By Dr. Sierra Tamminen I think it is safe to say that my transition from residency to practice was a rocky one. With the onset of the COVID pandemic, delay of our licensing exams, and the resulting uncertainties about if/when we would be able to work, it was an eventful few months. However, as time…
Read MoreEarly Careers, Family Medicine: How to Manage Charting & Labs
Your early years in practice can feel overwhelming for different reasons: diving into your practice, keeping a schedule, and practising without supervision to name a few. This article aims to tackle some of those overwhelming aspects you might experience, and suggest strategies for mitigating them. One potentially blindsiding aspect can be Charting & Lab Follow-up. Maybe…
Read MoreMainpro+ Mega Minute
By Nathan Turner MD, CCFP As a new in practice family doctor there are many things that, while important for your practice and career, you may not have had much exposure to in residency. One of these is the Mainpro+ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) tracking system used by the College of Family Physicians of Canada…
Read MoreFFYFP: COVID Reflections
The following COVID-19 journeys are firsthand accounts from three of our First Five Years in Family Practice Committee. Each story is a unique perspective on how this pandemic is affecting physicians. Getting COVID – Charissa Ho MD, CCFP The COVID Ward – Kaili Hoffart MD, CCFP Sunshine – Jennifer Ortynski MD, CCFP
Read MoreFFYFP: COVID Reflections – The COVID Ward
By Kaili Hoffart MD, CCFP When I started my week as a hospitalist on one of our Edmonton COVID wards, I didn’t really know what to expect. It was an unfamiliar unit, but the nursing staff and rest of the team were welcoming. There was no choice, but to jump right in! My very first…
Read MoreFFYFP: COVID Reflections – Getting COVID
By Charissa Ho MD, CCFP When the pandemic started, I expected to get COVID at some point. As the months dragged on, I took every precaution and it seemed less and less likely I would get it. I followed public health measures, usually going beyond what was recommended. Even as the number of cases rose…
Read MoreFFYFP: COVID Reflections – Sunshine
By Jennifer Ortynski MD, CCFP As I drop my now contaminated gloves into the already overflowing garbage, I hear a wavering voice float out from the room I was just in. I recognize the melody instantly. Sunshine,You are my sunshine It was my patient’s husband singing on a video call. I had just left the…
Read MoreMotherhood and Medicine
By Kiran Dhillon, MD, CCFP I’m going to have a proud new parent moment here, and show off my 15-week-old baby, Josh. Yup, I’m now a mom… it still feels a bit strange to say that to be honest. I know of so many of my friends and colleagues who decided to start their families…
Read MoreRural vs. Urban Medicine from the perspective of a “Rurban” Physician
By Jovita Beyer, MD, CCFP Throughout my life I have been blessed to live and work in both rural and urban environments. I grew up in Rocky Mountain House but was only one hour away from Red Deer. I lived in Edmonton for university but did a full year of medical school in Whitecourt. I…
Read MoreConsulting the Online “Hive”
By Michelle Chow, MD, CCFP, NCMP, BSc (Hons) As a physician in your first five years of practice, it can sometimes be a daunting experience to navigate all your new responsibilities. You may find yourself in scenarios where you are unsure how to proceed, both in the professional and personal realm. It may be something…
Read MoreKeeping Well and Self Care
By Charissa Ho, MD, CCFP Wellness. It’s a word that is getting thrown around a lot these days. From medicine, alternative health practices, to gyms and juice bars, wellness is a concept that is highly advertised. So what exactly is wellness and how do we achieve it? Wellness, as defined by the Webster Dictionary, is…
Read MoreThe How and Why of Going Back to Residency
By Cathy Lu, MD, CCFP After 3 years of working as a full-fledged family physician with special interest in the elderly, I decided to return back to residency for further training in Care of the Elderly. It took a great deal of deliberation to make that decision, including consideration of financial sustainability, how would resident…
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