Doctor Evaristus Idanwekhai, more commonly known as Dr. Eva has undertaken a positive approach to the ongoing issues of too few physicians and emergency room closures at the Princeton General Hospital.
Dr. Eva is quite proud of how the community has come together with these issues, “ It’s great when you come together,” he said, “It is very positive, build on that to create more drive.” Dr. Eva feels that creating exposure to our community will be most helpful in “getting our name out there.”
In May of this year, Dr. Eva had a resident working with him, who now has an interest in working within our community. Beginning Monday, July 8, a UBC medical student began her first day of work with Dr. Eva at Princeton General Hospital.
Samantha Chittick is currently serving her Rural Family Medicine rotation. She will work with Dr. Eva serving full shifts in the Cascade Clinic and at the emergency room for the next month. She is joined for a week by her husband Matt, an opera singer who is on his way to perform in Italy.
Chittick is a third year UBC student, who will be off to Washington for a rotation in Psychiatry when she has completed her rotation here. She will serve a rotation in all the major specialties. She has two more years of education until her residency and then another two to five years dependant upon her specialty of choice. Chittick has already decided that she would like to specialize in Rural Family Medicine.
“I need to give back,” said Dr. Eva, “It makes me happy.” Dr. Eva believes the best way for students to learn is through exposure. Working at the hospital will provide that kind of exposure and being in the community will provide the social aspect of the experience. “Who knows,” he said, “before you know it we could have specialists and more coming.”
Once Samantha Chittick has finished her term in Princeton, Dr. Eva will begin a rotation with a new student from UBC and has already received a request for afterwards. “They want me to take two at once!” he exclaimed with a chuckle.
Dr. Eva is also looking forward to the arrival of Dr. Sandhu who will begin her tenure in Princeton in August.