Where do you live?
East York
Profession: Family physician
Please explain what you do in your job:
A family doctor cares for people from birth to death and all the happenings in between. We deliver babies, take care of people in our offices, work in emergency rooms, look after patients in hospital, assist with or perform surgeries ... we do it all.
Current job:
I currently work as a locum, meaning I fill in for other family doctors when they need time off for vacations, illness or parental leaves. I like the variety of places I go to and people I meet.
List of accomplishments:
I have worked in towns all over Ontario including Toronto, Moose Factory, Marathon, Northbrook and Brockville. I have also worked in the North West Territories, Prince Edward Island and Saipan in the Pacific Ocean.
How do you measure success in your profession?
I think you are a successful family doctor when you have balanced your career and your life. You are skilled in your work and your patients are well cared for, yet you also have enough time to enjoy your family and hobbies. I think you have to be a good example to your patients and that means living a healthy life. How can you suggest to a patient that he need to reduce his stress when you never take a vacation? How can you encourage people to get active if you aren't?
How did you get your start in your chosen career?
I originally went to school for my nursing degree. I enjoyed working with people and helping them through health issues in their lives, but I felt there were times when I didn't know enough. I wanted to be able to do more, so I went to medical school.
When did you decide this is what you wanted to do for a living? When was the 'moment'?
I liked biology in high school but knew I wasn't a research person (and I was terrible in math). I liked people so I was drawn to health care. Then I continued on from there.
What did you have to do in order to get involved with this profession?
For schooling, I completed four years for my nursing degree, four years of medical school and two years of family medicine training. In high school I volunteered at a local hospital and had a part-time job. In university I worked as a health-care aide at a nursing home, a summer camp nurse, a registered nurse at a nursing home and a summer research assistant.
Pros and cons of this job:
Career wise, the good and bad thing about being a family physician is the same issue - there can be a huge variety in what you see and do each day.
The constant change keeps the job interesting, but there is the challenge of staying up to date in many different areas of medicine.
On the personal side, family medicine is wonderfully flexible and as your life changes you can adjust your hours and your special interests to adapt to your lifestyle and family.
Skills required for this job:
Patience, empathy, sense of humour.
What can youth expect if they want to pursue this job?
An average of four years of university, followed by three to four years of medical school, then two years of training in family medicine. It sounds like a lot when you add it up, but time passes quickly. Of course there is rejection along the way as many people don't get into medical school the first time they apply or to their chosen school, but that makes it more special when you succeed. And remember, someone has to get in, why not you?
Salary range:
$100 000 to $350,000 per year, depending on how much you work and where you work.
Advice to youth who are thinking about pursuing this field:
You need to get good grades of course, but to be a good family doctor (and also to get into medical school) you need to be more than book smart. You need to be able to relate to people. So volunteer, join clubs, play sports, sing in a choir, travel .... the more interesting you are, the more interested the medical schools will be in you, and you will be a better doctor for having a variety of experiences to draw on.