EDITOR’S NOTE: In her column BeyondRx, Andrea Wong, a 4th year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) candidate from the University of Waterloo, and a very new member to the Manitoulin community, will be exploring topics on health and wellness, medical advances, and everything in between in the pages of this newspaper.
Reflecting on the Manitoulin experience
by Andrea Wong
As I am sitting on the MS Chi-Cheemaun en route home, I thought it would be befitting to write my last piece for the Expositor. It is crazy to think how fast six months go by and I certainly feel bittersweet saying goodbye. I remember my nervousness when I was first moving up to Manitoulin Island. I didn’t know much about working “up north” in a rural community and all I knew was that it was certainly going to be different than working in my hometown in Kitchener-Waterloo. But in the time here, I learned to appreciate the differences between working in a remote community compared to my previous work in larger urban areas.
One of my favourite things about Manitoulin Island is the strong sense of community. It was heartwarming seeing the community support when I was involved with throwing a yard sale to raise funds for the hospital telemetry cardiac equipment. There are also lots of incredible initiatives to promote community engagement through health promotion programs that I was able to be involved in such as the Stand Up Program to decrease the risk of falls for seniors and a Walking Group program to promote a social way to exercise. Being a part of these allowed me to really bond with the residents of our community. The programs here are also aimed to incorporate culturally appropriate elements to improve access and outcomes for all participants. For patients who are unable to drive due their health conditions are heavily reliant on others to be able to engaged in their community due to lack of things within walkable distance. Despite these difficulties, there are services like the Angel Bus aimed to improve accessibility. The family doctors here are also extremely accessible which is both beneficial for the residents with health concerns but also promotes strong interprofessional collaboration between different healthcare practitioners.
All in all, working on Manitoulin Island has certainly been a great experience. I was frequently asked if I would consider coming back to work and I have to say that it is certainly a strong possibility. I would like to thank my fellow colleagues for allowing me to bring my skills and knowledge as a pharmacist to improve patient care, my patients for placing their trust in me, and the Expositor for allowing me to share my passion and thoughts for health and wellness.
