The Humboldt Medical Clinic is welcoming two new doctors to their staff, Dr. Lesley Kelly and Dr. Arvind Rengarajan.
Kelly, her husband, and her 2-year-old daughter moved here in August, and she started working at the clinic in September as a family doctor.
"I always wanted to do rural practice," said Kelly. "I like that it's close to Saskatoon, so we can get out of Dodge when we really need to. It's a really good fit."
Kelly originally grew up in northern Ontario and moved to Saskatchewan with her family when she was in Grade 12. Ever since high school, Kelly said she always knew she wanted to be a doctor.
After moving here, she attended the University of Saskatchewan and then went back to Ontario to study in medical school.
"I met my husband while studying my undergrad," said Kelly. "We were married while I was in my third year of medical school."
Kelly's husband is no stranger to Saskatchewan locals either. He grew up playing hockey in the midget and junior divisions in Nipawin. After college, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played in their farm system and then went over to Europe.
"He was in Norway for three years. My daughter was born while I was over there visiting him. We planned to have the baby there so that we could be together," said Kelly. "We came home when the season was done."
After finishing medical school, Kelly returned to Saskatchewan to continue her residency. When her colleague, Dr. Rose Graf, asked her if she wanted to move to Humboldt and work with her, she agreed.
"I did my residency with her and we shared the same ideas for (medical) practices," said Kelly. "So I began working here in the emergency department in August and then started in the clinic (as a family doctor) in September."
"For my practice, I'm trying to focus on obstetrics," said Kelly. "I focused my studies on women's health. It's something I enjoy and you get to take care of their babies after."
According to Kelly, she and her husband agreed on moving to Humboldt because of the community.
"It's a really progressive community," she said. "There are a lot of activities and things for children. It's a really great place to raise kids. Plus, we were very impressed by the golf course."
Kelly isn't the only one who moved here because of the community's potential. Dr. Rengarajan also moved here with his family because he saw the community as evolving.
"I was looking for a change from England and to try a different health system," said Rengarajan. "We were looking more into rural areas and we saw a lot of potential here."
Rengarajan traveled around Canada last year visiting various clinics and communities. He and his wife decided on Humboldt because of its close proximity to Saskatoon.
"It's a great place to start a new life and because it's so close to Saskatoon, we get the best of both worlds," he said. "We like the people we met here last year and we wanted to go to a smaller community."
Rengarajan has been practicing medicine for the past 22 years. Although originally born in the southern part of India, he is a U.K. trained physician and has a surgical background. He also has a special interest in cardiology and all aspects of general practice, including contraception, chronic disease management and holistic health care.
He moved to Humboldt last week and began working at the clinic on Sept. 16. Since moving here, he has already seen a difference since his visit last year.
"This place is constantly changing. It's a real work in progress," said Rengarajan. "It's been a big move for us. We moved down here with a view to stay for a long time."
Rengarajan moved here with his wife and two of his three kids. His eldest daughter is studying medicine in the UK, his second daughter his studying pre-medicine courses at the University of Regina, and his youngest son is in Grade three at Humboldt Public School. They were originally living in Leicester, England.
"I was lucky because Canada recognizes all medical training in England," said Rengarajan. "I wanted to be part of an evolving community socially and professionally."
