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…visors than primary caregivers. I understand the logic, but I didn’t go to medical school to just oversee a team. I want to see my patients. I want that connection to stay at the heart of my work. More than just a job I sometimes joke that doctors in my town are dinosaurs. We own our own clinic. We provide full-scope family medicine. We do things the old-school way. But I worry that model is disappearing. For me, medicine has never been just a job…

…I returned home, I threw myself into university, starting the long road to medical school. It wasn’t easy. I struggled. There were setbacks. But I pushed forward, always with the goal of helping people. One thing I learned quickly is that you don’t have to go across the world to find people in need. One patient taught me that lesson all too well. The patient I couldn’t save He came in as a walk-in patient, and something about his symptoms concerne…

…ouching on almost every other discipline. I always knew I wanted to attend medical school to combine my love of problem-solving with the human element. I was fortunate to attend a school that was specifically focused on family medicine. I spent my third year immersed in family practice. Unlike some programs that offer just a few weeks in family medicine, my training was built around it and by family physicians. It really opened my eyes to the valu…

…s and fax confirmations to confirm to them that referral has been sent. My medical office assistant and I waste precious time chasing referrals, re-sending paperwork and calling specialists – time that could be spent on patient care. The most frustrating part? After all that effort, months later, I might finally get a response—just to say the referral was declined. A centralized referral system would fix a lot of this. Right now, referrals are sen…

…s, there is in fact, no armour of invulnerability presented to us with our medical degree. No words that I write here will give Walter back to his family. He left home to do what he loved for the community that he cared for. But he will never return home, and none of us can change that. Instead of feeling powerless though, I will commit to action in his memory. I will review my clinic’s safety policy and protocols with my staff and colleagues and…