Dr. Fraser is a General Practitioner in rural Nova Scotia. She is a physician for university students and also works in the fields of sexual health, mental health and addictions. Finally, she works as a hospitalist, caring for inpatients. For more information, visit www.sarahfrasermd.com
"The variety that each day brings is stimulating and boredom is completely impossible.
Writing is another passion of mine. In med school, I wrote the book Humanity
Emergency, a collection of medically-themed poetry reflecting on life and lessons in
medicine. Through blogging about medicine, I’m able to reach a wide audience and
spark interesting conversations.
In the addiction medicine clinic where I work, I prescribe opioid replacement therapy
(methadone and buprenorphine-naloxone) for patients with opioid use disorder. These
are life-saving medications and they can help patients in incredible ways. One of my
patients, who was previously unemployed and using IV drugs, recently told me that she
is enrolled in a professional trades program. “I feel like I’m getting my life back” is one of
the most inspiring statements I can hear.
As for what the future brings, I’d like to publish another book of poetry, learn Mandarin
and create a podcast. I want to have a chronically organized home (Marie Kondo-style).
My broader aspirations are to inspire societal change, recognizing that this can be done
on-the-daily by advocating for individual patients. To sum it up, I want the world and its
people to thrive.
Though we have a public health care system in Canada, poverty is a major barrier in
patients not receiving care. Many of us in the field of health are uncomfortably familiar
with situations where patients must decide between paying for medications versus food
or rent. In my opinion, eradicating poverty would have the biggest impact on improving
health."
