NTHSSA Welcomes Two New Family Medicine Residents to Yellowknife

YELLOWKNIFE (July 22, 2021) – The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority is pleased to welcome two new additions to the Family Medicine Residency Program in Yellowknife. 

Dr. Eleanor Crawford and Dr. Sonja Poole will be joining a team of enthusiastic physician preceptors and two senior residents in the Yellowknife Family Medicine Training Site. For the next two years, the residents will be based out of  Yellowknife in the Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic and the Frame Lake Community Health Clinic, and will complete rotations at the Stanton Territorial Hospital and the Inuvik Regional Hospital. Each resident will also be linked to another community and will go on regular travel clinic visits.

To complete their training to become a family physician, family medicine residents in Canada must complete a 2 year Residency Program. For family medicine residents seeking urban, rural and remote training, Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories serves as the perfect environment to expand their scope of practice and provides diverse learning opportunities.

In 2020, Yellowknife became the newest training site in the University of Alberta Family Medicine Residency Program. The Northwest Territories has been training resident physicians on medical electives for many years now, and has worked to build continuing relationships with the University of British Columbia, McMaster University, the University of Calgary, and the University of Alberta. By moving to the next step and partnering with the University of Alberta to provide their residency training programming in the Northewst Territories, it is a great opportunity for future family medicine residents, as well as the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services System.

Biographies

Dr. Eleanor Crawford was born and raised in Iqaluit, and often travelled across Nunavut and the Northwest Territories throughout her youth competing in Arctic Winter Games. In 2015, Dr. Crawford graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a Major in Neuroscience and a Minor in Global Health. After completing her Bachelors degree, Dr. Crawford worked in Health Policy for the Government of Nunavut, and later as a research assistant for the Pediatric Brain Trauma Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2015-2017. In 2021, Dr. Crawford graduated with a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Alberta, and completed her clerkship in rural Alberta.

Dr. Sonja Poole was born in Yellowknife, and grew up in rural British Columbia as a child. In 2015, Dr. Poole graduated from St. Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics, a Major in Kinesiology and a Minor in Health Sciences.For her Integrated Community Clerkship, Dr. Poole worked in the rural community of Trail, British Columbia. In 2021, Dr. Poole graduated with a Doctor of Medicine from the University of British Columbia Northern Medical Program. Dr. Poole has a passion for medicine and the outdoors, and is excited to reconnect with her hometown of Yellowknife.

 

Quote

“We’re thrilled to welcome our newest Family Medicine Residents to Yellowknife! The residents that enter our program are valued members of our healthcare team, and their voices and opinions help to shape this program for future learners. We’re happy to be working with the University of Alberta to bring urban, rural and remote learning opportunities to future family physicians in Canada.”

Dr. David Pontin, MC CCFP(EM)

Family Medicine Residency Program Site Co-Director, Territorial Lead - Medical Education

 

Media Contact

Jack Miltenberger

Communications Coordinator

Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority

TEL: 867-767-9107 ext. 40152

EMAIL: jacky_miltenberger@gov.nt.ca