Six doctors practicing in Labrador were recently recognized for their contributions to rural medicine.
The awards were given out at the 27th Annual Rural and Remote Medicine Award dinner and banquet held April 5 in Halifax by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC).
Dr. Gabe Woollam and Dr. Charlene Fitzgerald were presented with the Fellowship of Rural and Remote Medicine of the SRPC. According to the SRPC, the award is designed to recognize expertise in the practice of rural medicine in Canada and is given out to physicians who are previous recipients of the Rural Service Award and who have been members of the SRPC for the last five consecutive years.
Fitzgerald was also awarded the Rural Long Service Award, given to physicians who have served rural Canada for 20 years or more, who live in rural Canada and have previously received the Rural Service Award. Dr. Robert Forsey and Dr. Judith Ophel also received this award.
Dr. Jeffrey Patterson received the Rural Service Award for physicians who have served rural Canada for 10 years or more.
The final award winner was Dr. Caroline Patterson, winner of the Rural Resident Essay contest for a non-fiction essay about her rural experience.
