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 MoreConstructive Disruption – Innovating Health Care: Considering the “What Ifs”
By Dr. Cathy Scrimshaw How do we, as community practitioners, care and support our complex patients in the best way possible, while ensuring that we can address both health and social care? How do we change the way we work to make it more sustainable, supportive, and effective? Why Even Ask These Questions? We are…
Read MoreSpeaking on Stigma in Our Systems – How Can we Make Change?
I have been thinking a lot about stigma and its implications for people with substance use disorders and/or chronic pain. Stigma is defined as “an attribute or quality which significantly discredits one in the eyes of others.”[i] The Fear of StigmatizationAt a recent session of the Community of Practice for Housing and Harm Reduction, the…
Read More“Just” a Family Doc
A twitter thread by Noel Grisdale, MD CCFP Dr. Noel Grisdale is a rural family physician and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary. For over 20 years he has worked in the clinic, long-term care, active care, and emergency room providing comprehensive care. Family medicine is rooted on four main principles with the…
Read MoreWhat Made the Difference in Canada’s Worst COVID-19 Outbreak?
By Dr. Adam Vyse, the Calgary Zone PCN, and the Calgary Rural PCN In April 2020, the Cargill Foods meat packing plant was the epicentre of one of North America’s single largest outbreaks of COVID-19. With 2,000 employees, 932 were confirmed positive, with one-third living in and around High River, a town of 13,000 just…
Read MoreCOVID-19 CME Reviews
By Dr. Cathy Scrimshaw 1. Primary Care COVID-19 Pathway Explainedhttps://www.specialistlink.ca/files/RW_COVID_V6.pdf This webinar series is from the Calgary PCN’s group and covered several topics including a public health update, mental health advice, and tools as well as presentation of the primary care pathway for COVID-19 care. Physicians presented the primary care pathway for patients with COVID-19…
Read MoreA ParksRx for Wellness – For Patients, and Yourself
By Clark Svrcek, MD, CCFP, P.Eng., M.Eng. I have a disclosure to make, and this may or may not surprise you: I’m a nature nut. I love being outdoors. I tire of doctoring inside and in front of a screen for these past 90 – I mean, 9 – months. I watch my kids explore…
Read MoreTreating Chronic Pain…Who you gonna call?
As family physicians we really do see everything when it comes to our patients. From prenatal to palliative care, our patients trust that we will help them through all their medical complexities. In turn, we put pressure on ourselves and our teams to meet their expectations. A couple of months ago my colleague, the shared…
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