Dr. Ashok Sachdeva is currently a family physician practicing at Ridgeway Walk-In Medical Clinic in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In the past, he practiced as a Otolyngologic surgeon in Kuwait.
“When I went to my family physician as a child, I thought that he had a magic wand through which he could cure all diseases. I got interested in healthcare since I wanted to possess the magic wand.
My practice is very interesting. In one day, I can see patients coming in for a minor sore throat to severe chest paint. Apart from making a diagnosis and treating patients, my most important role is counselling them about making a change in their lifestyles and listening to their individual stories.
A patient that had a very prominent impact on me was a 50 year old man who presented negative during regular screening for colon cancer and also had no family history of colon cancer. But he suddenly developed abdominal pains, and a CT revealed he had advanced stage colon cancer with metastasis. This experience made me
realize how uncertain life is and that every moment needs to be enjoyed to the fullest.
One of the challenges I faced in my journey as a physician, was living without my family for two years in Kuwait where I worked as a Otolyngologic surgeon. When we later moved to Canada, another challenge I faced was finding a job in Otolaryngology. The decision to switch to family medicine was hard to make in the beginning but now I enjoy it, since I am able to make use of my otolaryngology knowledge most of the time in my practice.
One of my goals is to expand my clinic to an urgent care centre so that waiting times in emergency rooms are reduced.”
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