Please visit our new website
This website was created to enable access to information re. electives and locums in places where access to the blog would normally be blocked (e.g. in the Inuvik Hospital!)
Job Opportunities
Do you want to explore the arctic? Inuvik has job opportunities for family physicians. See this post for more information
Welcome 2012
Inuvik welcomed the new year with fireworks at the Sunrise Festival. Now we're waiting to see the sun!
For more pictures, go to
This is the end ...
... of another year, so nurses and doctors got together to celebrate. As can be seen below, a good time was had by all!
New Physician Recruiter
Leanne Goose started working as Physician Recruiter and Administrative Assistant to the Medical Director in the beginning of September 2011. Her voice will be the one greeting you when you call the office and she will be the person arranging locum and elective details.
You can read more about Leanne (and listen to some of her songs) on her website:
"Leanne began singing at the age of 12 & comes from a family of musicians. Her father, Louie has maintained his position as one of the North's finest performers with a career spanning over 45 years & still going strong.
"Leanne's music reflects her life in Canada's North. Long nights spent in darkness and days with no light. The inspiration and motivation is every day living, love of home land, the people, the culture - the messages are universal."
Downtown!
UBC residents Matt Menard and Nanamma Maughn are very happy that they can use the official physician vehicle to go shopping.
Ice road
Inuvik physicians Mark Prins and Nadia Salvaterra drove the ice road to Aklavik on a beautiful sunny day.
Hugging...
Flying ...
Good Bye, Tracey!
Tracey Romkey, who made life so much easier for many Inuvik physicians, residents and students, moved to Alberta last week. She had our best interests at heart and it showed. We'll miss you, Tracey!
Sink or Swim?
Crossing the Mackenzie river can be a scary undertaking in springtime when the ice bridge over the river starts to melt and before the ferry makes the crossing safe again. Victoria locum Jill Kelly took these pictures with her phone while trying to keep the car going, on a recent trip to the clinic in Tsiigehtchic, 120 kms south of Inuvik. Stories of her demise and swimming the Mackenzie river are greatly exaggerated, but she did have to use a paddle to reach the other side !!!!!!
Up up and away ...
One of the airlines flying the northern route from Edmonton to Inuvik is First Air. This picture was taken on the Yellowknife airport where all passengers have to deplane before continuing to Inuvik. On the way further north (and from Inuvik to Yellowknife) passengers do not have to go through airport security. In the arctic there are no bad guys ;)
Part of the joys of flying during the arctic winter is that the wings often need de-icing.
Gone to the Dogs!
UBC residents, Jacelyn Hanson and Jason Fedwick, as well as Susi Flaig, medical student all the way from Germany took advantage of the early snow to go dog sledding at Arctic Chalet
Please Sponsor Sue Clarkson
Everybody who has worked in the Inuvik Regional Hospital will remember Sue Clarkson, our team leader in Acute Care. In April 2009 Sue was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma. While she's still feeling well, Sue and her friend, Debbie MacDonald, decided to participate in the Nike Woman's Marathon & 1/2 Marathon on Oct 18th in San Francisco as a member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s Team In Training to help others with blood cancers.
Her training went very well and Sue running became a familiar sight in Inuvik.
"With one month left before the marathon, I realized a valuable lesson . I have been training consistently and enjoying all of the hard work and gains...until I developed a stress fracture in my right leg 3 weeks ago. As a result, I have had to let go of my personal goal to complete the marathon in 4 and a half hours. I initially was very disappointed, but have since got over myself. I reflected on the reason that I wanted to do the marathon in the beginning - to raise money and awareness for this cancer I have and the many others that do not have an option to run a marathon. I am grateful that I can participate and will complete the full marathon in just the right amount of time. "
We're sure that Sue will finish gracefully! You can support Sue by going to her website
Enjoying the last days of fall.
Locums Jeff Patterson and Joyce Law just outside Inuvik.
Fall is in the air
The brief colorful season is almost over!
Sometimes the colors are so bright that it hurts your eyes!
Dressed to kill!
Residents Ehi Iyayi (UBC) and Sarah Lin (Argentina) waiting in the doctor's lounge for their afternoon teaching session.
Some People Never Learn!
Despite my best efforts, these recent residents and students came back for locums - some even more than once! They must enjoy saving lives above the arctic circle!
Niki Froese
Kristine Bertsch (second from left)
Jenni Cram and Ashley McCormick (and the Volvo)
If the kayak is out, this must be summer!
Locum surgeon, Angus Maciver and Braam de Klerk perfecting a difficult manoevre on Airport Lake with paddles in perfect non-unison ;-)
All the way from Oxford
Fearless medical student, Simon Ho, brushing up on his clinical skills.
Inuvik docs explore the colon!
Locum Fen Smit indicated the cause of trouble.
UBC resident Claudia Kraft and locum Steve Kraus trying to do an appendectomy.
Chief of Staff Peter Boronowski getting up close to a polyp.
Staff physician Leah Seaman shows her son Luke around the inside.
Giant Colon comes to Inuvik!
As part of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Project, the Giant Colon (administered by the Colorectal Cancer Association) came all the way from Montreal to Inuvik, just in time for dr. John Morse's last scope clinic in Inuvik.
The exhibit was well attended by the people of Inuvik and everybody knows a lot more about the colon, thanks to Dr. Preventino and local experts.
Here comes the sun!
On January 6th all Inuvikers gathered to welcome back the sun. Although it only appeared on the horizon for a few minutes on the first day, it was a very welcome sight after a month of no daylight.
As is the custom, the town's firefighters made a huge bonfire - very welcome because it was bitterrly cold
and put on a display of fireworks
One of the highlights of the year!
Christmas 2008
UBC residents, Anna Stratis and Roxanne Lai, joined IRH staff in welcoming employees to work last Friday.
Directors,
Braam de Klerk en Sheila White, were in charge of handing out (and sampling) coffee and goodies.
November 2008 was Girl Power Month in the Physicians Department
From left to right: Jill Kelly, GP; Roxanne Lai, UBC Resident; Anna Stratis, UBC Resident; Rachel Kelly, Ottawa Medical Student; Kristine Bertsch, U of C Resident; Kiran Nayar, GP; Courtney Howard, GP; and Ma Thida, Inuvik Staff Physician.
Chinese food in the arctic.
The Back Room is one of our favourite places for an informal get together.
In this picture (left to right): resident Ana Stratis, Inuvik doc Tarun Shaha, locums Dennis Boettger and wife Betty, locums Kiran Nayar and Jill Kelly.
Returning locum, Andre van Heerden, celebrated his birthday - happy that his wife, Gerda could take time off to enjoy the north with him.
Community Visits
Aklavik, at the foot of the Richardson mountains, is our closest neighbour and can be reached by ice road from December to April and by a short 15 minute plane ride the rest of the year. In summer residents also visit back and forth by boat.
For a beautiful aerial view, click here
Locum dr. Peter Boronowski with medical student Hilary Myron in Aklavik – Oct. 2008
Tuktoyaktuk
Tuktoyaktuk is one of the 7 communities serviced by Inuvik physicians. Visits take place every five weeks and last for two or three days. In summer it is a short flight from Inuvik to Tuk, but in winter it is possible to drive there on the ice road (the frozen Mackenzie River).
Jennifer Cram, UBC resident from Kelowna, dips her toe in the arctic ocean.
For more pictures, click here
Baby Baby!
After their Inuvik rotation, U of A resident Steven Beekman and his wife, Sonja, made it back to Alberta just in time for Thanksgiving and the birth of their new daughter, Kezia Lynn. Alijah now has a polar bear AND a new sister to play with! Congratulations!
All the way from New Zealand!
Medical student, Christopher Tregonning, came all the way from Auckland, New Zealand, to do an elective in Inuvik. Chris is the third NZ medical student to do an elective at our hospital - our fame must be spreading! While here, he managed to visit some of the communities and see a few of the sights. Like most winter visitors, he enjoyed dog sledding and skidooing - and then he left, before the REAL cold!
Dempster Driving
Summer is the time for driving down the Dempster Highway (see map here) and camping along the way. The Dempster Highway is Canada’s only all-season public road to cross the Arctic Circle. Starting near Dawson City this 736 km unpaved two-lane highway traverses North Yukon all the way to Inuvik.
Susan Bryan reports on her trip in the last week of May 2008:
I spent a most enjoyable 2 weeks working as a locum anaesthetist in Inuvik. After the work period, my daughter and I rented a car and went on a one week camping and birding expedition down the Dempster Highway. The weather was great - warm enough to sleep in the tent, but still very few insects, and 24 hours of daylight. We managed to find an incredible 103 species of birds, many of them "lifers" as they are species found only in the western Arctic region. We also saw some interesting mammals including Grizzly Bear, Moose, Caribou, Dall's Sheep and Arctic Ground Squirrel.
One wildlife encounter was a little too close for comfort. After birding and driving all day we finally picked a secluded roadside spot to pitch our tent for the night. I was busy building the fire and preparing dinner while my daughter pitched the tent. Suddenly she looked up and not 10 meters away was a large Black Bear watching us at work. No doubt he was happy that dinner would soon be ready! We tried honking the car horn but he didn't budge. We got out the "Bear bangers" ready to fire in case he charged. We quickly threw the tent and all the food and dishes into the back of the car, jumped in and locked the doors. Phew!
From the safety of the car my daughter took a few photos as the disappointed bear ambled off into the bushes. We decided not to attempt camping again that night and drove for another three hours to reach Inuvik around midnight.
More pictures can be found here.
Hot Spot!
Who would believe that Inuvik could be Canada's hot spot? Here is the evidence:
A Surgeon and a Gentleman
Over the last 5 or 6 years, Dr Soorya Basnyat (affectionately known as 'Bas') did a number of locums in Inuvik. Last Saturday staff and friends gathered to say good bye. In his speech Braam de Klerk called Bas 'the last of the dinosaurs' and admired him for his skills as general surgeon - he is one of a dying breed.
In reply, Bas (as usual) had many funny stories to tell. We'll miss you, Bas!
Ulukhaktok
Every 5 weeks one of our physicians does a community clinic in Ulukhaktok (Holman). On her last visit, Leah Seaman had time for a home visit with one of the elders, as well as for a hike around town.
For more pictures of this community, click here
Spring has Sprung!
Always a welcome sign of spring: break up of ice on the Mackenzie river. It does mean that the communities of Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk cannot be reached by road anymore, though - until December, that is.
March is Dog Sledding Time!
March, with long hours of sunlight and milder temperatures, is the perfect time to take out a dog team and to enjoy the peace of the Delta with nothing to disturb the quiet except for the crunching of the snow and the dog's breathing. Locum David Young did just that!
Olaf and Judi Falsnes at Arctic Chalet offer dog sledding adventures in Inuvik.
50 years old ... and still going strong!
This year marks Inuvik's 50th birthday. For more information, see the town's website.
Survival!!
In December a number of staff attended a Survival Workshop and learned how to build a quincey - made by piling up a mound of snow, allowing it to settle and then digging out the interior. Then they had to sleep in it. Why do they look so happy?
More Winter Wonders
Dogsledding remains a favourite northern activity.
For indoor fun, the Inuvik Family Centre provides a swimming pool, hot tub, waterslide and squash courts, among its attractions
(Thanks to Dan Joo for the pictures and for modelling - with the help of Mark Prins)
Life in Inuvik
Here is a link to Phil Morin's interesting site with lots of news and pictures of Inuvik, as well as links to things arctic.
Winter warmth
'What do people DO in the arctic as the days grow colder?' you might well ask. Sharing meals is one answer!
The Back Room (in the company of musk ox and polar bear) is a favourite spot to gather for chinese food.
So is the residence - especially if dr Bas is cooking!
And then there are peoples' homes
October 2007
Fresh snow on the way to the hospital - lots more where this is coming from!
New website
The Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services has launched a new website with information about Inuvik and the other communities under its care. Of particular interest is the section devoted to Hospital Services as well as the look at northern life.
Meet you at the polar bear!
If you are a locum, student or resident on your way to Inuvik, chances are that Tracey Romkey, physician recruiter, will meet you at the airport. lucky you!
Good Bye!
Medical staff gathered in the residence to say good bye to Dr. Chuck MacNeil, who first came to Inuvik in 1994. Good food, presents and speeches were all part of an enjoyable evening - he will be missed by many patients and co-workers!
Find Out More
Medicine North of 60
- Read more about the Inuvik Regional Hospital and medicine north of 60 ...
Inuvik Elective
- As rural physicians and founding members of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada we know that providing a truly rural elective will make students and residents aware of the rewards of being a rural physician in Canada. It will also make you aware of the great need for rural physicians. We have been rural preceptors for the last twenty years and have been officially affiliated with McGill University, the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia. Students and residents come from Canadian medical schools, as well as from medical schools in Europe, Argentina and New Zealand. Approximately 120 residents and more than 70 students rotated through our program over the last 20 years. Many of our students and residents return as locums or full-time physicians to Inuvik, many others go on to work in other rural areas in Canada and the world. This elective can be arranged by contacting the Medical Director's office. Link back to Elective FAQ Main Page Telephone: (867) 777 8108. E mail address:Inuvik_doctors@gov.nt.ca
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