A Saskatchewan primary-care physician has a simple message for doctors who are thinking of expanding their capacity to care for people with HIV.
“Do it!” said Dr. Laura Marshall, a La Ronge family physician.
“It’s rewarding work, and clinically it is very interesting, but at the same time fairly straightforward. You can make a big difference in a patient’s health and wellness.”
Dr. Marshall was one of three Saskatchewan primary-care physicians or family medicine grads who received scholarships to participate in the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS physician preceptor program. The five-day clinical placement, which was completed in November 2018 at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, was open to physicians who have a strong interest in caring for people living with HIV and who want to mentor their colleagues as their knowledge and experience grows.
The scholarships were offered by the Saskatchewan Infectious Disease Care Network in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Dr. Marshall has been a physician in La Ronge for seven years and has been working with HIV patients for five years. Dr. Tasha McNamara, a second-year family medicine resident in Saskatoon, and Dr. Sarafa Tijani of Regina were also selected for the program.
Dr. McNamara told the SMA that as a soon-to-be family physician she wants to incorporate HIV care as part of her practice, but didn’t feel prepared until participating in recent workshops and the preceptor program in B.C.