SMA News Digest (Summer 2014): V54, I2 | Page 18

YOUR SMA patients, “You realize very quickly the value of a stable physician to the community and the value that the physician has in the community.” Dr. Dhillon is equally appreciative of his patients. In fact, his experiences with them have inspired his third book, a compilation of stories about rural family practice. “There’s this incredible immigrant history in rural areas when you really dig down with some of these people that you meet who are 80, 90 years old,” he says, “They were there when modern Canada was starting. They built the modern prairie Canada.” His experiences and those of rural physicians from across the country will make up his next book, slated for publication with the University of Regina Press in two years. This self-awareness will likely serve Dr. Dhillon well and the responsibility of being the only physician to a large patient base doesn’t intimidate him. In fact he eventually plans to settle into a rural practice of his own. He loves the lifestyle, the openness and especially the people. “It’s pretty awe inspiring,” he says of his reception from In the meantime Dr. Dhillon will continue to serve the population of rural Saskatchewan through the SMA locum program, and take advantage of the flexibility that the program offers – running marathons in different cities across North America, indulging his love of travel (which has taken him to over 100 countries so far), and jetting off to Cameroon this fall to do rural family medicine for two weeks. ready for a break? The SMA rural relief program is ready to book your locum! • Take some time off and know your practice is in the capable hands of an SMA locum. • Retain all billings and simply pay the SMA $600/day plus charges for call. Locums are booked on a first come, first served basis so send in your application right away. Find out more or fill out the online locum application at sma.sk.ca or contact Randall Kehrig, Rural Relief Administrator at 306.657.4559 or [email protected] 16 SMA NEWS DIGEST | SUMMER 2014