YOUR SMA
the traveling physician
SMA locum Dr. Paul Dhillon shares his experiences
By Maria Derzko
Dr. Paul Dhillon, traveller, author and family physician has
undertaken a fresh challenge as an SMA locum physician.
For periods ranging from three days to two weeks, Dr. Dhillon packs up his life, downsized to a hospital bag, running
bag, soccer bag, ‘daily life’ bag and cooler fridge (conveniently installed behind the driver’s seat), into his Land Rover and hits the road for a different rural community, providing coverage for the local physician.
Fresh out of the Regina Family Medicine Program, this Canada-born, Ireland-educated physician joined the SMA Rural
Relief Program about a year ago.
“I knew I wanted to do rural practice but after two years
mostly in a city and only two months in rural practice, I
didn’t really have a feel for the differences in town sizes and
the different areas of Saskatchewan,” says Dr. Dhillon.
The locum program provided him with exactly what he was
looking for – a chance to practice in a variety of communities across the province and get a feel for what life would be
like in each.
Dr. Dhillon has provided relief to physicians from Maple
Creek to Esterhazy and eight other communities in between and describes his experience so far as better than he
expected.
“I think coming out of residency you have an idea of what
practice will be like but in reality, until your boots hit the
ground and a stethoscope sits on a chest, you really don’t
know what to expect.”
He