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The Surprising Lives of Small-Town Doctors
In The Surprising Lives of Small-Town Doctors, physicians put down their stethoscopes and pick up their pens to share some of the most frightening and pivotal moments of their careers.
From igloo house calls to bandaging animal bites to performing surgeries they are barely equipped to do, these accounts speak of the many rewards of practising medicine in small communities. They also detail the fears, failures, and challenges of providing health care in the farthest reaches of our country--where the need for doctors is the greatest. Collectively, they capture both the history and the future of rural medicine in Canada.
From igloo house calls to bandaging animal bites to performing surgeries they are barely equipped to do, these accounts speak of the many rewards of practising medicine in small communities. They also detail the fears, failures, and challenges of providing health care in the farthest reaches of our country--where the need for doctors is the greatest. Collectively, they capture both the history and the future of rural medicine in Canada.
- GenresNonfictionMedicineMemoir
222 pages, Paperback
Published April 22, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 1, 2025
4.5 stars, it is interesting reading about so many Canadian rural medicine experiences.
August 5, 2016
Well I just finished a little book of 220 some pages entitled, The Surprising Lives of Small Town Doctors, edited and with a contribution by Dr. Paul Dhillon. This is a compilation of 40 stories and vignettes by 38 doctors, 18 women and 20 men, of their experiences in rural medicine, covering every territory and province in Canada. It is a fascinating look at not only the challenges of working in the medical field in the far North and remote communities across Canada, but also these authors provide insights into everyday life in isolated towns and villages in just about every corner of our country.
Some of the stories outline the challenges you might expect, concerning emergencies and sudden trauma, but many also give us a whimsical look at life in regions so very different from our Canadian urban lifestyle.
I highly recommend this charming little book. You can get it on Amazon, if not in your local bookstore. It was just published this year.
Some of the stories outline the challenges you might expect, concerning emergencies and sudden trauma, but many also give us a whimsical look at life in regions so very different from our Canadian urban lifestyle.
I highly recommend this charming little book. You can get it on Amazon, if not in your local bookstore. It was just published this year.
November 9, 2016
The stories in The Surprising Lives of Small Town Doctors show the full range of human emotion through short essays by Canadian doctors about working in rural settings. Each province and territory is represented, and though you might skip to your home province to read that first, all of the sections have funny, heartbreaking, and insightful stories to read. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll get a glimpse into the secret lives of doctors -- their frustrations and challenges and solutions. Not only is it a great read, all proceeds from the sale of the book will be going to Médecins Sans Frontièrs / Doctors Without Borders.
July 13, 2016
Found most of the stories very interesting and several of them were very well written.
As with any anthology, some were better than others.
As with any anthology, some were better than others.
July 20, 2017
[Maybe a 3.5]. This is a compilation of short stories written by rural doctors across Canada (with stories from each province). I thought this was going to be a perfect read for me. It started off promising, making me actually want to move to the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut (seriously, it was so interesting, and I was so excited). At this point I was telling everyone how great it was (I'm so sorry if people listened to me). Even the first three Atlantic provinces were really interesting! And then I got to New Brunswick... where a physician considered our capital city "rural" (actually laughed out loud at that one), however, I can understand why someone from Ontario would think that.
I then lost interest once I hit Quebec, and especially Ontario. It was truly a struggle to get through those stories. Ontario had the pleasure of being front and centre for this collection of stories, as there were 8 coming out of the province (the same number of stories from all four Atlantic provinces combined).
After Ontario it was smooth sailing again (one of my favorites coming out of Saskatchewan, written by the editor, Dr. Dhillon).
All-in-all, some of it was interesting, some was boring. However, that's to be expected when everything is written by different people.
I then lost interest once I hit Quebec, and especially Ontario. It was truly a struggle to get through those stories. Ontario had the pleasure of being front and centre for this collection of stories, as there were 8 coming out of the province (the same number of stories from all four Atlantic provinces combined).
After Ontario it was smooth sailing again (one of my favorites coming out of Saskatchewan, written by the editor, Dr. Dhillon).
All-in-all, some of it was interesting, some was boring. However, that's to be expected when everything is written by different people.
August 15, 2017
This book came in our library delivery in July 2017. I picked it up because I have an interest in rural and small town Canada, and I enjoy reading memoirs. I was surprised to find a story included in the collection detailing the experience of a new doctor at the regional hospital in my area, which I read with particular interest. It was encouraging to me to read about the character building experiences these doctors and how they found themselves enriched by the experience of working in rural areas. As someone living in a rural area of Canada it gives me hope to think that there are still some doctors out there who might seek out the lifestyle we have to offer rather than be lured away by the big money and other advantages of practicing in an urban setting.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of short stories, memoirs/biography, and persons involved in public health.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of short stories, memoirs/biography, and persons involved in public health.
August 7, 2022
This is the tragic tale of health care in rural Canada. So quaint! Such grateful patients! So many services lacking! The only thing surprising about it is that I WILL finish this book.
Young, eager medical graduates do short stints in northern and rural communities, gush and muse about their experiences, and then head off to bigger centres where they can be anonymous and not have the responsibility of being general practitioners. Remix and repeat.
There are some good stories, but like most collections, some are better than others. Some sections would have benefited from an editor. And some doctors DO stay, but those are anomalies.
This book’s audience is probably aspiring short-stint rural docs, not people like me.
Young, eager medical graduates do short stints in northern and rural communities, gush and muse about their experiences, and then head off to bigger centres where they can be anonymous and not have the responsibility of being general practitioners. Remix and repeat.
There are some good stories, but like most collections, some are better than others. Some sections would have benefited from an editor. And some doctors DO stay, but those are anomalies.
This book’s audience is probably aspiring short-stint rural docs, not people like me.
May 1, 2019
Some very moving moments. I flagged a lot of pages to revisit and reflect on further. The veterinary stories were amusing. The sophistication of writing/storytelling varied somewhat considerably from author to author, but each piece had something to offer. Some parts were a bit cliche and perhaps at times self-congratulatory, but overall an enjoyable read. I’ve done a lot of rural Locums and found most of the content relatable and would say the book as a whole provided an accurate picture of what life as a rural family doc looks like.
July 19, 2018
I absolutely adore this book. I’ve met some of these docs and am currently training to become one myself. These stories inspired me. They made me laugh and cry. I loved that there were stories from doctors of all ages from every province and territory in Canada. I loved that every story had a different feel and style. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the inside of rural medicine.
March 2, 2025
Who'd have thought that small-town doctors had such interesting stories to tell?
But as Dr. Robert James Henderson summarizes:
"The life of a rural doctor is an adventure. It is unlike urban medicine in most ways, and that is why it is such a wonderful experience. The challenges that come with that can be large at times, but the satisfaction of work well done is the best reward - I expect that the same is true across Canada."
After reading these stories, I think you're right, Doc.
But as Dr. Robert James Henderson summarizes:
"The life of a rural doctor is an adventure. It is unlike urban medicine in most ways, and that is why it is such a wonderful experience. The challenges that come with that can be large at times, but the satisfaction of work well done is the best reward - I expect that the same is true across Canada."
After reading these stories, I think you're right, Doc.
February 10, 2021
I picked this for my Reading Challenge 2021 for essay category (replacing the poem category). It is a compilation of experiences of rural doctors in Canada. Rural medicine and the unique challenges faced in these areas fascinate me.
February 13, 2017
When I bought this book, for some reason I thought it would be a bunch of stories from one doctor or just a few doctors. Instead there are many stories from many doctors. Each doctor feels the need to describe how wonderful their small community was first, and then they tell about one of their experiences.
If you want a feel good book full of lovely descriptions of small communities, this might be interesting to you. I couldn't finish it because I was looking for more... surprises.
If you want a feel good book full of lovely descriptions of small communities, this might be interesting to you. I couldn't finish it because I was looking for more... surprises.
July 5, 2016
Easy book to read. It is simply a compilation of stories from doctors across Canada , several from each province/territory.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews