Practising family medicine in Invermere means being a generalist in the truest sense. Physicians care for patients in the clinic, take shifts in the emergency department at Invermere & District Hospital, and care for patients in long term care facilities. Physicians also get to work closely with the First Nations communities. It is a broad scope of practise; and for the right physician, that variety is part of the appeal.

Dr. Chris Sveen knows that stepping into rural emergency medicine can feel intimidating. He grew up in Calgary, completed rural residency training in Red Deer in 2015 and practiced in Lacombe before moving to Invermere in 2020. Today, he practises at the Invermere Medical Clinic and serves as Chief of Staff at the Invermere District Hospital.

When he was considering the move to Invermere, Dr. Sveen wondered about practicing farther from a major centre. The Columbia Valley, and Invermere in particular, is a recreation haven. As such, he expected a high volume of trauma associated with an active mountain community. What he discovered was a remarkable breadth of medicine, but also a team that doesn't expect physicians to manage it alone.

Invermere's emergency department sees everything from everyday medical concerns to high acuity trauma cases. As the Columbia Valley grows and welcomes more residents and visitors, physicians encounter an increasingly diverse range of patients and clinical presentations. That makes Invermere a particularly good fit for physicians who enjoy variety, problem-solving and maintaining a broad skill set.

"If someone does not enjoy acuity, it might not be right for them," Dr. Sveen says. But you don't need to arrive as an emergency medicine specialist. Family medicine training with rural emergency room experience is sufficient to work at the hospital, and while some local physicians have additional emergency medicine training, not all do.

“Many physicians will wonder if their skillset will translate into the new role.” Say Dr.Sveen. “If their residency or clinical experience involves managing a rural emergency room then they can apply that learning to a mountain town setting. If someone does not enjoy acuity, it might not be right for them.” What matters is a willingness to learn. Invermere can facilitate buddy shifts in the ER through RCCBC funding. Further, there is a supportive group of physicians and ongoing CME to help maintain competency.

The physicians who are likely to thrive in Invermere aren't necessarily those who already know how to do everything. They're physicians who want to keep learning and doing different things.

They enjoy knowing their patients and being part of a community. They're comfortable collaborating, asking colleagues for advice and knowing when a patient needs a higher level of care. Rather than wanting to narrow their practice, they're energized by the opportunity to maintain a wide range of skills.

The team matters too.

Dr. Sveen describes the culture among Invermere's physicians and health-care professionals as collegial, patient-centred, fast-paced and fun. Many are friends outside of work as well as colleagues inside the hospital.

"What really put Invermere over the top was the congenial and kind physician team," he says.

BC's compensation system also recognizes aspects of rural and longitudinal practice. Eligible family physicians can use the Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model, while Invermere physicians may qualify for additional incentives.

For Dr. Sveen, the combination of challenging medicine, supportive colleagues and life in the Columbia Valley is difficult to match.