Reprinted courtesy of the City of Thunder Bay.

Twelve new doctors have recently moved to Thunder Bay to begin their Family Medicine Residency. Orientation activities included a welcome from the City of Thunder Bay. As an introduction to the wonderful lifestyle that Thunder Bay can offer, Residents also enjoyed kayaking at Boulevard Lake, hosted by the City, Wilderness Supply Co. Ltd., and Golden Crown Pizza. Sarah Giles and Kory Jollymore wrote the following article prior to starting their two-year residency this summer.

“Why are you going there?” That is a question the two of us have been asked many times since the results of the 2005 Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) were announced. “There” is Thunder Bay, Ont. – the place with which we matched to rural family medicine residency positions as a couple. And before you ask, yes, it was our first choice! When we decided our number one choice would be Thunder Bay, a residency program that typically does not fill in the first round of the match, we knew people would ask questions, but we have been surprised by the prejudice that unpopular programs face. Let’s set the record straight.

We have discovered that Canadians are extremely geographically biased. There is a perception that all that happens in southern Canada must be bigger and better than what happens in the north (and for the record, Thunder Bay is only minutes from the U.S./Canada border – not “northern” at all by Canadian standards). People seem shocked to discover full-service hospitals with neurosurgery, plastic surgery and cardiology services can exist in cities with populations of less than 300,000. The doctors who live and work in these hospitals, despite what some may believe, have often chosen to work in these locations.

Our colleagues seem to think that a residency program outside a big city tertiary care centre is a fate worse than death – but for us it represents a world of possibilities. Rather than being the dreaded “off-service” residents, we will be “the residents” working on services that often function with only attending staff. We will not be doomed to star in the role of “human retractor” in the operating room – we might even get to participate in the surgery (something we are told only senior residents do in the big city).

And let’s set something straight: Canada is a cold country. With the exception of southern Nova Scotia and B.C., most Canadians deal with fierce winters. “Wow, it’s going to be cold in Thunder Bay” is a statement we have heard many times. Personally, we believe that people going to Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg may also have to purchase winter jackets to survive. We are also excited by the prospect of participating in snow-based winter activities rather than sitting inside while rain pours down the windows.

Sometimes great programs are not popular due to location; after all, location, as they say in real estate, is the most important thing to consider when moving. Locations outside of major urban centres often feature trees, beautiful scenery and easy access to outdoor activities. We performed in-depth research before choosing our residency location. We found the programs that allowed family medicine residents to gain the broadest skills were inevitably located in more rural settings.

Small cities may offer limited employment opportunities for significant others, and are often geographically isolated from friends and family, but they are far more beautiful than the typical urban concrete sprawl.

Our program did not fill in the first round of CaRMS, but those of us who were accepted are happy to be here. The next time our colleagues ask us: “Why are you going to Thunder Bay?” our answer will be: “Why aren’t you?”

In addition to the above mentioned Family Practice Residents, Thunder Bay has also welcomed the following physicians since the beginning of the year:

• Dr. Lisa Turner - General & Family Practice
• Dr. David B. Coulson - General & Family Practice
• Dr. Nicola Wilberforce - General & Family Practice
• Dr. Jian Yu - Anethesia
• Dr. Prashant Jani - Pathology
• Dr. Armour Boake - Nephrology
• Dr. Peter Simice - Diagnostic Imaging
• Dr. Sunny Twelker - Emergency/Trauma Medicine
• Dr. Peter Braunberger - Child Psychiatrist
• Dr. Malcolm Brigden - Medical Oncologist
• Dr. Nicole Laferriere - Medical Oncologist
• Dr. Ingeborg Zehbe - Cancer Research Scientist

:: back to Media Releases ::