Written by: Sierra Tamminen BSc, MD, CCFP I’ve recently spent a lot more time at home and focusing on wellness because I had a complicated foot injury that had me sitting on the couch for a while! For June’s tip, I thought I would share what I’ve been doing to work on wellness, and I’m…
Read MoreF***; One of the Worst Words to Hear in Your Busy Workday
Written by: Dr. Nathan Turner Form… probably the worst four letter F-word. But it’s that time of year again! No, unfortunately not the (finally) beautiful spring weather we’ve been eagerly awaiting after months of bitter cold. I’m talking about tax season! Which means many of us have received a request (or two… or ten) to…
Read MoreWe are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Written by: Dr. Kristina Quan How to Terminate a Patient Relationship One of the best aspects of family medicine are the lasting relationships we get to create with our patients and families, but what happens when that relationship is broken beyond repair? When it is our nature to help, how do we make the decision…
Read MoreWork-Life Boundaries
By: Dr. Charissa Ho Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this topic. In fact, I am writing this blog post during vacation. And because I find myself constantly struggling to draw boundaries, I figured this is a good topic to explore. Work-life boundaries. We have all heard of them, but how well do we…
Read MoreRegistered Accounts and Beyond: Where to Put Your Hard-Earned Money to Work for You
By: Dr. Tyler Hunter Now that you have survived 10+ years of education and are finally making a reliable salary the next challenge is what to do with your money. With the lack of a pension and earnings starting later in life than most career paths, physicians need to save efficiently for retirement. The three…
Read MoreFinancial Literacy for the FFYFP
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…
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