Northern Health offers a diverse array of beautiful Northern locations to work in. For example, new grad Frederik, an occupational therapist who trained in Quebec, has worked in Prince George and Hazelton, and has just moved to Haida Gwaii. She trained as an occupational therapist in Quebec at McGill University in Montreal, where she gained an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in occupational therapy. After graduating, she worked for six months in CLSC Parc Extension in Quebec, a setting similar to home care.
“I picked the CLSC area because many of the patients were of various cultural backgrounds,” says Frederik. “Working with translators and navigating care was a challenge, but it was very rewarding. Now that I'm in BC, I love being able to work with the Indigenous communities.”
Grow your experience in the North
Frederik moved to Prince George with her partner for his training in the summer of 2022, and worked on a primary care interprofessional team there for a year before moving to Hazelton. In Hazelton, she was the only occupational therapist in the community, providing care to community services, long-term care, and to patients and clients in Wrinch Memorial Hospital.
“Since I started at Northern Health in August of 2022, the managers have been so great to work with,” she says.
Many people have supported her since she started working at Northern Health. The team leads in Prince George were very accommodating and supportive, and her rehab practice leads and colleagues in Prince George "were instrumental at supporting me in becoming the OT I am today,” she says. “They were all fantastic and so supportive.”
While in Prince George, Frederik would do “little knowledge checks,” running questions by a coworker to doublecheck that she was on the right track. She has also asked a colleague for help with a complex seating assessment, and has partnered with a physiotherapist to learn more about their role and how to work collaboratively.
“If you had told me a year ago that I would be the only occupational therapist in a community covering acute, long-term care, and community, I would have panicked,” she says. “My experience over the past year has helped me to get to this place.”
Where everybody knows your name
Frederik loves how all the health care professionals in our small Northern communities know their patients personally and have long histories with them and their families.
While in Hazelton, Frederik particularly enjoyed being surrounded by the mountains. She joined a choir, went cross-country skiing in the winter, and took her dog Milo on many beautiful wilderness walks.
“The Hazelton community has been very welcoming,” she says.
Northern Health has been supportive in Frederik’s first year and a half of work. She has been able to make use of new graduate funding for extra education and training for professional development, which has helped her grow as an occupational therapist. As well, Northern Health’s occupational therapists often come together as a “community of practice” where they can discuss updates, ask for help and suggestions, and generally support each other. Frederik feels fortunate to have met the other occupational therapists face-to-face and also enjoys chatting with them online while she travels around.
“I’m moving to Haida Gwaii for a short-term contract while my partner is there for training,” says Frederik. “We enjoy travelling around, but we hope to stay in Northern BC long-term once he’s finished his training.”
Check out the Northern Health Careers website for current opportunities in our communities!
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