Variety in practice and lifestyle were key for Dr. Gallins

Dr. Colin Gallins is no stranger to the outdoors; rain or shine, summer or winter. He enjoys water sports like windsurfing and sailing, or winter sports like cross-country skiing and snowboarding. He feels he is fortunate to be living in a place where many of these activities, and more, are not far beyond his front door.

Seeing that Gallins originally comes from British Columbia, you would think that is where he and his wife would want to be. Fortunately for Prince Albert Parkland Health Region (PAPHR) that is not the case.

Gallins and his wife have been living and working in Prince Albert since 2012, when Gallins completed his medical residency there through the University of Saskatchewan’s Distributed Medical Education model. As a physician, Gallins doesn’t have a lot of spare time to enjoy the outdoor activities that he loves to do, but he takes advantage of them whenever he can:

 “Living just North of Prince Albert (Meath Park) is a fantastic experience,” said Gallins. “We have access to the wilderness north of the city, hiking trails are nearby, there’s Prince Albert National Park, Narrows Hills Provincial Park, there are many places to go to enjoy water sports over the summer; the close proximity to all of these activities, which my wife and I thoroughly enjoy, definitely played a role in us settling here. We don’t feel isolated at all.”

Gallins admits it was peer pressure from his three siblings, of which he is the youngest, that led him to a career in family medicine. “They are all older than me and they all practice family medicine, so while it was great to have them tell me the ins and outs of family medicine when I first went into the field, I was definitely pushed toward that direction as well.”

When asked whether or not he felt the health region, community or individuals made him choose a career in PAPHR, it was more so a case of personal preference for Gallins:

“Through my residency here in P.A. I found out the more I stayed and practiced here, the more this was the right fit for me. One day, the region’s emergency department Chief of Staff took me aside and said “would you be interested in practicing here on a permanent basis?” At that point I said yes because it was an offer I just couldn’t refuse and I guess I should also say that I also met my wife while doing my residency here in P.A.  So that, in its own way, was the best recruitment and retention tool of all.”

Gallins says working in Prince Albert has presented him with a number of learning opportunities and challenges, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “Working in P.A. has given quite a variety in terms of scope of practice and living close to all of the things we love to do. Those are just two great benefits of living and working in this province. I’m happy and satisfied with our choice to live and work here in Saskatchewan.”

This story is Part 7 of a 12-part series with SaskDocs profiling College of Medicine grads working in Saskatchewan.