For my family medicine core I was placed in one of Mac's most rural locations: Rockwood. It's a little town about 25mins out from Guelph, which most people in the GTA consider to already be a small town.
I had an amazing rotation, with kind preceptors, great staff at the clinic, and interesting patients. My favourite part of the day, by far, was coming in 30 mins early to sit down, make a cup of coffee/tea, and look through my patient list for the day. I could go through their history, make some notes for myself, and read on the chief complaint the receptionist took down. I got to do some hands on things like remove moles, punch biopsies, cauterizing, and home visits. But it didn't feel like enough. Rockwood wasn't rural enough for me. Not enough hands on, and it sounds unbelievably selfish and spoiled, but too many resources.
In the same way that surgeons crave hands on, trauma, big open surgeries, I craved the wild west of family medicine. One where I didn't have a radiologist on my speed dial (yes we called the poor man on a near regular basis). Where there aren't 7 allergists at my beck and call to send someone with the mildest rash after eating a very hippy hemp granola whatever bar. The surgeons know that minimally invasive surgery with cameras and keyholes are better for patient outcomes. I know that patients in well supplied resource centers have higher quality of health. But I can't help but feel like if there are still spots where a dermatologist wait list is a year long, shouldn't I be there instead?
On an elective in family medicine, I went to northern Ontario's Petawawa. It's a Canadian forces base, and the town that built around it to service it. I didn't tend to the active military, but all the retired, the families, and the local population. It was - and still is - one of my favourite experiences on record. I got to do ER shifts, home visits, geriatric clinics. But I still missed how much hands on experience some rural physicians are able to get. Although I was a mere first year clerk at the time, and I doubt my staff trusted me to remove an SCC from someone's face.
Despite the wonderful amenities of semi rural areas like Rockwood, it wasn't enough. I don't even know what satisfies me in a practice at this point, and I'm afraid what I'm looking for might not exist. At the very least it won't coexist with my love for good and varied food in a place.
On particularly Canada Day, I'm missing home desperately. There are no fireworks in town tonight. Meanwhile Toronto has a list of top 10 places to see fireworks. I miss going to the ballet because a show or company I like is in town. I miss casually meeting friends for Spanish paella, Mexican tequilas and soft tacos, Korean hotpot, or Chicago style pizza. I definitely miss being able to call an Uber or skipthedishes, and have sushi delivered to my lap.
I thought I could trade all the amenities for small town life, but it turns out the small towns I've experienced until now are remarkably urban compared to my current location. This is more than small town, it's full blown remote, but still remains one of the biggest cities in the province.
Time will tell just how much I'm willing to change my lifestyle for the practice I want, I guess, and if that practice even exists. Two more days until I start doctoring.
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