle to professionally get ahead there. There are just more people and more competition for career postings. In the end, we looked at Saskatchewan and thought that we should give this another try and are we ever glad we did.”
After moving back to Saskatchewan in the early 2000s Quinn’s husband continued to move ahead with his dentistry career, they started a family and she worked predominantly as a primary care nurse in the northern communities. Through this experience she was able to obtain her nurse practitioner (NP) license and eventually move back to Prince Albert and start work in the area of geriatrics. Geriatrics became a passion for her and she then got her Masters in Adult/Gerontological NP. Her career focus is now in geriatrics and remote northern clinic work. To this day she has the privilege of doing both.
“We love it here in Prince Albert. It is really a close knit community; you don’t have to spend hours driving anywhere; our kids love the school they are in and we’ve made important friends that we really cherish. On the professional side, the compensation is as good or better than anywhere else; the cost of living is lower and professionally there is lots of room to grow.”
Quinn is also excited to work with people who are focused on one common goal – to deliver the best care possible to each patient under their care. This team-based approach is important to Quinn. The team consists of nurse practitioners, doctors, pharmacists, therapists to name a few of the professionals involved in delivering care, but the need for certain types of professionals varies from patient to patient, as does the care.
“The collaborative team function is the most effective way of delivering health care services. We have a whole team that draws from the strengths of each other. If there’s a good collaborative team, multi-disciplinary, working together for a person, there is no other way that I would go. I think it is the only way to deliver care.”
Another gratifying part of being a nurse practitioner in Prince Albert for Quinn is the sense of satisfaction she feels when she meets with a patient, listens to what they want and need, tries to understand how she and the rest of the care team can help that patient in the best way possible.
“The people that I see every day, whether it is here in Prince Albert in long-term care or during my visits to a community in the far North, give me purpose. I’ve been at this for about 25 years now and what I’ve learned is that when I approach people about the care they may need, I picture myself as a servant to their care. They tell me exactly what they need, I listen and I deliver. Any preconceived ideas or notions I may have had prior to meeting them are left at the door; personal biases are secondary. I think if there is one learning experience I can share with anyone who wants to be a nurse practitioner in a community like Prince Albert or northern Saskatchewan or for that matter anywhere, it is to take your own agenda off the table, humble yourself and listen. It will make a world of difference in how you do your job and provide service.”
Hear Wendy's story in her own words by watching the full interview on Vimeo.
You can also view hundreds of career postings, create a profile and apply online at www.healthcareersinsask.ca.
TOP
The Saskatchewan grand slam: 4 amazing north Saskatchewan canoe trips
Story and photos courtesy of Jimmy MacDonald
Jimmy MacDonald is a veteran whitewater canoe instructor and expedition guide with Churchill River Canoe Outfitters in northern Saskatchewan and around the planet.
As our guest writer/raconteur today, Jimmy shares his passion for Saskatchewan adventures, lakes, and rivers. Check out these four amazing canoe experiences in Jimmy’s absolute favourite place in the world—northern Saskatchewan.
We hear that Saskatchewan boasts over 100,000 lakes, but what about all our beautiful rivers? Virtually all our lakes are connected by rapids, waterfalls, and river systems. The name ‘Saskatchewan’ comes from the Cree word for ‘swift flowing river.’ So in my mind, rivers are our province’s greatest attribute.
Here are four of my absolute favourite rivers to canoe:
1. Churchill River
Ready for a great canoeing adventure?
Before you go: stop in at Montreal River Outpost in Air Ronge to rent canoes or pick up last minute items. Next, you’ll start the quintessential Saskatchewan weeklong canoe trip from the northern village of Missinipe on Otter Lake. After you load your canoe and camping gear at Osprey Wings docks into a 50-year-old de Havilland Beaver, you’ll take a short flight to one of numerous island-studded lakes on the Churchill River and be set to launch. My favourite is the gorgeous Black Bear Island Lake.
The Churchill River is likely the most family friendly and relaxing trip around. Paddlers are treated to warm water and fun, consequence-free rapids. There are top-notch campsites on rocky outcrops to bask in the summer sun (which barely drops below the horizon in the summer). History abounds along this route, too. If you pay attention, you’ll notice the once jagged rocks along the portage trails have been smoothed over by the footsteps of hundreds of years of moccasin footsteps.
Remember to kick back and relax in the wilderness. You might get a chance to see the osprey feed on walleye as they dive dramatically into the rapids for their prey. The biggest mistake people make is NOT taking longer to do this trip. Here’s a sample video of the fun you can have.
2. Clearwater River
This is an amazing whitewater adventure. The Clearwater River is accessed via highway 955 north of La Loche or else through the floatplanes in Buffalo Narrows flown by Barry O’Brien at Voyage Air. The Clearwater River is action packed, and for those trying to check off places in The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List, this river contains some spectacular must see spots!
With constantly flowing water, sometimes your problem on this river is trying to slow down and soak it all in. The skilled canoeist is rewarded with countless rapids that seem to go on forever bouncing between boulders and rock walls like a gigantic pinball machine.
This trip includes the infamous Methye Portage, which was the longest voyageur portage trail in Canada and the most important link during the fur trade. Pro tip: your trip just isn’t complete until you’ve seen the sunset on the foreboding cliffs of Skull Canyon. Watch the last rays of the sun light up the orange, lichen-covered rocks in an intense glow. Magic.
3. Cree River
If fishing whets your appetite more than the adrenaline rush of running rapids, then the Cree River is the Holy Grail of rivers to paddle in Saskatchewan. Flowing from 160 km due north from Cree Lake to Black Lake, you’re best to fly into this river from Points North Landing.
The headwaters boast a healthy population of monster lake trout, while the river is positively frothing in the upper stretches with Arctic grayling, all ready to launch out of the water for your fishing lures. As you float leisurely down the 150 km of easy rapids, there are massive northern pike lurking in the weedy bays waiting to attack anything cast their way. If you’re dedicated, you’ll be delighted by deep cold pools filled with walleye.
Six people is the secret number to keep costs down and maximize the load capacity of the Turbo Otters. Your only concern will be making sure you don’t run out of Fish Crisp as you float down the river, feet up and basking in the sun, looking for fish in Saskatchewan’s clearest water.
4. Fond du Lac River
I saved the best for last—the Fond du Lac River holds a special place in my heart. The endless white-sand beaches and crystal clear waters make me reminisce of leading sea kayak trips in the Caribbean Sea.
Flowing from the third-largest lake in Saskatchewan, it twists and turns its way down to Lake Athabasca through the sandstone canyons. It’s easily accessible by road—Cameco accommodates canoeists and allows escorted access through their Eagle Point Mine Complex to launch from their docks on Wollaston Lake. Part of the allure to paddling the Fond du Lac is the ability to have an exceptional wilderness experience but access the river directly from a road. This is a huge plus—it keeps this trip affordable for the budget minded paddler.
There’s something for everyone on this trip. You’ll see:
- countless challenging Class III rapids
- campsites that boast towering Jack Pine forests with the only undergrowth being a soft spongy layer of caribou lichen and blueberries
- a rich history involving the First Nations and more modern fur trade era, including Canada’s most famous explorer/cartographer, David Thompson
There you have it: my four favourite northern Saskatchewan canoe adventures. This is just a sampling of trips, though, as there are seemingly endless adventures that await you on the waterways of northern Saskatchewan. There are not enough days in summer, or years in your life, to explore all the amazing canoe trips in our province. So you’d best get out there and get your paddles in the water soon!
TOP
December 16, 2016
Inside This Issue:
A Message From the CEO
At this time every year most of us start to reflect on the past several months and think about the opportunities, challenges, highs and lows that we've experienced. As a provincial physician recruitment agency, we’ve experienced many opportunities and challenges in 2016. We did so in collaboration with many partners, all of whom we’ll continue to work closely with in 2017.
While we do this work, changes to the provincial health care system continue to unfold. All of us want to recruit and retain the best and the brightest to deliver high-quality, safe and accessible health care through high-quality health care teams. This past fall, the provincial government appointed an Advisory Panel to review the structure of our health care system with the goal to achieve improvements in patient care, while finding administrative efficiencies. We do not know the outcome, but we can expect changes to improve our health system. At saskdocs, we will continue to work with existing and new partners to ensure we continue to attract the best and brightest to Saskatchewan.
This issue of saskdocs’ e-newsletter highlights some of the opportunities and challenges we’ve experienced, but also more about those remarkable individuals who continue to call Saskatchewan home.
You’ll read more about how both locally-trained and internationally-trained medical graduates are working together to make safe and high-quality health care accessible to people in rural, remote and urban communities. You’ll read about how one physician, originally from Prince Albert, travelled far and wide only to discover what she really missed – short commutes and a great team – were less than an hour away from where she grew up. Finally, you will also read more about how we’ve been working together with other western provinces to create a “wow” factor at select international career fairs. The Western Canada – Welcome Home exhibit has been around for several years now and continues to attract attention (and physicians) from far and wide.
Looking ahead to the next year, I’m confident there will be more opportunities than challenges. We’ll continue to recruit locally-trained physicians and help our partners assess and license internationally-trained physicians to deliver health care services to the people of this province.
While our recruitment efforts continue, we’ll also focus more on retention. By reducing turn-over and staff burnout, we’ll help employers and employees realize a more stable and sustainable work-life balance is the best recruitment tool to have in the tool box.
Season’s greetings from all of us at saskdocs and best wishes for a safe and prosperous 2017!
Erin Brady
Interim CEO
TOP
Physician Trained in US and Canada’s Big Cities Returns Home to One of the Best Jobs in the Country
Nicolette (aka Coco) Sinclair is a champion of Saskatchewan in many ways. She fulfilled one of her earlier dreams, which was to see the world, after graduating from high school in Prince Albert. Then she fulfilled her professional dream of becoming an interventional radiologist (IR) in Saskatoon, not far from where she grew 
up.
Sinclair’s road to becoming an IR in her home province wasn’t a short one. After graduating from Carlton High School, Sinclair landed a soccer scholarship at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, where she completed an Undergraduate Degree. After that, she graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) medical school, and then did five more years of residency training at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). Sinclair decided to spend another year completing a post-residency fellowship to specialize her skills even more. She did this in Toronto at the University Health Network, where she learned more about IR before accepting a permanent position in Saskatoon.
“When I was completing my undergraduate degree, IR definitely wasn’t something I ever thought I would be pursuing. I knew I always wanted to be a doctor, but IR wasn’t even on my radar. But now that I am practising IR here in Saskatoon, I know I have one of the best jobs in the country – there’s no question!”
It wasn’t until long after she moved away from Saskatoon and her home province that Sinclair realized that what Saskatchewan has to offer is quite enviable.
“I must admit when I initially moved away after residency I thought I was going to love living in downtown Toronto. But, as great as my fellowship was, I was ready to leave. I found the city exhausting and impersonal. The training was excellent and I consider myself lucky to have had an opportunity to train there, but also felt very fortunate to come back to Saskatoon to practise. No one was more surprised at this decision than myself when I committed to coming back to Saskatchewan to work, but it was certainly the best decision for me professionally and personally.”
Sinclair likes that she is able to work with a great team of physicians, technologists and nurses on patients who come from all walks of life and truly appreciate the care they receive. IR brings non-invasive medical techniques together to intervene in a medical condition, saving the patient the potential side effects often associated with a major operation. Also, by using radiological imaging, the IR employs specialized surgical procedures to take a very localized image of a patient (e.g. artery blockage) and intervene with a specialized radiological procedure if need be (e.g. stent placement).
Sinclair is glad to be back in Saskatchewan and says her family is ecstatic that she’s back as well. She appreciates the learning and help she’s received along the way. But, when she adds up the work-life balance equation to her career and home, this just makes sense for her.
“Saskatoon is an exceptionally easy city to live in. I have a friend who commutes an hour and a half to work and an hour and a half home again. That is three hours in his car every day! My commute to work is 12 minutes. We may not have all the options for nightlife that Toronto or Vancouver offer, but I’ve been impressed with the changes I’ve seen here in the past few years with regards to restaurants, concerts, events and festivals. The people are amazingly friendly, which makes a huge difference to my daily life. It’s nice to go to the grocery store and have someone smile at you and say hello. You do not get that in Toronto.”
Sinclair loves the team of health professionals she works with and really likes being back home in Saskatchewan. She wouldn’t want it any other way and looks forward to championing the province and its opportunities to colleagues near and far.
TOP
Regina Students at the Heart of Conference Awards
Written by Amanda Woroniuk and originally published by the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine - December 1, 2016
The Dean’s Summer Research Project has opened the doors to a love of clinical research
Danny Meyer and Abdalla Butt may be undergraduate students in the College of Medicine, but they were at the heart of the Canadian Society of Vascular Surgeons (CSVS) conference held this past September in Halifax, where the pair took top honours for their research.
Meyer, a third-year student at the college’s campus in Regina, received the Josephus C. Luke Award, recognizing the best clinical or basic research abstract presented at the annual meeting.
Meyer shared a bit about his experience, explaining that his paper focused on research that was conducted for a Dean’s Summer Research project in the summer of 2015. Given the significance of the award and considering the company he was in at the conference, Meyer was surprised to take home the award.
“It feels incredible. I wasn’t considering myself to be that strong because there were such senior researchers,” said Meyer. “I knew I was eligible, but was surprised when I heard my name. All the hard work I put into it made it meaningful.”
Hard work is nothing new for Meyer. In addition to working with Dr. Nermeen Youssef in Fort Qu’Appelle to complete his Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan Rural Externship Program (PREP) over the summer, he’s been involved with the Student Medical Society of Saskatchewan (SMSS) for the third straight year.
Meyer’s paper, Investigating factors that delay carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, was his first opportunity to pen a research paper.
“Generally, when people have a stroke or stroke-like symptoms, there are several reasons,” he explained. “Plaques within the carotid arteries of the neck are an important cause of stroke in Canada and worldwide.”
Meyer described that the research goals were to identify the proportion of patients who had the plaque surgery within the suggested two-week timeframe following a stroke, and for those who didn’t, identifying the factors that led to a delay in surgery.
Meyer reviewed six years of data from patients in southern Saskatchewan and found that only a third who exhibited stroke symptoms met the 14-day guideline to have surgery. He found two factors were significant: the type of symptom first experienced, the more severe, the more likely they could have surgery; and the setting in which the patient initially presents to i.e. the emergency department versus outpatient clinic.
While the reason for this wasn’t clear, Meyer acknowledged that the findings were consistent with results elsewhere in the world and further study needs to be done.
“The next step is to put these findings into action and try to change practice,” added Meyer. “In order to fix these issues, we could reach out to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada who runs the FAST Campaign.” (FAST is a stroke awareness campaign of the Heart and Stroke Foundation)
While this opportunity gave him a chance to experience research first-hand, Meyer hasn’t settled on a specialization yet.
“In the future I undoubtedly plan to include clinical research in my career no matter the specialty I end up choosing,” said Meyer.
“I believe that the College of Medicine is taking excellent steps in order to provide a phenomenal education and great opportunities for its students. The Dean’s Summer Research Projects opened the door (for me) to a love of clinical research.”
Like Meyer, Abdalla Butt is also a third year Regina-based medical student, who worked with Dr. Kopriva for his Dean’s Summer Research Project. Butt won the Sigvaris President’s Award at the CSVS Conference, which recognized the most outstanding abstract dealing with venous disease.
Butt’s research, Economic Implications of Publically Funded Endovenous Saphenous Vein Ablation (EVA), looked at the cost of two publicly funded procedure options to treat varicose veins: the older and invasive surgical stripping technique, and the less-invasive endovenous ablation technique. While the former requires several days of recovery, the latter is a same-day procedure performed in an outpatient setting.
“My supervisor, Dr. Kopriva, and I wanted to submit our research project to this conference, because we knew it would spark a lot of debate and discussion,” Butt explained about why he chose his topic. “This research topic has never been addressed, prior to our research, in the research community.”
He added that Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada to publicly fund medically necessary varicose vein treatment. In other provinces, the procedure is done in private clinics, making it expensive for patients.
Butt’s research found that the endovenous ablation method was a more cost-efficient option because it didn’t require an overnight hospital stay. He added that there’s an opportunity for other provinces to embrace the endovenous ablation method as the varicose vein treatment standard, and to publicly fund it, allowing greater access for patients.
“It challenges the framework of privatization and publicly funded health care systems,” commented Butt. “We understand that public health care comes at the cost of taxpayer dollars, while privatization impairs many patients financially from getting a treatment they may need or want. However, this research shows that providing public health care dollars for endovenous ablation is actually cheaper than the surgical stripping, which was the previous go-to treatment option, hence should be publicly funded.”
What’s next for Butt in terms of his medical career? He’s leaning toward surgery, but is also equally excited about future research and additional Dean’s Summer Research Project possibilities.
“While I don't want to jinx my chances in any specialty, I think I am certainly leaning towards surgery because I see myself as a hands-on guy who loves the operating room,” said Butt. “Winning this award certainly shows that vascular surgeons appreciate my work, hence, vascular surgery probably would make a good contender for my surgical specialty.”
TOP
The Town of Shaunavon Welcomes a New, Full-time Family Physician
Originally published by Cypress Health Region – September 13, 2016
Dr. Hong Tran joined other physicians and health professional colleagues who make up the town’s primary health care team at the Shaunavon Hospital. Tran joins Dr. P. Louwrens, Dr. O. Akpoigbe and Dr. I. Barretto who work closely with nurse 
practitioners Sherry Hornung and Chester McCuaig.
“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Tran as a member of our medical team in Shaunavon. He is an excellent physician who is looking forward to providing medical services to residents of Shaunavon as a member of the primary care team,” commented Grant Browne, Medical Affairs Coordinator for Cypress Health.
Before arriving in Shaunavon, Dr. Tran received extensive medical training at a number of prestigious medical schools across the country and world. Originally from Chestermere, Alberta, Dr. Tran completed his pre-med education at the University of Calgary where he received a B.Sc in Biochemistry and a Masters of Biomedical Technology (MBT) Degree. From there he moved down under and obtained his Medical Degree (MD) at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. After completing his MD, Dr. Tran returned to Saskatchewan and recently completed his medical residency in North Battleford. While there, he served as chief resident and remains a member of the Resident Doctors of Canada. Dr. Tran is renowned for his keen interest and abilities in emergency medicine, family medicine and long-term care. He received his certification with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP) upon completing the accredited Family Medicine Residency and passing the Certification Examination in Family Medicine.
TOP
Connecting With Our Own
Saskdocs’ Recruiters Engage With University of Saskatchewan (U of S) Medical Students and Residents
Saskdocs’ staff members had a busy fall meeting with U of S medical students and residents at a number of career fairs both in and out of province over the past few months. Three of the more focused events were the Saskatchewan Emergency Medicine Annual Conference (SEMAC) VII held in Saskatoon October 16-17, the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine (CSIM) annual conference held later that month in Montreal, and the Family Medicine Forum (FMF), which attracts family physicians from across Canada, and took place in Vancouver in November.
The SEMAC VII event, organized by emergency physicians and the U of S College of Medicine, is designed for family physicians, emergency physicians and a number of other health care providers who manage patients in acute care settings. This is a great opportunity for saskdocs recruiters to connect with these professionals as many of them are in high demand not only across the province, but across Canada.
Saskdocs’ recruiter Ashley Miller said there was a lot of interest in the emergency positions.
“I know there are a few places around the province right now looking to fill spots for emergency physicians. Attending events like SEMAC gave us a chance to tell others about those vacancies, and some of the people I interacted with at this particular event were really interested in the available opportunities. It’s important to note that the recruitment of these doctors isn’t something that happens overnight, so I look forward to attending more events like SEMAC to make sure we keep engaging with these physicians and eventually help fill those much needed vacancies.”
Later that month, internal medicine specialists (internists) from across the country gathered in Montreal to attend the CSIM annual conference. In the crowd were many internists from Saskatchewan. While saskdocs was able to connect with many of them, the event also gave saskdocs recruiters a chance to tell other internists across the country about the opportunities in Saskatchewan and how we stack up against the rest of Canada. CSIM attendees also heard from internationally recognized researchers, educators, and clinicians and discussed how general internists can provide the best available care to patients.
Finally, one of the last annual, pan-Canadian events that our recruiters attended in 2016 was the Family Medicine Forum in Vancouver. The annual meeting draws family physicians from across the country, so saskdocs recruiters set up shop at the FMF to tell family physicians about the opportunities and benefits of choosing a family medicine career in Saskatchewan.
The agency looks forward to talking with more physicians in 2017, especially those whom we met at these career fairs across Canada who are interested in either returning, or calling Saskatchewan home.
TOP
Experiencing Shellbrook – Through a Physician’s Eyes
It isn’t every day that a busy medical student gets to travel to a rural or remote community to experience the sights and sounds of what Saskatchewan has to offer. Luckily for Ryan Verity, a University of Saskatchewan medical student, that is exactly what he got to do this past summer in Shellbrook.
Verity and more than 45 of his peers saw the sights and sounds of rural communities and medical practices in Saskatchewan thanks to the Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan Rural Externship Program (PREP). University of Saskatchewan medical students between their second and third years of study are eligible for the program, which gives them great hands-on experience to shadow a practicing physician in a rural or remote community for up to two months every summer. The experience helps students develop their clinical skills and gives them a better understanding of what it is actually like to practise in a health facility outside of Saskatchewan’s larger cities.
When we talked to Verity this past spring, he was about to embark on his PREP experience in Shellbrook and was really 
looking forward to it, especially since his experience was giving him a close, family connection to the community, located about 45 kilometers west of Prince Albert.
“My dad grew up in Shellbrook. And my grandparents lived there until I was about 10 years old, so I spent a lot of time there. I like to think I have some form of connection to Shellbrook. My grandpa, Ray, was a pharmacist in Shellbrook and my grandma, Joan, was a lab tech. I decided I should try and keep our family tradition of health care in Shellbrook going, even if I’m only there for a month.”
Reflecting on his experience this past summer in Shellbrook, Verity said, overall, it was great. The experience gave him an opportunity to learn more about medicine and once again experience the community that he remembers so well from years past.
“I was only in Shellbrook a short time, but still was able to play in Men’s Night at the golf course and spend some time at the local gym. PREP taught me a lot about rural medicine, and the wide scope of practice the physicians need to have to accommodate the communities they work in. Dr. Ryan (Dr. Christine Ryan – Prince Albert Parkland Health Region) was a great example of providing high-quality care to rural communities, and I was very lucky to be able to learn from her for a few weeks. I learned a lot about evidence-based medicine, and got a lot of valuable experience in patient management and everyday operations of hospitals and clinics.”
PREP gives medical students like Verity a great opportunity to spend less time looking at books and more time in the field. The program would not be possible without the financial commitment and support of the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine, the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) and the regional health authorities. These key partners each play a pivotal role in delivering the program to ensure medical students and employers benefit from it.
The program is beneficial for saskdocs since it gives medical students an opportunity to experience medicine in a rural or remote setting, which increases the likelihood of that student practising in that community or region after graduation.
Verity was glad he squeezed the experience into his busy summer schedule. “I view my PREP experience as a very valuable part of my medical education, and I am very thankful to everyone that worked hard to provide such a positive experience.”
Registration is now open for PREP 2017. Apply today and follow this link for further information.
TOP
How Does Saskatchewan Do It?
Work continues on recruiting and retaining local and internationally trained physicians to Saskatchewan. However, compared to only a few years ago, the situation has greatly improved.
Saskdocs works with a number of people and organizations to not only find physicians who want to live and work in Saskatchewan, but also to keep them here. Some of these organizations and agencies include those that provide compensation and benefits to physicians like provincial health regions, organizations that speak for the interests of physicians like the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA), and, of course, the institution that trains the physicians - the University of Saskatchewan’s (U of S) College of Medicine.
“All of us are working collaboratively with one common goal in mind – and that is to train, recruit and retain more physicians here in Saskatchewan,” said interim CEO Erin Brady.
The retention of U of S medical graduates has gradually improved over the past three years from 58 per cent to 75 per cent. One of these graduates is Dr. Rob Haver from Moose Jaw. Originally from Saskatoon, Dr. Haver completed his medical degree overseas and then completed his residency training in family medicine in Saskatchewan.
“Wherever you do your training, you’re far more likely to stay. Residencies in family medicine are two years in duration, so if you stay there a couple of years that’s usually enough time that you will consider staying around,” Dr. Haver said.
"Privileged to introduce these 3 doctors in @SKLegAssembly! All U of S Rural Medical Grads! Dr's Amanda Waldner, Rob Haver & Brent Janzen!" (tweeted October 31 by Hon. Greg Ottenbreit, Minister Responsible for Rural and Remote Health)
Dr. Haver is one of many U of S medical graduates who continues to call this place home. Reasons for staying here include being closer to friends and family, and really believing that what you’re doing is making a difference in people’s lives.
Dr. Haver and many others completed their medical residencies thanks in part to the work and efforts of the U of S College of Medicine’s Distributed Medical Education (DME) program. The program’s smaller size means that their learnings from other physicians during their residencies are much more hands-on. This smaller community model also allows for more of a one-on-one experience between the resident and the mentoring physicians. While the program is based out of the U of S, one of its strengths is its distribution. The Family Medicine-DME program is delivered in different sites throughout the province, outside of its two major centres – Regina and Saskatoon. The program’s curriculum is set up according to the College of Family Physicians of Canada standards for accreditation, but there is a lot of flexibility built into it with elective time over the two years.
Another program that helps us annually increase our collaborative recruitment numbers is the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program. SIPPA assesses internationally trained physicians to work in this province. The number of SIPPA graduates grows each year to make this sector of the health workforce a prominent one. SIPPA is a unique and highly coveted program that has allowed many international medical graduates to practise medicine here in Saskatchewan. The SIPPA program has assessed and allowed more than 190 doctors to practice here since it began in 2011.
Because of the collaborative work and the mutual support, the work we do together is making a difference in physician recruitment and retention. Since saskdocs began in 2011, it has helped or directly recruited 600 physicians with its partners. Retention rates continue to climb, and communities and regions are working together to keep it that way. That is how we do it and saskdocs is more than happy to tell others how we all work together toward a common goal in Saskatchewan.
TOP
Saskdocs and Western Provinces Collaborate on Overseas Recruitment
Physician recruiters from saskdocs, Manitoba’s Health Care Network, Alberta’s Rural Physician Action Plan (RPAP) and Health Match BC were well represented at prestigious and internationally renowned physician recruitment fairs this past October in Ireland and the United Kingdom. All four western provinces combined their efforts, talent and resources to make the Western Canada – Welcome Home exhibit a show stopper.
“It’s always a lot of work to plan and prepare for these events, but once we pull them off and look back on some of the physicians we talked to and keep in contact with, it is so worth it,” said saskdocs Physician Recruitment Consultant Rhoda Yakubowski, one of the western recruiters.
The four western provinces secured prime exhibit locations at both the Irish Medical and British Medical Journal career fairs. Each of these fairs drew thousands of physicians from across Europe, many of whom are interested in opportunities in western Canada.
“When we’re engaging with physicians at these career fairs, we’re finding that they are not only looking for more opportunities to further their medical careers, they are also looking at a way of life that is better for them and their families,” said Yakubowski. “Some are more eager to move than others, but the four western provinces have many things those candidates are looking for like wide open spaces, affordable living, and safe and inviting communities in rural and urban areas.”
In Saskatchewan a big draw for the internationally trained physicians is the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program. The program allows these physicians to apply to the program, be assessed and possibly begin practising medicine in Saskatchewan in less than six months in some cases. One of those physicians is Dr. Jimi Akinsete who moved from the United Kingdom and successfully completed SIPPA in 2012. "Canada was our first choice, and Saskatchewan was my first choice in Canada,” said Dr. Akinsete. “The people sold me on Saskatchewan as a beautiful place with a growing population. I never explored any other option." Dr. Akinsete has been practising medicine in Estevan ever since.
The four western provinces have combined their resources, talent and time to establish and grow a strong presence at these international career fairs. “These fairs have been around a long time, and in past years it was very difficult for a province like Saskatchewan to compete against countries like Australia, the United Kingdom and others. Now through this combined effort I think it is fair to say that the Western Canada – Welcome Home display is one of the premiere displays that physicians from around the world see first when they arrive at these events,” said Yakubowski.
New this year was the involvement of the Canadian High Commission in the United Kingdom. The western Canadian recruiters were very successful at drawing delegates to the exhibits, while High Commission staff was extremely helpful at providing delegates with further, more specific information on immigration requirements, timelines and what people can expect when they move to Canada.
Watch for us again at these events in 2017 and watch for saskdocs at many other conferences and fairs abroad and at home in the months ahead.
TOP