Marathon doctor receives Ontario's Family Physician of the Year award
CBC
Dr. Barbara Zelek, from Marathon, Ont., can now call herself an award-winning physician.
Zelek was awarded the 2021 Ontario Family Physician of the Year by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
"The Reg L. Perkin Family Physician of the Year Award is the OCFP's highest honour, presented annually to a family doctor who provides exceptional patient care and improves the health of communities and wellbeing of society," stated a news release from the college of family physicians.
Zelek, who graduated in 2000 and started practicing in Marathon two years later, and is coming up on 20 years in the north shore community.
After a long day of doing a clinic, seeing patients, and going through virtual meetings, it was when she was catching up on emails when she found out she had won the award.
"Honestly, I was shocked. Obviously, it's a huge honour to be receiving this award," said Zelek.
Zelek said her colleague, the main person behind her nomination, happened to be in the clinic that day and right across the hall when Zelek found out she won.
"So I had this very exciting moment where I was able to run over and let her know and say thank you and also give her a big hug."
There wasn't an in-person awards ceremony, but there was a virtual one which she participated in along with a few of her friends to support her.
Zelek also gets a certificate which she can frame and put up on the wall. She said it's great to be recognized for this award but it isn't something she did alone.
"This award to me is a testament to the people that I get to work with and the teams … that I get to work with and the work that we do together."
Zelek's road to Marathon started in her third year of medical school and she had to do a placement where she went to Sioux Lookout. She says that experience was transformative for her and got her thinking about rural family medicine.
Along the way, she started doing locums, essentially being a supply doctor, in many rural communities in Ontario. Those stints brought her to places like Sioux Lookout, Manitouwadge, and eventually Marathon.
"After some time, the group said, 'Do you want to stay?' And I thought, 'OK, well, I can try it out for a year.'"
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