Dr. Jayden McIntyre is looking forward to starting a new family practice at the Osoyoos Medical Centre in July. (Richard McGuire photo)
Jayden McIntyre is as enthusiastic about coming to live and work Osoyoos as local residents are thrilled about him coming very soon to begin his medical career.
McIntyre, who celebrated his 27th birthday last Thursday with a day-long visit to Osoyoos to play some golf and meet fellow members of the local medical community, will start his new family practice at the Osoyoos Medical Centre following the Canada Day long weekend in early July.
“This place is paradise,” said McIntyre, who is completing his last rotation at a hospital in Kamloops before officially graduating from the Northern Medical Program at the University of British Columbia. “I can’t wait to move here and officially get things started.
“It’s definitely a great community to live in and I know it’s going to be a great community to begin my medical career in.”
McIntyre was born and raised in Meadow Lake, Sask. and knew at a very young age that he wanted to be a physician.
His father worked in banking and he spent his high school years in Dawson Creek in northern B.C. and spending most of his youth in small towns makes him a perfect fit for Osoyoos, said McIntyre.
“I’m definitely a small town guy,” he said. “That’s why I went into the Northern Medical Program … because I wanted to work in smaller towns.”
McIntyre studied in Vancouver and then moved to Prince George before graduating with his medical degree in May of 2015.
He has spent the past 12 months working in various hospitals to complete the necessary hours for his medical residency requirements.
He wrote his final exam just days before he was offered a position as a family practitioner at the Osoyoos Medical School.
Last September, McIntyre contacted Dr. Jaco Bellingan, who was the last physician hired at the Osoyoos medical Centre five years ago, to see if he could continue his studies in Osoyoos.
“I called Dr. Bellingan on a whim and I asked if he minded having a residency student come in for a couple of weeks and help him out,” said McIntyre. “What started out as two weeks ended up being four weeks and I loved every second of it. I loved the area and the medical community was fantastic. It was a great experience. On my very last day, several key players in the local medical community took me out for lunch and offered me a job at the Osoyoos Medical Centre once I had completed all my studies. I said absolutely yes.”
His grandparents on both sides of the family played a key role in him pursuing a medical career and wanting to work in smaller communities, said McIntyre.
“I was very close to both sets of grandparents growing up in Meadow Lake and I would continually hear comments about it being almost impossible to find or keep a family doctor,” he said. “Both sets of my grandparents played a very significant role in me deciding to pursue a medical career and for inspiring me to become a doctor.
“With their guidance, I realized there are a lot of people in these smaller towns who simply don’t have access to family physicians and I wanted to do something about it.”
Fortunately, a young married couple from Meadow Lake who recently moved to Osoyoos are amongst his best friends and he will be staying with them once he gets settled in town, said McIntyre.
Since Dr. Robert Calder, the founder of the Osoyoos Medical Centre, announced Dr. McIntyre had been hired, hundreds of local residents have registered as new patients and there’s also a waiting list.
While starting a family practice is exciting, McIntyre said being able to offer his talents in the Emergency Room at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) played a key role in him accepting his new position.
“Being able to do ER work was a big part of the package,” said McIntyre. “I’ve had to do a lot of work in the ER during my residency and I just love it. Getting to be involved in ER work definitely played a key role in me choosing Osoyoos to start by career.”
When he’s not at work, McIntyre said pursuing his passion for sports will take up a lot of his free time.
“I’m an avid golfer and I hope to really start focusing on my golf game because there isn’t a lot of free time when you’re in medical school,” he said. “I also play hockey and I love water sports like water skiing and wakeboarding.
“I know Osoyoos is famous for it’s great weather and beaches, so I’m really looking forward to enjoying everything the community has to offer.”
McIntyre said he can’t think of a better place to live than the South Okanagan and he plans on being here for a long time.
“What I hope happens is I would love to settle in Osoyoos and run a successful full-time family practice and do as much as I possibly can to help run the ER in Oliver,” he said. “This is a pretty magical place so I plan on having a lot of fun when I’m not at work.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
Dr. Jayden McIntyre. (Richard McGuire photo)
