CANORA — Two new physicians have been recruited to the Canora area. The first to be profiled in The Canora Courier is Dr. Nooshin Behravan, who is originally from Iran and immigrated to Canada in 2013. Behravan began her work at the Canora Health and Wellness Centre on February 1.
“I decided to become a doctor when I was in high school,” she said. “My grandmother had progressive Alzheimer’s. She could not even remember her children’s names at late stages of her disease. She was very kind and always had beautiful stories for us from the past. I was so upset seeing her condition deteriorating. That is the time that I decided to become a doctor to help my loved ones and all other people who suffer from different medical conditions.”
Behravan received her medical training in her home country of Iran. After her arrival in Canada, she achieved her Masters in Family and Community Medicine from the University of Toronto. She said she has thoroughly enjoyed her career choice.
“Being a doctor can be tremendously fulfilling. Being accepted to medical school was very competitive and was such an affirming event for me. Being a doctor means that you get to become a part of the lives of a lot of wonderful people. You learn every day, and many people are grateful for your efforts to help them.”
Prior to immigrating to Canada, Behravan worked as a family physician in Iran for 12 years, and then worked for a year in Wadena before coming to Canora. She has discovered that there are many challenging steps involved in qualifying to work as a family physician in Canada and in Saskatchewan.
“I have successfully passed five medical exams in Canada,” she explained. “I have passed the IELTS test (International English Language Testing System), panel interviews, and had three months of clinical assessment in Saskatchewan.”
Even though she has only been in Canora for a short time, Behravan said she is enjoying her new position.
“People around me are very nice and friendly. Sometimes we get very busy here, but what makes me fulfilled, is the nature of my job. Providing care for my patients is what I love the most. My main goal is to provide excellent health care to the community of Canora and surrounding area. I will do my best to medically manage acute and chronic medical conditions according to Canadian guidelines with focus on preventive medicine.”
Coming to Saskatchewan and getting used to the cold winter weather was a significant adjustment compared to previously living in Iran, and even in Toronto.
“However, I have already spent one year in Saskatchewan, and I got used to it,” shared Behravan. “Also, I really love the sunshine in Saskatchewan, and we have more sunny days in Saskatchewan than in Toronto. Canora is a beautiful little town, with beautiful lakes nearby.”
Behravan’s husband Reza is a pharmacist and is in the process of getting his Pharma-D license for Canada. Their daughters Negar, 23, and Yasmin, 19, are students at the University of Calgary and the U of S.
She is looking forward to getting to know Canora better, meeting people and enjoying her spare time.
“I like spending time with my dog, Coco, taking him for walks, reading books, watching movies, or doing outdoor activities if the weather is good.”
