Dialogue Volume 14 Issue 4 2018 | Page 20

COUNCIL AWARD As a newly graduated doctor with urban roots, what prompted you to make a life and career in rural Ontario? When I was in medical school, I received a bursary from the government and a requirement of the bursary was that I spend two years in an underserviced area. My wife and I really liked the community when we visited, but to be honest, I thought we’d leave after two years. But as the practice started up, it got busy very quickly and I began to enjoy it. I always wanted to be a country doctor where I could get to know people and be part of a community. Comber just fit. You’ve kept up a busy pace for 40 years. When do you plan to retire? I hope to turn my practice over to a new doctor soon so I can slow down a bit, maybe work part-time for the next 2-4 years. I am looking forward to eventually retiring, to spend time with my grandchildren, putter around my property and, here’s the big one – finally finish building the model railroad I started a few years ago! What drives you to work so hard for your patients? To me, being a small town doctor means being available. I also think it is partly my generation’s attitude – you put medicine at the top of things and you understood that’s how you do it. I remember one doctor friend of mine What advice will you give to the physician who eventually takes over your practice? Take the time to listen and get to know your patients. There’s nothing better than talking to get to the heart of people’s concerns. would put a coverall over his suit to mow the lawn when he was on call, so he could leave quickly to see patients if he had to! That attitude rubbed off on me. MD Two New Medical Advisors at College Dr. Benjamin Chen Dr. Chen has been a practising General Internist for more than 20 years. He has a breadth of experi- ence, having worked in academia, private practice, urban and rural settings, and intensive care and rehabilitation. He is currently a consultant general internist in Napanee, a medical director at the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital, an adjunct associate profes- sor at Queen’s University, and a member of the Internal Medicine Examination Board of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. At the CPSO, he has provided independent opinions for public complaints, been a medical inspector for Registrar’s investigations, and has completed reassessments for compliance monitoring. 20 DIALOGUE ISSUE 4, 2018 Dr. David Finkelstein Dr. Finkelstein has practised Oto- laryngology/Head and Neck Sur- gery at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket for more than 20 years. As Chief of Surgery for many of those 20 years, Dr. Finkelstein developed an interest in various forms of administrative medicine related to quality and patient safety. In pursuit of this interest, Dr. Finkelstein is currently the Lead As- sessor for Head and Neck Surgery in the College’s Quality Management Division and has completed numerous peer assessments over the last 10 years.