KAMSACK — A new general practitioner at the Assiniboine Valley Medical Clinic, Dr. Hamed Dallali, offered insights into various aspects of his life and career. The conversation covered topics ranging from Dr. Dallali's background and education to his interests outside of medicine such as music.
Dr. Dallali expressed his interest in exploring more of Kamsack and its surroundings, emphasizing his commitment to getting to know the community and providing the best possible care. The conversation concluded with an exciting proposal to include recordings of Dr. Dallali playing his instruments in the digital online article, to which he agreed.
Dr. Dallali, who began working as a general practitioner in 2006, mentioned the variability of his workdays, noting that patient attendance can be unpredictable. He attributed his early interest in medicine to his uncle's extensive collection of medical books.
“I was interested in medicines as a kid. Well, I have an uncle who is a specialist and I remember he had a big library full of medical books and I used to go there and look at the pictures and that's what triggered my interest in medicine. And then, as I was spending my days at school in high school, I decided to get into medicine.”
Having completed his education in Iran, Dr. Dallali provided a glimpse into his family life, mentioning his recent move to Canada with his wife, who joined him, and two uncles residing in Ontario. When asked about his impressions of Kamsack since starting in August 2023, Dr. Dallali acknowledged the town's diversity and population, though he highlighted the occasional challenges due to the clinic's limitations.
“Well, I'm new to it. I started in August, I like it so far. And I looked at diversity and population, different ethnic groups. And so far, it's been so good, but sometimes we can be really busy. And some patients could not be satisfied with the care we provide because we have limitations here.”
The discussion took a musical turn when Dr. Dallali revealed his love for music, mentioning that he plays three instruments, including the piano and two Persian traditional instruments called the santur and tonbak. He also shared his plans to further his piano skills by seeking additional training.
“Well, I've never tried winter sports. I definitely would love to watch them, but I don't think I'm young enough to start any of them. I don't want to get injured. But I'm going to start going to the gym and I have other hobbies. I love music. And I'm planning to find a music teacher and start further training with piano.”
He also went into further detail regarding the traditional Persian instruments he plays.
“I play two Persian traditional instruments. The first is a kind of cymbalom called santur. It’s a trapezoid shaped wooden instrument with two sets of strings on bridges (four strings for each note) and is played by two mallets. The second one is a percussion called tonbak. It looks like a wooden vase covered by sheepskin, and it is normally positioned diagonally across the torso, and played using one or more fingers and palms on the drumhead.
“I started music at the age of thirteen by playing the piano, and then the other two instruments during my teenage years and early university.”
