november/ december 2010
DOCTORS life + leisure
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DOCTORS life + leisure
November/december 2010
contents
november/december 2010 Editor and Art Director Barb Sligl Editorial Assistant Adam Flint Contributors Dave Hobson Dr. Holly Fong Janet May Dr. Chris Pengilly Dr. Neil Pollock Manfred Purtzki Lisa Richardson Dr. Alex Russell Dr. Kelly Silverthorn Corey Van’t Haaff Dr. Monica Yuzak Cover photo B. Sligl Senior Account Executive Monique Mori
Account Executive Lily Yu
Sales, Classifieds and Advertising In Print Circulation Office 710 – 938 Howe St. Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9 Canada Phone: 604-681-1811 Fax: 604-681-0456 Email: info@AdvertisingInPrint.com
Associate Publisher Linh T. Huynh
16 32 FEATURES
16 peak powder Heli-skiing in the mountains of interior BC 32 spice island Sampling the many flavours of Grenada
Production Manager Ninh Hoang
Circulation Fulfillment Alison Mulvey CME Development Adam Flint
COLUMNS
DEPARTMENTS
8 doctor on a soapbox
5 November/December mix
Founding Publisher Denise Heaton
The Justice System
clockwise from top left: Dave Hobson; b. Sligl (2)
Just For Canadian Doctors is published 6 times a year by In Print Publications and distributed to Canadian physicians. Publication of advertisements and any opinions expressed do not constitute endorsement or assumption of liability for any claims made. The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright. None of the contents of the magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of In Print Publications.
10 motoring
In Print Publications 710 – 938 Howe St. Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9 Canada
12 prescribing R & R 19 CME calendar
Testing the Panamera
18 techworks
26 employment opportunities
26 classifieds
The Lungpacer
30 the wine doctor
Viva Italia!
35 the food doctor
Printed in Canada.
miss an issue? check out our website!
38 small talk with Dr. David May
Linger over brunch
36 the wealthy doctor
www.justforcanadiandoctors.com
37 sudoku
Retirement wealth
cover photo:
A hot spot for winter getaways? The Caribbean, of course. Here, snow transforms to sand on a tropical beach in the sunny Caribbean.
November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
3
from the editor
Use your head to protect your skin.
Physicians know a thing or two about sun protection. That’s why we know you and your patients will appreciate that all Tilley Hats are certified UPF 50+ and most Tilley Travel Clothing is sun protective too. For information on our Physician Hat Program email sylviap@tilley.com.
Toronto • Montreal • Vancouver For a local retail store or mail order: 1-800-363-8737 www.Tilley.com
winter escape
L
ate fall and early winter is here again. In the last months of the year, things slow down. We slow down. But we also get revved up for the holidays—visiting family or just getting away. So, where to? Many of us will choose warmer climes if possible. Like Grenada. Just off the coast of Venezuela, it’s one of the most southern of the Caribbean isles. And it’s divine…literally, according to Columbus, who named it Concepción. From nutmeg-infused fare to waterfalls gushing into idyllic pools, it’s hard not to become captivated too (page 32). Then there’s a food fest in the Cayman Islands (hard to beat a combo of cuisine + Caribbean) and a Spanish school in Costa Rica (page 7). Need another option? Not as warm…but warmer (and rainier) than the typical snowy Canadian winters. London’s foggy, drizzly skies still provide plenty of colour and cure for the winter blues. The cosmopolitan city’s vibrant culture, fashion, art and food scene is calling! (See page 19.) Of course, type-A personalities won’t be content to museum hop or loll on a beach or sit poolside (despite the obvious appeal). With a touch of the hardcore and a little chill factor, heli-skiing is the go-to escape once winter hits. It’s all about vertical drop and powder depth for ski and snowboard aficionados. Lucky for them, there are plenty of options on Canada’s west coast. The powder beckons…(page 16). Wherever you go, happy holidays! See pages 12 and 14 for the fifth and sixth finalists in our R & R writing contest. Dr. Monica Yuzak shares her adventure in Buenos Aires, and Dr. Alex Russell takes you along on his backpacking trip into the wilds of BC. The winner of an all-expensespaid trip with Quark Expeditions will be drawn from the six finalists and announced at justforcanadiandoctors. com on December 15. Thank you to all those who sent in a submission. We’ll continue to publish runner-up stories in 2011. And please continue to share your own adventures with Just For Canadian Doctors’ readers, whether at home or afar. Send us your stories! Barb Sligl, BA, MPub feedback@InPrintPublications.com
mix
what/when/where > november/december
style | food | shows | festivals | places | getaways | gear…
this is
arkansas There are a few things you probably know about Arkansas—it’s the home of President Clinton and the base of Wal-Mart. But there’s plenty more to this state—from the Ozark Mountains to the crisp Arkansas Black apple (delicious). First, see the splendour of the Ozarks from Whitaker Point, Arkansas’ most-photographed spot (with good reason) 1 . Locals call it Hawksbill Crag, named so by Dr. Compton, a GP known as the “Saviour of the Buffalo River.” He saved the river, far below this scene, from damming by campaigning to designate it a National River in the US. Not far from here is an idyllic getaway at the Buffalo Outdoor Center, where you can hole up in a luxurious log cabin (Mary Steenburgen’s a regular visitor) overlooking the Ozarks (buffaloriver.com). In Bentonville, visit Compton Gardens, Dr. Compton’s former home turned into a conference centre and public park (comptongardens.org). Here you can listen to mockingbirds and discover indigenous flora like the bulbous bright-green fruit of the Osage Orange tree 2 . For a taste of historic Arkansas, go to Eureka Springs in the Ozarks, where there are 2,000 jacuzzis for 2,500 people 3 . The quaint town is the site of more than 60 natural springs and has long been a place of pilgrimage for healing. The Osage Indians believed in the waters’ restorative qualities, and after a doctor brought his sick son here in the late 1800s, the town flourished (eurekasprings.org). The famed Crescent Hotel, an imposing castle of a building overlooking the town, was built as a resort in 1886 and later became a quasi cancer-treatment centre and hospital in the ’30s, run by the so-called Dr. Norman Baker—later exposed as a fraud. It’s said the now-refurbished hotel is haunted (part of its appeal), with Dr. Baker’s ill-fated patients roaming the halls…Take a ghost tour to see the former morgue, or gaze over the surrounding countryside at the seven-story Christ of the Ozarks atop a hill (the second-largest statue of Christ after Rio’s) 4 while sampling a “Rib Removal” (a beef-rib dish, of course) in Dr. Baker’s Bistro and Sky Bar (crescent-hotel.com). This is weird and wonderful Arkansas. For more info, visit arkansas.com.
1 3
2
b. Sligl (4)
4
getaway
November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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mix
november/december
london
calling
stay/ hotel
The Arch is a chic boutique hotel in London’s West End. A short walk from the Marble Arch tube stop and the northeast corner of Hyde Park, the 82-room luxury bolthole was created out of seven Georgian townhouses and two mews homes (with original sash windows) on a tranquil residential street, making you feel like part of the posh set in Marylebone. Selfridges, Oxford and Bond Streets, and the medical scene of Harley Street are all in your neighbourhood. Inside you’re amidst on-trend colours, hip patterns and sumptuous finishes—classic Brit style that’s very now. Luxe bathrooms boast black granite, rain showers, flat-screen TVs (a rugby match and bubble bath go together quite well), and Malin + Goetz amenities. Beyond your suite is HUNter 486, The Arch London’s bar and restaurant (the name refers to Marylebone’s 1950s district dialing code), where you can sample an Earlgrey MarTeani and perhaps some panroasted guinea fowl. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World network, this hideaway off Hyde Park makes a stylish base in London. thearchlondon.com —B. Sligl For more on London and upcoming CME events there, see page 19.
the goods
Goodies for the holiday season—to give and get. Tis the season!
sweet scent Soy candles burn better and longer. And they’re more eco too. But all that is secondary to the evocative scents. Our pick: the divine smelling Portuguese
dish it
dish it
Olive Blossom, like a blooming orchard at home. kobocandles.com under cover Award season has unleashed some provocative must-reads. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, there’s Peter Carey’s Parrot and Olivier, set in 19th-century America and inspired by the life of Alexis de Tocqueville. The Tiger, by Vancouverite John Vaillant, tells the true story of a man-eating tiger on the prowl near a remote village in Russia’s Far East. And, out in paperback this January is The Imperfectionists, a debut novel with a lot of buzz (Brad Pitt optioned the film rights) that follows the lives behind an international English-language
newspaper in Rome. randomhouse.ca dish it Cool thermo cups with hot tattoos. Pick a pair: Faith & Hope or Love & Luck. menu.as gadget gear Set your iPhone apart with an eco case made out of wood. Sleek and sustainable. accessorygeeks.com. —B.S.
gift
gadget gear
top left photos: b. Sligl (2)
gift it!
sweet scent
under cover
plunge in! Immersed in It‘s distracting when monkeys hang from the trees over your homework. At the Intercultura campus in Samara, Costa Rica, there are many things to take your mind off studies: a surfing beach just outside the gateway, water so warm you barely feel it, yoga and salsa dancing after school. It’s a wonder that any homework gets done: but you can’t avoid learning Spanish here. The classes are not a push over. Spanish only is spoken, and class size is six or less. This is not
the place for those wanting to hide in the back and listen. Cheating is difficult since most of the other students are from Europe and speak little English. Instructors patiently draw out the most reluctant speaker. They are imaginative communicators, so students always know, more or less, what is going on. Ticos are friendly and patient people, and the village locals are accustomed to being interviewed by students on assignment. Students can live with a family, and
mix
november/december
in Costa Rica augment their learning with stories told around the dinner table. (Everything is more dramatic in Spanish!) But be warned, this may not be the most comfortable choice. Some families are friendlier than others, and all live simply, no air-conditioning, bugs in the bathroom, and bland cooking. Intercultura’s students are part of the community and contribute to the local economy in several ways. Many of the instructors are from nearby, and the school itself is integrated with the village.
The school’s donations range from roof repairs to comclassputers for the elementary school, and they also provide art and music programs for local kids on campus. No question, these week-long, immersion classes are a memorable way to learn more Spanish. Just watch that the monkeys don’t eat your homework. —Janet May
room
For more information, check out interculturacostarica.com and samaralanguageschool.com
Osetra Bay
the quite culinary
courtesy cayman islands tourism
sunny days
caymanislands For those well travelled, Cayman Islands is a food the destination long known for culinary excellence. These three idyllic islands, tucked in the western Caribbean, have a loyal following of repeat visitors who enjoy an array of top-drawer dining options. The tiny trio of islands has over 150 dining choices, offering both locals and travellers great diversity, quality and selection. Grand Cayman is the home to Seven Mile Beach, a seemingly endless strip of white powdery sand and impossibly blue water. As each sun-drenched day comes to a close, the scene transitions from the beach to the culinary offerings along West Bay Road, and more recently, to George Town’s Camana Bay. Restaurants and patio lounges fill with patrons seeking custom cocktails and dining options that rival South Beach, Vancouver or Toronto. What other sun destination can offer eight Wine Spectator-rated restaurants within a few miles of each other? Those close to the food scene in Grand Cayman speak of a culinary renaissance— an urban chic movement—that is drawing international attention. Newly built Camana Bay, a town development adjacent to the capital city of George Town, has stunning modern design, upscale shops and a vibrant urban sensibility. There’s a definite vibe happening here on the patios and long bars of Abacus and Michaels Genuine Food and Drink at cocktail hour. And a quick trip over to Morgan’s Harbour takes you to casually swank Osetra Bay,
fest
a chic waterside dining experience with flowing white linen gazebos and a hip indoor lounge. It’s uptown in a beautifully relaxed Caymanian way. Foodies will flock here this January, when the Cayman Islands host the world’s most talented chefs at the the third annual Cayman Cookout. Venerated Chef Susur Lee, touted by Food & Wine magazine as “one of the best chefs of the millennium,” will be featured alongside Chef Eric Ripert (creator of the acclaimed restaurants, Blue and NYC’s Le Bernardin). Representing Canada, Lee was personally invited by Ripert to join what has become an unparalleled experience for gourmands and oenophiles in Grand Cayman. Cayman Cookout, sponsored by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and Food & Wine magazine, is a four-day feast of epicurean experiences including demonstrations, tastings and excursions, as well as personal encounters with participating world-class chefs and sommeliers. This year’s super-star line-up, hosted by Ripert, includes Lee along with culinary masters Anthony Bourdain, José Andrés, Rachel Allen, Michael Schwartz, Charlie Trotter, Food & Wine magazine’s Gail Simmons, and wine and spirits experts Ray Isle, Anthony Giglio, Denis Cakebread and Bo Barrett. For such an idyllic Caribbean setting, the Cayman Islands clearly enjoy a secure footing in the international culinary world—and polished Canadian travellers are quickly catching on. Join the feast!
The Grand Cayman Cookout takes place January 13 – 16, 2011. Go to caymanislands.ky/cayman_cookout for more information.
Chef Susur Lee
Abacus
November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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d o c t o r o n a s o a p b o x D r . c h r i s p e n g i l ly Dr. Chris Pengilly is Just For Canadian Doctors’ current affairs columnist. Please send your comments to him via his website at drpeng.wordpress.com.
the justice system? The pervasion of this archaic and negative system into the physicians’ area of practice
I
am not Saint Christopher, but I do try to pay my who know a great deal about the law, but, with all
taxes on time, bill theJust medicalFor plan honestly, dueDoctors respects, have no specialized knowledge of For: Canadian
and generally fit unobtrusively into society. Recently, however, I came as close to having to go to prison as I ever want to. I was required to appear as a witness in a civil litigation that had been going on for 10 years. I was given just 10 days notice. Failure to appear, I was warned, would be viewed as “contempt of Court” punishable by incarceration. This is a daunting power in a free society—but it does not stop there…The maintenance or the scrapping of the long-form census. The legality of brothels. The implementation of the Harmonised Sales Tax. What do these have in common? They are all at risk of being usurped by the courts—with decisions being made by members of the judiciary
population statistics, public health or government finance. In this new millennium, the Court system (I cannot refer to it as the Justice system) bears a resemblance to the role of organized religion in the Middle Ages. It is autonomous. Judicial decisions carry the same aura as papal infallibility. An authority figure wearing fancy dress sits frontand-centre overlooking a convoluted ceremony conducted by other members of the profession wearing similar get-ups. When the minister judge enters the church courtroom all attendees are required to stand. I allow that a judge is a senior and knowledgeable person, but so is a proctologist. I have never seen all the staff in the operating room stand
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when my colleague enters to undertake some of the most difficult types of surgical procedure I have ever witnessed in my years administering anaesthetics. To speak against the system is still, in 2010, regarded as heresy. To my surprise and disquiet, when I casually mentioned my intention to write this essay, people expressed concern—asking me if I am not nervous to do so. When I did appear as a witness I was questioned for about two hours with attempts made to interpret my 10-year-old hospital progress note and discharge summary to say different from its clear original intent. Answers were cut off, one lawyer accused the other of “leading questions”—it had nothing to do with the real world, the real people involved, and the real pain a wrong decision causes. There has been much criticism of the police concerning the delay in apprehending William Picton. I suggest that if the judicial system was less complex with fewer technical loopholes, the police may well have proceeded sooner. Defenders of the current system say it protects the public against the potential tyranny of the police. It is also argued that it is better that three guilty persons go free than one be imprisoned incorrectly. In this regard the system has failed Donald Marshall Jr., David Milgaard and Guy Paul Morin amongst others. Physicians as well as nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners, make many, and occasionally life-and-death, decisions every day. These decisions do not take days, weeks or even months. The civil case in which I was a witness was scheduled to last three days. I am sure that, with a well-motivated mediator, it could have been settled in three hours. It is analogous to taking a week to diagnose and treat an acute appendicitis—by that time the patient is either moribund or dead. So why am I railing against a system that has been in place throughout the world for centuries? There are many reasons but the principal one is the pervasion of this archaic and negative system into the physicians’ area of practice. Medical practitioners should not be given carte blanche, with no regard to consequences of carelessness or malevolence, but we all, every day, order tests and interventions to protect against the ever-present threat of a malpractice suit. It costs the publicfunded system an inestimable fortune—money much better spent on direct and appropriate patient care.
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
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F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , C O N TA C T T H E S A L E S O F F I C E AT 4 1 6 . 2 1 4 . 2 8 0 0 O R V I S I T T A K E M E T O T R U M P. C A
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motoring
D r . k e l ly s i l v e r t h o r n
Dr. Kelly Silverthorn is a radiologist and Just For Canadian Doctors’ automotive writer.
tri-partite Panamera Revving Porsche’s new engine along the West Coast’s scenic motorways leashing the quintessential Q-ship for its first ever four-door sedan. All-wheel drive, 500 horsepower, and Valentine One collectively ride shotgun over the proceedings.
the direct route The border-to-border Le Carrera Panamericana was sprung on an unsuspecting world in 1950. The Mexican government sought to promote awareness of the paved completion of their section of the Panamerican Highway. A legend was born (with the race resurrected in 1989). Interestingly, Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) east-to-west wasn’t “completed” until 1962, when over half its 7,700 km were The Porsche Panamera,“with a top speed of 188 mph, 0 – 60 mph at an eyestill gravel! popping 3.5 seconds and all-wheel-drive sure-footedness,” may just be “the The most-direct route fastest multi-day cross-country tool currently available,” says Dr. Silverthorn, Calgary to Vancouver runs who tested it on some of BC’s most scenic and iconic highways (below). 980 km. It still follows the Trans-Canada westbound through Roger’s Pass and past the Last Spike at Craigellachie as far as Kamloops. Then the direct route follows the mid-1980s engineering masterpiece of the Coquihalla Highway.
west across the multiple mountain ranges to the Pacific shores. A huddle with Google Maps and presto…sum the nonrepeat road distances of the three available routes from Calgary to Vancouver nets the requisite 3,300 km. How convenient. I set the Panamera’s Satellite Radio on the $6,770 upgrade Burmester stereo to Classic Rock. Music, caffeine, and Hi-test Chevron will fuel the next five days. The Panamera Turbo and I creep out into the descending darkness. Its pedigree and potency are unparalleled—Porsche un-
10
Both highways boast majestic scenery. However, as the main artery of commerce between the Pacific and ROC (Rest of Canada), the BC portions of the TransCanada are an embarrassment to our great nation (ditto through Calgary proper!). The vast majority of BC’s TCH is just two lanes with flow claudication secondary to truckplaque and RV-thrombi. I hum Radar-love to myself, but to no avail.
best moment: T Rex belting out Bang-agong as the sun sets beyond snow-capped mountains two hours outside Vancouver on the serpentine, high-alpine, 110-kph-limit, six-lane Coquihalla. best side roads to explore: Yoho Valley Road (Cathedral Lodge) just east of Field, BC…and skipping the Coquihalla to run the now-traffic-free vestiges of the Trans Canada from Kamloops through the Fraser Canyon to Hope.
the southerly route This route eschews the Trans Canada near Lake Louise, Alberta, to run southwest through Kootenay National Park on Highway 93 to Radium Hot Springs, BC. I then follow Highway 93/95 along the floor of the expansive Columbia River Valley south to Cranbrook. My route heads west on Highway 3 parallel to the Canadian-US border, traversing multiple mountain passes and intervening valleys. The southern route is 1,125 unique kilometres. Though the roads are twolane highways, the traffic density (especially truck) is much lower than the Trans-Canada. This route boasts the Salmo-Creston-Skyway, the highest year-round pass in Canada. The tortuous Hope-Princeton Pass section is also remarkable for its tough traffic slogging if unequipped with superbikelevel overtaking capabilities. The Panamera’s 569 ft-lbs of torque shine throughout. best moment: Watching a bald eagle circle a tree-top beside glimmering Slocan Lake.
U.S.A.
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
best side roads to explore: Skip the aforementioned Skyway and instead take 3A, Kootenay Lake Ferry, 31, 31A, and 6 to visit Crawford Bay, Kaslo, New Denver and Nelson. As well, consider the Coalmont-
map: Tourism British Columbia
M
y historically inspired benchmark: 3,300 km over five days. Such was the prescription for Mexico’s legendary 1950 – 54 border-to-border car race, Le Carrera Panamericana. My conundrum is which 3,300 Canadian kilometres are best traversed on my five days with Porsche’s namesake Panamera? My prescribed starting point is prairiebound Calgary. Porsche’s “Sports car for four” Panamera demands testing on sporting roads. Logic dictates heading
motoring
continued
Tulameen Road out of Princeton (if clinically indicated).
the northerly route My familiarity with this route is the least of the three, and thus it generates my greatest anticipation. The route is the longest at 1,129 unique kilometres. I was not disappointed, save for the traffic density. Don’t these people know about the shorter routes? Nevertheless, if I could recommend only one CalgaryVancouver route, this would be the one. The route begins in West Vancouver, following Highway 99 through Whistler, Pemberton and Lillooet. Upon joining Highway 97 I head north into the Cariboo before heading east across Highway 24 to join the Yellowhead (Highway 5) at Little Fort. The Yellowhead then delivers me to majestic Jasper. The spectacular Ice Fields Highway (Highway 93) completes the return journey to Banff/Calgary. This route is tops in scenery (ice fields). It’s tops in twistiness (Whistler to Lillooet). The northern route visits all three of Western Canada’s most iconic resort communities of Whistler, Banff and Jasper, where the Porsche can blend easily into the automotive landscape. best moment: In the early morning mists XM plays Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven
as I drive the long climb out of Clearwater into Wells Gray Provincial Park to scenic Helmecken Falls.
best side roads to explore: The road from Mount Currie to Darcy. Also Lillooet to Lytton on Highway 12. The above-mentioned Clearwater Valley Road to Helmcken Falls. the car So enough about the 3,300 km. What about the car? Is it any good? Why has Porsche done a sedan? Isn’t it a stretch to name a sedan after a famous race? Five days of driving in any car tells you a lot about its character. The Panamera has world-class depth of dynamic abilities, especially in this top-of-the-range Turbo Sport Chrono form. With a top speed of 188 mph, 0 – 60 mph at an eye-popping 3.5 seconds and all-wheel-drive sure-footedness, it may be the fastest multi-day cross-country tool currently available. No other car I have driven provides this degree of performance, stability, and comfort for two people, let alone for the full four places and stealthful character the Panamera offers. These immense capabilities do come with compromises, and at a cost—$172,430 for our full-load Yachting-Blue-on-Cream full-leather version. The Panamera range in Canada starts at $88,000 MRSP with a 300-horsepower V-6 and rear-wheel-drive.
It is impossible for Porsche to imbue a 4,500lb sedan with the road communication delights of their 3,100 lbs sports cars (or 2,400 lbs if you go back to 911s of the early 1970s). The Panamera’s styling is controversial to say the least, but good design should push the envelope and then grow on you. I now regard the car’s visual impact as menacing, which fits its personality perfectly. Throughout the range, though, I found luggage space rather limited for a four-seater. Porsche did very well financially with its 2002 entering of the SUV market with the Cayenne. Entering the sedan market is viewed as somewhat less sacrilegious. The brand is able to effectively share factories and some components between these two platforms. To any lover of Porsche’s sports cars, or those who want a sedan with these capabilities, there really is no (sedan) substitute! As to the propriety of Porsche naming its sedan after the iconic 3,300 km Mexican road race, I came across a little-known fact in my research. In 1950 and 1951 Le Carrera Panamericana rules stated the entered cars must seat four. So the name and the car are indeed a perfect fit. So too is the Panamera for five days of Canada’s most challenging roads.
Spoil yourself in a Grand way. Starting this November, fly WestJet non-stop from Toronto to Grand Cayman. With convenient connections between Toronto and other Canadian cities it’s easy to experience an island vacation. Book your flight or vacation package today at westjet.com or call your travel agent.
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4:48:16 11 PM November/December 2010 Just For Canadian10/20/10 Doctors
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prescribing r & R
The winner of Just For Canadian Doctors’ contest and an all-expenses-paid trip with Quark Expeditions will be announced December 15 at justforcanadiandoctors.com. Read the last two finalists’ stories here. We’ll continue to run more adventure stories by runners-up in 2011. Send your submission to feedback@inprintpublications.com.
tango trance by Dr. Monica Yuzak
contest finalist 5!
I
have always loved to dance. My memories begin with my Polish father polka-ing me around in his arms before I could walk, and later me dancing on his feet around the kitchen. Then, as a teen, perfecting moves with one of my younger sisters. As the eldest daughter I was often next, after my mother, to dance with dad at weddings and family parties. Such deep dance delight. Perhaps, not surprisingly, I fell in love with my partner on a dance floor. It was a supper club, and that night we closed the place down. We have been dancing through life together ever since. Along the way we’ve explored several Ballroom and Latin dances, tackled two-step, grooved to jive and westcoast swing. Then one day, we came upon the Argentine Tango. It was instant love. We dropped all the others and became totally committed to it. I think it was the intensity that drew us in and began our journey with this very complex dance. The man opens his arms and invites the woman into his embrace. She fills the circle
he creates by expanding her chest, leans forward to meet him by centering her weight onto the heads of her metatarsals. They meet chest to chest, she drapes her left arm over his shoulder and rests it on his upper back while her right hand rests gently in his left. Both strive to be comfortable, relaxed, and connected to the other. The upper bodies act as one and the lower bodies dissociate. Hips rotate, legs enter each other’s space. The lead is subtle and exacting, the woman closes her eyes to better feel it. Together they move to the ever-changing tempos in the line of dance like a string of ants. The salon becomes one. It’s been called the “tango trance.” Will I ever “get” it? I learn a movement, then forget it when my focus shifts. Take lesson after lesson to master one sequence, consult You Tube over breakfast, once again dancing in the kitchen.” Patience, persistence,” I tell myself. To learn more about tango and the culture from which it sprang, we went to the source: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Would we be inspired, or would this experience dash all
hope of our mastering this dance? We chose bohemian San Telmo with its cobbled streets and architectural jewels as our base. We found a great teacher and discovered to our delight that we were surrounded by milonga halls (tango salons). The Sunday morning Artisan Market exploding under our balcony on Defensa Street was an unexpected bonus and provided badly needed retail therapy between lessons. We learned that Tango originated on the docks, created by Italian and Spanish immigrant portenos(people of the port),and gauchos (cowboys) from the Pampas (plaines), who were mostly working men. They danced with each other and with the women of the Bordellos. Through music and movement emotions were given expression. Tango between rival men was a macho competition; between lovers, foreplay; and for the lonely, a way to connect with the female energy they missed from back home. Mostly it was men practising with each other, whenever a musical instrument would sound. They
Jose AS Reyes
A physician kicks up her heels in Buenos Aires
were looking for the best ways to please a woman, preparing for the moment when they would have a woman in their arms and a chance to make her their sweetheart. A cauldron, this history helped explain the “intensity” of the dance. A reflection of the pains of a people in a new land. Our teacher proceeded to teach us… to walk. The fundamentals of walking are essential to all the beautiful moves that follow, and attention to fine detail turns an “okay” dancer into a tanguero. “One body, four legs,” Gustavo intones. “Relax, breathe,” I remember. It truly takes two to tango! The culture of Buenos Aires is defined by its music and cuisine. The cafés, bars, and restaurants provide the romantic ambience for a carefully prepared recipe, served by seemingly timeless waiters. A city of daytime snackers that finally sit down to their major meal around 10 pm, when the numerous legendary eateries are full. As the parillas (grills over open fire) smoke, people in groups share huge platters of meats washed down with full-bodied malbec and much merriment. It is only then, when the meal is finished and the food nicely settled that the milongas begin, from 1 am till dawn. I felt like I was entering a scene from a Bogart movie, men wearing white linen suits, fedoras, and spats watching from the shadows. Women in sequins, flowers in their hair, dresses slit up the side. Holding a man’s gaze across a crowded room signals a “yes.” He then sashays over, confident that the woman will follow him to the floor. The two have agreed to a short-term commitment to co-create an experience. Together, focusing, listening to each other and the music. Convention prohibits idle chatter on the dance floor, and insists that a couple remain together for three songs. It IS intense. And while on the dance floor, the dance is all there is. I was terrified and kept my eyes glued to the floor. Not willing to look for too long at anybody, should they assume I wanted to dance. One night, close to the end of our stay, I found myself caught by the eyes of a tall, dark, handsome man. I was on the floor, he was inviting me into his embrace and my body was remembering the stance, the pressure points, and he began with simple patterns till I was able to relax and breathe. By the second dance he sensed my level of experience and matched it with his lead. By the third, my eyes were closed, my mind was quiet and I was following patterns that were totally new to me, effortlessly! I was in Buenos Aires, dancing with a real live Argentinean tanguero, in a real live milonga! Giddy with wine, fatigue, and dance, my partner and I watched the sun come up.
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November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
13
*
prescribing r & R continued
mountain cure
b y D r . Al e x R u s s e ll
contest finalist 6!
Backpacking solo in the wilds can do wonders for the spirit
I
t was a patient who made the diagnosis. “You’ve got industrial disease,” he wrote, in an actual letter to me. He was right; I needed wilderness, and some time alone, but where do you go when you don’t want to see anybody? Someplace primeval. It could not cost a lot, because I not only suffer industrial disease, I also suffer cheapness. Only one quarter Scot, but it definitely manifests. Mt. Robson Provincial Park is a little chunk of the Rockies within driving distance from Edmonton. All the moist pacific air gets wrung out here on the western slopes, making the trees taller, the glaciers thicker, the mountain streams more wild and tumbling. Just what the doctor ordered, but such spectacles attract other humans, and the 20 km trail to Berg Lake at the foot of Emperor Face is indeed a well-travelled path. I had heard of a 66km back door route along Moose River. No bridges, no signposts, no campsite development. Travel on the route is not recommended until August, when the rivers are lower and the grizzlies fatter. It was July. With luck, I’d be the only specimen of human for miles. Packing for a wilderness trip is almost as fun as actually going on a wilderness trip. I borrow a stove. I buy six dinners in six tin foil bags. I have soup, matches, a one-man tent, an akubra hat, and a pair of old hiking boots. I have a Swiss army knife (thank you Dagny), and bear spray, which arrives in the mail from my concerned brother. The only thing I do not have is a good sleeping pad (damn that Scots blood). The woman in the park visitor centre gives me a brochure with a map of the route, and advises me to: a) get a real map, and b) go later in the season. Since I insist on going immediately, there is also c) report in when I get back. I appreciate this girl. Her warnings are keeping the path empty, and her eventual
14
permission is making me feel worthy. Maps, I decide, are for tourists. The (free) brochure looks perfectly adequate for a wilderness man like me. The entire route is free, except the campsite at Berg Lake ($10). Using the special pointy tool next to the corkscrew on my knife, I prise open my wallet and extract the money, then catch a ride back up to where the highway crosses Moose River. It seems pretty far, but I am excited, and march undaunted into the woods in the vicinity of the river. After several hours of wandering through forest, I head towards the sound of water, and am relieved to find that there is in fact a track. Turns out that wandering through unmarked bush is a good way to reduce zealousness. Later I find some mushrooms, and as I had packed a little light on the food, decide to try them in the soup. While stirring, I notice some sort of maggot, which is no doubt high in protein, and no reason for tossing out soup. It is hard to be sure if I am being judicious with my food supply, or just cheap. I guess I am still a little excited about being here, and prone to some excess in my efforts to get back to nature. It is only the first day and already I have: a) done some off-piste adventuring, b) felt quite alone, and c) eaten worms! Rain and more rain, and I lose my way a few times. I still have the gist, but am constantly backtracking. A wrong turn and I end up crossing the river several times. Uncertainty, combined with getting wet, and being alone, is stressful. I realize that I have to be more protective of my map, as the paper is quite soluble, and without it I would be lost. The only matches that survive the river swim are in my wallet, presumably protected by its tight grip.
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
I climb to an alpine meadow and surprise a mother Grizzly with her two cubs. Actually have no way of telling if she was surprised, as I am running for the trees too fast for the light carrying this information to reach my retina. This day takes me past the source of the Moose, which turns out to be a small puddle. I see mountain goats in the distance, and it occurs to me that their pee will run into a different ocean than the bears’ and mine. Just before camp I startle an actual moose, and feel my journey is complete. At Berg Lake I meet people and am happy to see them: a good sign. It takes me five minutes to find a patient, a hatless, somewhat braised young man in need of my sunscreen. This bodes well for my recovery. Snowbird Pass, a side trip that winds up behind Berg Lake and gives views of Robson Glacier and the North Face, ends in what seems like a non-descript little snow covered ridge. I persevere and am rewarded with a sudden cliff edge dropping down to the huge and silent Coleman Glacier; a last dose of solitude before the walk out. I make excellent time getting to the parking lot, stopping briefly to visit the places I have been before with friends and family. A boulder here, a waterfall there; I miss them and wish I had been a wiser and more joyful companion. Here the task of living seems to rise up as stark and monumental as the broad shoulders of Robson. I like it that there is a climbing route to the summit, somewhere on the Emperor Face, called “Infinite Patience”. I keep my promise to the park lady, and report my return. She seems happy to see me. I tell her about the bear, and how high the river is running, and then I say something stupid, like “best $10 I ever spent.” Some things, it seems, cannot be remedied.
hotspots destination
Our aim is to provide our guests with the ultimate and most memorable wilderness skiing ever experienced. Eagle Pass Heliskiing The Monashee Mountains Revelstoke, BC 250-837-3734 are world renown for Toll-free: 877-929-3337 consistent deep dry powder, (877-WAY-DEEP) wonderful well-spaced tree www.eaglepassheliskiing.com skiing, and spectacular alpine vistas. We are able to offer a unique and comfortable small group atmosphere. Some of our highlights include the highest vertical guarantee in the industry, ski packages of one to seven days, ski terrain is only minutes away, and we provide state of the art safety equipment to all our guests. In essence, skiing with EPH’s small groups of 4 results in a more intimate, more enjoyable experience with more fresh tracks! Our lodge is also ideal for hosting medical conferences while heliskiing!
Snowwater Heli-Skiing Inc. South Slocan, BC 250-359-7665 Toll free: 866-722-7669 (SNOW) www.snowwater.com
At Snowwater, we offer a distinctive alternative for those who appreciate a higher standard. We provide guests with a supreme powder holiday combined with un-matched service and a world-class culinary experience.
Catering to only twelve guests at a time, we ensure each person receives uncompromising service and optimal comfort at our private, mountain lodge. Our terrain spans 150,000 acres, and we fly in small, cohesive groups in the fastest and most powerful machines in the industry. We also provide a failsafe snowcat backup for all our guests, so you ski every day of your long awaited heli trip– guaranteed.
See the world with Butterfield & Robinson, luxury active travel specialists worldwide. From Burgundy to Vietnam to Argentina, For detailed itineraries, slideshows, B&R trips celebrate a trip suggestions and more visit us online at Butterfield.com. region’s culture, in style. 1-877-843-0261 B&R’s biking trip in info@butterfield.com Piemonte—the home of www.butterfield.com Slow Food—is all about epicurean ecstasy, whether it comes during pasta class with a master, Michelin stars in the Roero hills, or a picnic paired with regional wines. We stroll historic Alba with a local, pedal vine-covered hills to our spa hotel, and swim in the panoramic pool. B&R also offers Self-Guided trips in several European hotspots. Call a Travel Advisor at 877-843-0261 or your travel professional for details.
If you prefer your snowboarding and skiing to be at your own pace, with no lift lines, no crowds and great snow all day, with professional guides Powder Mountain Heliskiing and Catskiing whose prime objective is Whistler, BC your backcountry safety 1-877-PWDR-FIX while making sure you www.pmheli.com have the best day ever, Powder Mountain Heliskiing and Catskiing is your powder destination in Whistler. From snowcats, you’ll have an amazing day of 6-12 runs in alpine bowls and fantastic glades. From helicopters, you’ll have 1,000 square miles of the Coast Range filled with unbelievable powder runs as far as the eye can see, waiting for you, your friends and family.
hot + cold therapy
travel at home
Indulging in hot-spring bubbles and cold-smoke on a Kootenay ski trip comes hangover free. (But don’t forget the Ibuprofen.) story
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Lisa Richardson photography Dave Hobson
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
A
+
travel at home
if you go
s my husband approached 40, I found myself screening for the symptoms of mid-life crisis. Especially when he started to talk Snowwater’s Kootenay about buying a Porsche. It was clear I needed to do something to distinguish the moment, switch off the autopilot light, arrest a Sampler takes all the elements potential slide into melancholy. But champagne and cigars were of your dreamski tripandsuper-sizes not going to cut it. We needed shock therapy. themintoa seven-day package: cat, For a skier, a perfect day is as easy to define as it is difficult to attain: a mountain to oneself. heli (with unlimitedvert andback-up Great snow conditions. Food that is so good that conversation falls off as plates are laid before cat-skiingin case of no-fly weather), you. The view of moon-rise over mountains from the steam and churn of an outdoor hot-tub. andresort skiing, exquisite food, There was only one place for it: we headed for the Powder Highway in the heart of the funky towns toexplore, anda good Kootenays. The Kootenay Rockies region is the birthplace of heliskiing and cat-skiing. The balance of free time, natural mineral terrain and its legendary “blower” champagne snow conditions have attracted more than 50 hot springs, champagne snow. cat, heliskiing, resort and backcountry lodge operations, all concentrating in a south-eastern snowwater.com corner of British Columbia, where the Purcell Mountains, the Selkirks, the Monashees and the Valhallas drain down into the Columbia River Valley. Valhalla is the oldNorse for “the hall Unlike the mega-operators, who can cater to 120 guests at a time, Snowwater Heliskiing is of the slain,” or warrior’s heaven… one of the region’s boutique operators, a cluster of timber-frame cabins with radiant in-floor luckily, skiers don’t needtowait heat, wood stoves, micro-hydro and generator power that accommodates 12 guests at a time, until they die totaste the pleasures perched at 5,200 feet on a west facing slope in the Selkirks. of the Selkirk’s Valhalla range. Owner-operator Patric Maloney is a bon vivant, the incarnation of his latest idea for a TV Valhalla powdercats show: how to live like a millionaire without being one. He welcomes guests to the lodge with offer single day, multi-day and hot towels, champagne and the look of a man who has found his place in the world, in a kingPowder Safari packages, as well as dom he’s built by hand, that allows him to indulge his own champagne tastes, and stock the the groupoption of bookingyour own place with big-boy toys: Patron, fine wine, cat. valhallapow.com a personal chef, dynamite, snowmobiles, a bio-diesel fuelled snowcat (that serves The Ainsworth Hotas back-up for bad-weather days) and an springs attract worked-over A-star helicopter. snow-tourists andgrey-haired, The A-star’s 700 horsepower jet engine slow-gaitedlocals in equal numbers, is our ticket to living like a millionaire. drawn tothe restorative powers We are free of the frenzy one feels on a of the natural hot springs andthe powder day in a ski resort, to get to the high mineral content of the water. best terrain before it’s tracked out by the hotnaturally.com masses. It’s just three of us and a guide. Our legs will give out before the powder Nelson, BC, is a funky interior does. We ski 30 minute laps. The helicopter town, population 10,000, full of hippicks us up at the bottom like a chauffeur, pies, artists, green-thumbs and turbo-boosting us up for another run so counterculture types. And, for some quickly the lactic acid doesn’t get a chance reason, great chefs. Nelson is a town to disperse. After nine runs of roughly 1000 worth experiencingthrough your vertical feet each, my husband pronounces belly. OsoNegrocoffee andincredible himself cured of his life-long powderbaking. Grabbreakfast at the Red chase: “I could never ski again.” Fish Grill for the world’s best hash It’s only temporary. The addiction surgbrowns. Stay at the Prestige Hotel on es, and we rally. Our approach is holistic: Kootenay Lake. discovernelson.com; we’re targeting midlife malaise from every prestigehotelsandresorts.com angle. After all, variety is the spice of life. Snow-lovers joke that catskiing is a poor man’s heliskiing, but it feels more like the alternative for social democrats, with less of the alpha-aggression and rush-rush-rush that can mark the heli-experience. Catskiing is an inherently social experience, and 12 is the magic number. If you book your own cat, you can even control the chemistry. We’re lucky to slide in to a group that is so full of chemistry, they’re practically a periodic table. They call themselves the Powder Pachyderms: “We might be fat, but we still give’r,” and the jokes come fast and furious, giving laughing muscles as good a workout as the legs get. As the beast lurches up improbable roads through a tenure that is over 21,000 acres, group members chat, joke, and pass around containers of home-made sandwiches, cookies, snacks. “This doesn’t suck,” someone announces and we share out the one-bite brownies and donut holes. The tailguide, riding the bench seat, probes through the other lunch treats. “Anyone want any vegetable sticks?” There are no takers. Skiing 15,000 vertical feet of untracked snow is heart-friendly enough. The hang-over comes the next day—a localized sensation in the thighs that insists: get me to the hotsprings. We lower ourselves into 42 degree natural mineral baths, surrendering to an age-old remedy for joint pain, muscle fatigue, high blood pressure, circulatory and digestive issues. Whether it can cure a mid-life crisis is yet to be determined. But if, as the deep ecologist Dolores LaChapelle claimed, the essence of life can be found in deep-snow turns, it’s better to turn forty eating pow than birthday cake. As LaChappelle wrote in her classic Earth Wisdom: “One can never be bored by powder skiing because it is a special gift of the relationship between earth and sky. It only comes in sufficient amounts in particular places, at certain times on this earth; it lasts only a limited amount of time before sun or wind changes it. People devote their lives to it ‘for the pleasure of being so purely played’ by gravity and snow.” Everything passes. Skiing powder makes that ephemerality a cause for celebration, rather than regret. In the end, my husband bought the Porsche as well. But that’s a whole other story. November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
17
techworks
C o r e y Va n ’ t H a a f f Corey Van’t Haaff owns Cohiba Communications and writes about business, medicine, technology, and law, especially where two or more of these intersect. She can be reached at corey@cohibacommunications.com.
breathe easy
D
r. Andy Hoffer will be the first to tell you that necessity is the mother of all invention, but that idiom never rang truer than when his own mother fell ill. It was shortly before his planned trip over Christmas in 2006 to his family home in Uruguay (one of the top four countries in the 2010 Soccer World Cup, he says proudly) that he received word his mom had pneumonia and was rushed to intensive
care in a local hospital. The biomedical physiologist at SFU immediately went to her bedside, where she lay connected to a mechanical ventilator. “She was conscious but couldn’t breathe on her own, nor speak, eat or drink” he says. He spent the next five weeks with his mom, witnessing her inability to wean herself from the machine. She had
18
recovered from her illness after one week, but now couldn’t breathe well enough on her own. All around them were other sick people, other stories: kids, middle-aged people, victims of trauma, sunstroke, the elderly; all struggling with varying degrees of success to get off their ventilators. “My mother’s condition was worsening with the prolonged bed stay. I was trying to figure out why it was so difficult to wean off the ventilator,” he says, adding that physician friends advised that failure-towean is common, with 20 to 30% of patients becoming ventilator-dependent. His mom worked with a respiratory therapist, training her to breathe on her own, but she would fatigue after a few hours and start to panic, so she was put back on the machine overnight. It was the same story for many patients, often kept sedated to prevent them from fighting the machine. “I knew that the diaphragm could weaken from not being used during ventilation, but I had no idea of how incredibly quickly it Dr. Andy Hoffer atrophies,” he says, adding receiving the that a year later, Levine LifeSciences BC published an eye-opening 2010 award. finding in patients who died after 18 to 69 hours of sedation and ventilation: their diaphragm muscle fibers had atrophied to less than half of normal size. “It’s scary how fast the diaphragm muscle declines.” “While I was trying to find a better way to help wean my mom, in visualizing the tubes and leads that were keeping her alive, I had a key insight. I came up with an idea for pacing the diaphragm that should speed up the weaning process.” Hoffer had studied neurophysiology at Johns Hopkins, earning his PhD. He was specifically interested in the control of limb movement and developed implantable cuff sensing electrodes permanently connected to nerves. He led the development of Neurostep, a pacemaker-like device implanted in the thigh that enables people with paralysis from stroke to walk again.
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
Hoffer’s diaphragm pacing technology doesn’t require any surgical exposure of nerves; it is a minimally invasive, temporary procedure. Based on his experience is the use of electrical stimuli, he figured the diaphragm would benefit from electrical activation during ventilation in order to prevent or reverse disuse atrophy. He asked himself, ‘how does one put in an electrode quickly, simply, and reversibly, that can be removed after the patient recovers?’ He came up with the Lungpacer intravenous electrode, placed in the upper chest under local anesthesia. The nerves that control the diaphragm run next to large veins under the clavicle. The Lungpacer electrode “inside-out cuff” design provides mechanical stability and selectively activates the diaphragm using very low currents. Hoffer and his SFU team have since been busy developing and testing a medical grade, disposable electrode lead. The Lungpacer lead, connected to a bedside control unit, will produce diaphragm contractions to keep it strong. Similar in concept to a car’s block heater, the Lungpacer will keep the diaphragm warmed up and ready to work normally when the patient is ready to breathe again. When he conceived this technology, he thought “of people like my mom, but I didn’t have any idea of how large a number of people this problem affects. The elderly are more susceptible but a lot of young people die too. Ventilator-dependent patients in ICUs are the most expensive hospital inpatients, and too often they die.” Lungpacer Medical (lungpacer.com) has completed proof of concept, safety, and stability in animal trials and recently won several awards for its innovative technology and compelling business case. Hoffer’s mom inspired but couldn’t benefit from the Lungpacer; she died that March. “It isn’t ready for use in people yet, but we are not far from it. By this time next year we hope to be testing it in patients.”
courtesy dr. Andy Hoffer
An intravenous electrode that offers new hope to patients on ventilators
london / tel aviv / baltic / macau / berlin … |
calendar
cme
A n intern ation a l guide to continuing Medica l Education
fall 2010 + beyond
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4
7
6
LONDON
1
3 8
2
across the pond in london: one of the world’s great capitals (CME events in london are highlighted in blue)
B. Sligl
W
here to start? London is a monolith of a city—there’s much to see along its storied streets. It demands repeat visits. Easy to do, since it’s a major hub for travellers flying east to Europe and beyond. Make it a stopover on your next trip or, better yet, your destination for a CME event. Then get out and explore. With over 300 museums and galleries, it’s an art lover’s mecca. Of course, shoppers be ready to pound the pavement…as well as gourmands. [stay] Make your base in the West End, at the edge of Hyde Park. In posh Marylebone, you’ll be in the vicinity of Harley Street, a long-renowned centre for healthcare. With several private hospitals and “the largest concentration of medical proficiency in the world,” it’s often referred to as Medical London—more than 1,000 doctors practise here. [harleystreetguide.co.uk] Stay a walk away, close to Marble Arch in the northeast end of Hyde Park, at The Arch 1 , a swish and sleek new hotel carved out of the area’s classic Georgian townhomes (see page 6). [thearchlondon.com] [dine] British food hasn’t had the best rep, from bangers-and-mash to fish-and-chips, but London has evolved
into a foodie’s playland. Try a twist on classic high tea at another hip-and-happening hotel at the southeast end of Hyde Park, the Metropolitan. The Afternoon De-Light 2 is a selection of sweet and savoury cupcakes, fruit scones, and no-bread sandwiches—“the quintessentially British afternoon tea with a cool touch of avant-garde, waist-friendly chic.” [metropolitan.london.como.bz] [culture / art] After fortification walk through Hyde Park, back to Marble Arch at the northeast end to Speakers’ Corner 3 . You can spend hours here on a Sunday listening or partaking in spontaneous debates on any subject—from the existence of God to foreign policy. Locals and tourist alike prop themselves up on makeshift podiums and pontificate. It’s been an oral tradition here for over 150 years; some big names that stood here in the past—Marx, Engels, Lenin…Beyond the lively, living culture found on a park or street corner, London is a museum mecca. There’s no way to take advantage of all the art on offer here, so go to at least one must-see: the Tate Modern. Housed inside a former power station in the heart of London, it’s a gorgeous reinterpretation of a building. Inside is a stunning collection of
modern art. The Turbine Hall is a venue for grand works of art created specifically for the cavernous space, like Miroslaw Balka’s monolithic installation described as a “box of darkness” and “black hole” 4 . After exploring, head up to the café for a local microbrew (the Brits know their beer) 5 and gaze over the Thames River, Millennium Footbridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral. [tate.org.uk/modern] [neighbourhood hop] Take the Millennium Footbridge across the Thames and stroll to the 61-metre-high Monument, built to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666. Up top, you’ll have views of London Bridge and the skyscrapers of The City, London’s financial district 6 . [themonument.info] Just northeast of The City explore the happening markets of Spitalfields 7 , Sunday UpMarket and Brick Lane. Shop for cool togs and nosh on fabulous, authentic ethnic food. Back in the West End, dilly-dally and shop on Oxford and Bond Streets (and score the latest Kate Moss design in Topshop), and don’t forget to window shop on Carnaby Street 8 , where London’s modern fashion scene began in the hippie heyday. —B. Sligl For more info: visitlondon.com
November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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c m e calendar
Biochemistry
Anesthesiology
Alternative Medicine
Aesthetic Medicinee
cme
For:
when
where
topic
sponsor
contact
website
Jan 29-31
Vancouver British Columbia
Introductory Course to Botox and Cosmetic Fillers & Advanced Techniques
The Physician Skincare and Training Centre
877-754-6782 See Ad Page 22
ptcenter.org
Mar 09-11
Miami Florida
28th Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference
Physicians’ Education Resource
888-949-0045
cancerlearning. com
Mar 21-28
Dubai & UAE Cruise
Anti-Aging & Aesthetics
Sea Courses Cruises
888-647-7327 See Ad Page 20
seacourses. com
Apr 16-17
Vancouver British Columbia
Introductory Course To Botox & Cosmetic Fillers
The Physician Skincare and Training Centre
877-754-6782 See Ad Page 22
ptcenter.org
Mar 26-30
San Diego California
2011 Annual Symposium And Congress Of The American Society Of Cataract And Refractive Surgery
ASCRS-ASOA
703-591-2220
asoa.org
Apr 14-17
Istanbul Turkey
TARTEN 2011 (Transatlantic Reproductive Technologies Network)
Serenas Tourism
011-90-312440-5011
tarten2011.org
Jan 08-15
Big Sky Montana
Case Studies In Emergency Medicine
011-61-0400005-668
mote.net.au
Jan 26-29
Grand Cayman Cayman Isls.
Anesthesia Camp - Grand Cayman
Duke University and destination CME
888-286-5815
destinationcme. com
Feb 05-06
Ottawa Ontario
2011 Winterlude Anesthesia Symposium
University of Ottawa
613-761-4940
ottawa-anesthesia.org
Mar 10-13
Tucson Arizona
Current Topics In Anesthesia
Northwest Anesthesia Seminars
800-222-6927
nwas.com
Dec 11-15
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
50th Annual Meeting Of American Society For Cell Biology
American Society for Cell Biology
301-347-9300
ascb.org
Mar 09-13
Barcelona Spain
10th International Conference On Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases
Kenes International
011-41-22-9080488
kenes.com
May 07-13
Quebec Montreal
International Society For Magnetic Resonance In Medicine
510-841-1899
ismrm.org
AIM Rome
011-39-06-330531
aimgroup.eu
Issue:Nov 30-
Medicine On The Edge new CME list from Adam
19th Scientific Meeting And Exhibition Of The Just For Canadian Doctors International Society For Magnetic Resonance In Medicine
International Symposium On Progress In Nov / DecXIV2010 issue
Dec 03
Rome Italy
Dec 10-12
Grand Cayman Cayman Isls.
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
215-662-6982
uphs.upenn.edu
Attn: Jan 16-30
South American Cruise
Sea Courses Cruises
888-647-7327 See Ad Page 20
seacourses. com
Apr Email: 09-12
London England
011-44-207736-8788
cxsymposium. com
Cardiology
Fax:
Clinical Pacing (2010)
Into Cardiac Imaging 604 - 681Diving - 0456
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Dec 02
Quebec City Quebec
Journee Clinique De Pharmacologie
U. Laval
418-656-5958
ulaval.ca
Feb 03-04
London England
6th International Pharmacoeconomic Conference On Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
212-935-2402
alzdiscovery.org
Apr 08-10
Napa California
Clinical Pharmacotherapy 2011: Practical Information For Physicians, Nurses And Pharmacists
UC Davis Health System
916-734-5390
ucdavis.edu
Dec 06-09
Paris France
2011 Annual Congress Of The International Master Course On Aging Skin
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Dec 09-12
Dresden Germany
Cosmoderm 16: International Aesthetic Dermatology Congress Of European Society For Cosmetic & Aesthetic Dermatology
Conventus Congressmanagement
011-49-36-4135330
cosmoderm2010.de
Feb 04-08
New Orleans Louisiana
69th Annual Meeting Of The American Academy Of Dermatology
American Academy of Dermatology
847-330-0230
aad.org
Feb 16-19
London England
The 4th International Conference On Advanced Technologies & Treatments For Diabetes
Kenes International
011-41-22-9080488
kenes.com
Mar 04
Sacramento California
37th Annual UC Davis Diabetes Symposium
916-734-5390
ucdavis.edu
Mar 12-19
Caribbean Cruise
Diabetes Management
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Dec 13-17
Sarasota Florida
Primary Care: Improving Your Outcomes Through Diagnosis And Treatment
Hamad Medical Corporation
011-974-4397398
qatarhealth.info
Jan 13-15
Bonita Springs Florida
2011 Annual Meeting Of National Association Of Emergency Medical Services Physicians
National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians
800-228-3677
naemsp.org
Jan 31Feb 02
SilverStar British Columbia
BEEM (Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine) Course
McMaster University
905-521-2100
beemsite.com
Feb 17-19
Sydney Australia
Austrauma 2011
Royal Australian College of Surgeons
011-61-3-92767406
austraumaconference.org
Feb 20-23
Whistler British Columbia
24th Annual Update In Emergency Medicine
CEPD
416-978-2719
cepdtoronto.ca
Jan 29-30
Glendale California
Two Days Back On Earth
Wiley Protocol
805-565-7508
thewileyprotocol.com
Jan 31Feb 04
Sarasota Florida
Geriatrics: A Primary Care Approach To The Aging Population
American Medical Seminars, Inc.
941-388-1766
ams4cme.com
Mar 13-18
Big Island Hawaii
14th Mayo Clinic Endocrine Course
Mayo Clinic
507-284-2776
mayo.edu
Jul 21-31
Baltic Cruise
Endocrinology 2011
Sea Courses Cruises
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Learn Virtually anytime - anywhere access your Cme worldwide travel & Learn Format Connect with us 24/7. toll-Free:1-866-685-6860 www.neiconferences.com 7X2.5_canadian_family_physicians1 1
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3/15/07 9:28:25 AM
November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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Immunology & Allergy
Hematology
Geriatrics
Genetics
General & Family Medicine
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Dec 03-04
San Francisco California
5th Annual Primary Care Sports Medicine: ABCs Of Musculoskeletal Care
University of California, San Francisco
415-476-4251
cme.ucsf.edu
Jan 12-15
New York New York
NEI Conference Series
National Education Institute
866-685-6860 See Ad Page 21
neiconferences. com
Jan 20-21
London England
6th Medical Update For The General Practitioner
Infomed Research & Training Limited
011-44-208123-0021
infomedltd. co.uk
Jan 23-29
Jerusalem Israel
NEI Conference Series
National Education Institute
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Jan 26-29
Rome Italy
2011 International Conference On Health Informatics
INSTICC
351-265-100033
insticc.org
Feb 19-27
Caribbean Cruise
Hospital Clinical Medicine
Sea Courses Cruises
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Apr 22-27
Rhine River Cruise
Primary Care Refresher
Sea Courses Cruises
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May 09-19
Western Mediterranean Cruise
Family Medicine
Continuing Education, Inc./University at Sea
800-422-0711 See Ad Page 39
continuingeducation.net
Mar 16-20
Vancouver British Columbia
2011 American College Of Medical Genetics Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting
301-718-9603
acmg.net
Oct 11-15
Montreal Quebec
12th International Congress Of Human Genetics.
International Federation of Human Genetics
301-634-7300
ifhgs.org
Feb 21-27
Tel Aviv Israel
7th Annual Update Symposium On Clinical Neurology And Neurophysiology
ISAS International Seminars
011-972-2-6520574
neurophysiologysymposium.com
Mar 18-21
San Antonio Texas
2011 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
301-654-7850
aagpmeeting.org
Jan 21-22
Vancouver British Columbia
Highlights Of ASH
American Society of Hematology
202-776-0544
hematology.org
Feb 10-12
Las Vegas Nevada
17th Annual NOCR Meeting
Network of Oncology Clinicians and Researchers
See Website
nocrannualmeeting.com
Feb 19-22
San Francisco California
Scripps Cancer Center’s 31st Annual Conference: Clinical Hematology/Oncology
Scripps Conference Services
858-652-5400
scrippshealth. org
Jan 27-29
Berlin Germany
1st International Conference On Current & Future Vaccination In Adults
ComtecMed
011-972-3-5666166
comtecmed. com
Apr 08-11
Lake Louise Alberta
24th Annual Spring Meeting Of Canadian Society For Immunology
Canadian Society for Immunology
See Website
csi-sci.ca
Apr 18-20
Amsterdam Netherlands
Pharma-Nutrition
Elsevier
See Website
pharma-nutrition.com/
new CME list from ACMG Adam Meetings
Just For Canadian Doctors
November/December 2010
Department
Ophthalmology
Oncology & Palliative Care
Nutrition
Neurology
Nephrology
Legal Ethics
Internal Medicine
Infectious Diseases
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Dec 27-31
Sarasota Florida
Infectious Diseases In The Adult Patient: A Primary Care Update
American Medical Seminars, Inc.
941-388-1766
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Feb 11-12
Sacramento California
29th Annual UC Davis Infectious Diseases Conference
UC Davis Health System
916-734-5390
ucdavis.edu
Apr 07-10
Montreal Quebec
AMMI Canada - CACMID Annual Conference
AMMI Canada and CACMID
613-260-3233
ammi.ca
Jun 26Jul 03
Baltic Cruise
Internal Medicine
Continuing Education, Inc./University at Sea
800-422-0711 See Ad Page 39
continuingeducation.net
Aug 21-28
Alaskan Cruise
Chronic Diseases Update 2011
CMEatSEA
888-523-3732
cmeatsea.org
Feb 02-04
Rochester New York
Frequently Encountered Ethical Dilemmas In The Community Practice
Mayo School of CME
507-284-2509
mayo.edu
Feb 20-21
Ximer Arpora India
2nd International Conference On Medical Negligence And Litigation In Medical Practice
Indian Association of Medico-Legal Experts
011-91-989109-8542
iamleconf.in
Feb 17-20
Bangkok Thailand
21st Conference Of The Asian Pacific Association For The Study Of The Liver
Kenes Asia
011-65-62924706
apasl2011bangkok.org
Apr 08-12
Vancouver British Columbia
World Congress Of Nephrology 2011
International Society of Nephrology
info@wcn2011. org
wcn2011.org
Dec 03-07
San Antonio Texas
2010 American Epilepsy Society’s Annual Meeting
American Epilepsy Society
703-960-1213
aesnet.org
Dec 07-08
St. Andrews England
Endoscopic Spine Surgery
Aesculap Academy
011-49-746195-2001
aesculap-academy.com
Jan 13-16
San Diego California
8th Annual Natural Supplements: An EvidenceBased Update
Scripps Conference Services
858-652-5400
scrippshealth. org
Apr 14
Bologna Italy
International Academy On Nutrition And Aging
University of New Mexico School
505-272-3942
unm.edu
Dec 09-11
Chicago Illinois
2010 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium In Thoracic Oncology
American Society for Radiation Oncology
703-502-1550
astro.org
Jan 27-29
San Francisco California
T-cell Lymphoma Forum 2011
Jonathan Wood & Associates
201-594-0400
tclf2011.com
Feb 17-20
Vancouver British Columbia
15th Annual International Congress On Hematologic Malignancies: Focus On Leukemias, Lymphomas, And Myelomas
Physicians’ Education Resource
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cancerlearning. com
Dec 09-12
Macau China
International Symposium On Ocular Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Paragon Conventions
011-41-22-5330948
isopt.net
Jan 16-21
Maui Hawaii
Hawaiian Eye 2011
Vindico Medical Education
856-994-9400
osnhawaiianeye. com
Feb 03-06
Ahmedabad India
69th Annual Conference Of All India Ophthalmological Society
All Indian Ophthalmological Society
011-91-0792630-3208
aioc2011.com
new CME list from Adam
November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
23
c m e calendar
Urology
Surgery
Rheumatology
Radiology
Psychiatry
Pediatrics
Pain Management
cme
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website
Dec 03
Calgary Alberta
Calgary Pain Conference
University of Calgary
403-220-7240
ucalgary.ca
Feb 12Mar 02
Africa Land & Cruise
Cardiology & Pain Management Update 2011
CMEatSEA
888-523-3732
cmeatsea.org
Dec 28-30
Orlando Florida
Pediatric Review For Primary Care
MCE Conferences
888-533-9031
mceconferences.com
Feb 12-18
Maui Hawaii
Pediatric Potpourri: State Of The Art 2011
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and American Academy of Pediatrics
323-361-2752
childrenshospitallamedicalgroup.org
Jul 02-08
Maui Hawaii
Pediatrics in the Islands … Clinical Pearls 2011
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and American Academy of Pediatrics
323-361-2752
childrenshospitallamedicalgroup.org
Jan 16-30
Valparaiso Chile
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy South America Cruise
CBT Canada
877-466-8228
cbt.ca
Mar 26-27
Newport Beach California
2011 Medical Legal Skills Workshop; Fact Based Opinions And Testimony Removing Bias From Medical Legal Assessment
Objective Assessment Solutions
See Website
medicalexpertcme.com/
Jan 10-14
Toronto Ontario
CT Angiography And 3D Imaging Levels 1 and 2
University of Toronto
888-512-8173
events. cmetoronto.ca
Feb 20-23
Grand Cayman Cayman Isls.
Advanced Imaging in the Islands
Duke University Medical Center
919-684-2711
duke.edu
Feb 11-15
Cancun Mexico
2011 Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Conference
Canadian Rheumatology Association
905-952-0698
rheum.ca
Feb 28Mar 04
Sarasota Florida
Rheumatology: Improving Primary Care Outcomes Through Diagnosis And Treatment
American Medical Seminars, Inc.
941-388-1766
ams4cme.com
Apr 15-17
Taipei Taiwan
1st Symposium Of The Asia Pacific League Of Associations Of Rheumatology
Kenes Asia
011-65-62924706
kenes.com
Jan 05-07
Calgary Alberta
Spine & Peripheral Nerve Anatomy & Surgery
University of Calgary
403-220-7240
ucalgary.ca
Feb 11-12
Las Vegas Nevada
Managing Coding & Reimbursement Challenges In Neurosurgery
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
847-378-0500
aans.org
Jan 27-30
Paris France
4th World Congress On Controversies In Urology
Comtecmed
011-972-3-5666166
comtecmed. com
Jun 26-29
Mont Tremblant Quebec
66th Canadian Urological Association Annual Meeting 2011
CUA Central Office
514-395-0376
cua.org
For feedback, requests or to have your course featured please email cme@inprintpublications.com or submit your course via www.justforcanadiandoctors.com
At Balmoral Hall School, we place a high priority on every studentʼs personal and academic development.
Over 99% of Balmoral Hall graduates attend the university of their choice. We are committed to developing the whole student: young women who not only succeed but also strive to make a difference. Balmoral Hall is a day and boarding school for girls in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is an IB World School.
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Just For Canadian Doctors
November/December 2010
Toll-Free: 1-866-DREAM11 • www.balmoralhall.com
cl a s s i f i ed a d s positions available
positions available
RICHMOND, BC- Physicians requiredfor very busywalk-in/familyracticeclinic. 65/35split. Please contact Richard at rishar@shaw.ca or 7782318911.
of Family Health Group with full night and weekend coverage. Approved for EMR funding beginning end of May. Opportunity for teaching and hospital work. Telephone 613 725-1465, fax 613 725-0340 or e-mail wjw@sympatico.ca
SIDNEY, BC- Well establishedfamily practice in office shared with one other female MD. Admitting privileges at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, no obstetrics or ER required. One in five weekend call. Great lifestyle in small seaside town near Victoria. Details at practiceinfo@shaw.ca VICTORIA, BC- Burnside,TillicumandUptown Medical Clinics require a P/T or F/T GP and Walk-indoctors. Email bridger@shaw.ca. ETOBICOKE, ON - Walk-in/family practice group of 3 clinics/8 MDs seeking MDto join in busy clinics in North Etobicoke. Attractive split. Call Yasmin 416 834-2807 or e-mail alkarim@damji.ca KINGSTON, ON - Opportunities in a new clinic! CDK Family Medicine and Walk-in. Downtown Kingston. Start a new group, solo practice, wal-in shifts, locums. Contact Dr Chris Kozanitis (613) 329-3604 or e-mail cdkoz@bell.net. MISSISSAUGA, ON- Part-time/fulltimefamily practice/walk-in available. Ability to take over a family practice and join a FHG. Many patients looking for a new family doctor. Work in a positive practice environment with support from the other MDs. Lab, pharmacy, foot clinic, optometry on site. Email doctorsearch@hotmail.com or call 416-844-8340. OTTAWA, ON- Take over solo family practice locatedinlargemedical buildingadjacent to The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus. Member
practice for sale KITCHENER, ON- Familypracticefor sale. Full andequal partnershipin FHO. I amretiring. Completely computerized EMR (Practice Solutions) withnopaperrecords,nohospital work, no OB. One day/weekend in 14. Staff experienced with the system. Perfect for a new physician or one contemplating a mid-life career change. K-W is a great place tosettle down. Hopingtofinda good physician for the families that have put up withmefor almost twogenerations. http:// mydoctor.ca/drgeorgemiller For more informationE-mail gbmiller@sympatico.ca.
vacation properties PUERTOVALLARTA - Need a holiday in the sun? Deluxe one bedroombeachfront condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico overlooking Mismaloya Bay, sleeps 4, full kitchen, fully furnished, A/C,satTV.Availablemonthly/weekly. 604-542-1928or jorajames@telus.net
record storage Medical record scanning and storage services for practices, clinics and hospitals. Ask about our FREE storage offer for closing GP practices. Contact RSRS at 1-888-5633732Ext. 221, www.recordsolutions.ca.
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Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
UNIVERSITY-AFFILIATED FELLOWSHIP POSITION
A new Primary Health Care (PHC) Clinic, Kliniek on Main, is looking for an ambitious family physician to join their team. This is a highly organized, modern, efficient office running on EMR. The main role of Kliniek on Main is to provide initial comprehensive assessments, care and follow-up to government-assisted refugees and the newcomer population in Moose Jaw. The clinic is actively involved in the Health Quality Council’s Chronic Disease Management Collaborative. The successful physician will enjoy an excellent work/life/professional satisfaction balance in this progressive clinic that allows for collegial arrangement/cross coverage for time away. Additional obstetrics/ER special interest work is available if desired. The community of Moose Jaw offers many cultural, entertainment and recreational activities, as well as excellent educational facilities and affordable housing in a friendly and safe environment. Visit www.fhhr.ca for more information about the Five Hills Health Region.
opportunities
Available immediately for a Canadian-trained Ophthalmologist interested in an Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery Fellowship For more information, please contact Annette Stanwick, Vice-President, Medical Affairs, Gimbel Eye Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada at (403) 202-3318 or toll free: (800) 661-1138 or send a curriculum vitae via e-mail to Annette Stanwick at astanwick@gimbel.com
For further information, or to apply: Erin Kell Medical Affairs Coordinator Five Hills Health Region Phone: (306) 694-0228 Fax: (306)694-0282 ekell@fhhr.ca Full Time ER Physician Opportunities Also Available
Southern Georgian Bay Midland/Penetanguishene, Ontario Only 90 minutes north of Toronto.
Where Doctors Practice Their Art!
Hôpital général de la baie Georgienne
Opportunities in: Family Medicine Internal Medicine
GEORGIAN BAY
Emergency Medicine Hospitalist
G e ne r al Ho spit a l www.gbgh.on.ca
Create a flexible career by combining a family practice with Emergency or Hospitalist positions. Financial incentives and relocation costs provided. Image by Diane Soward - www.artofdianesoward.com
Georgian Bay SOUTHERN
Physician Recruitment Recrutement de médecins
doctorworkandplayongeorgianbay.ca
To learn more contact: David Gravelle, Physician Recruitment Officer gravelled@gbgh.on.ca 1-705-526-1300 Ext 3135 November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
employment
Family Physician Opportunity Primary Health Care Clinic Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
27
opportunities
Experience the North Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority Is seeking Family Physicians For Locums - 1, 2 &3 year Contract & Permanent Positions
employment
Fort Smith, the garden capital of the NWT, is a community of 2,500 residents located off of the mighty Slave River just one mile north of the Alberta border. This community provides a variety of social, recreational and cultural activities. Being surrounded by a vast natural setting, it is an ideal location for outdoor enthusiasts. Here you can spend the long summer days golfing, camping, fishing, hiking and kayaking or tending to your garden. Winter days can be filled with snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hockey, curling and a whole lot more.
ESTIMATE
Insertion Date
Media
Section
November Issue
Just for Canadian Docs
Careers
For more information contact: Mahalia Villebrun, Physician Recruiter Size fshssa_exec@gov.nt.caPrice T:page 867-872-6257 F:867-872-6291 1/2 $2200
1010-004
Fort Smith Health & Social Services Authority 41 Breynat Street P.O. Box 1080 Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0
Family Physicians. Come for the career you imagined, and the lifestyle you couldn’t. At SEH, you’ll experience all the benefits of rural practice
– a flexible, diverse and secure career, hands on patient-focused care, plus affordable living & a more balanced, healthy, community-oriented lifestyle for you and your family.
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Sud-Est
South Eastman
health santé
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: South Eastman Health Medical Administration Office Tel: (204) 424-5880 Email: corp@sehealth.mb.ca
YOUR CAREER PROGNOSIS IS EXCELLENT!
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
Practicing in New Brunswick is more than a career choice. It’s a life choice.
L’exercice d’une profession dans le secteur de la santé au Nouveau-Brunswick s’avère plus qu’un choix de carrière, c’est un mode de vie.
Being in New Brunswick. Making life happen.
Soyez au Nouveau-Brunswick Vivez pleinement.
www.gnb.ca/physicians www.gnb.ca/médecins
opportunities
Travail. Vie. Équilibre.
employment
Work. Life. Balance.
the wine doctor dr. neil pollock Dr. Neil Pollock is a member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada; visit his website on wine at vinovancouver.com or send feedback to drneil@pollockclinics.com. He practises no-scalpel, no-needle vasectomy and infant circumcision.
Italian wine 101
Part 1: How to decipher that label—especially with more wine varieties than anywhere else conform to strict industry standards for a particular type of wine. A DOC or DOCG designation can only be used by producers that make wines according to the traditional recipes of their particular region, and only certain recipes have been granted government recognition. DOCG wines are more prestigious than DOC wines because they are held up to special tasting standards. Today there are 37 DOCG wines and Amarone, Barolo, Brunello, Barbaresco and Chianti all have this designation. Ranked below DOC/DOCG wines are those in the IGT category, Indicazione Geografica Tipica. The contents of bottles
The monastery of Badia a Passignano, dating from 890, sits amidst the vineyards of Chianti.
Chianti. In this issue I’ll explain the regulatory structure behind the Italian wine alphabet (next issue I explore the regions and varietals behind these five giants of the wine world). Once you learn your ABCs, choosing your next bottle of red is a walk in the vineyard! Before we zero in on some of Italy’s most influential vino, briefly vinify your brain and consider the hierarchical organization of Italian wine. Italy produces more varieties of wine than any other country in the world and employs a complex regulatory structure to keep tabs on its legions of producers. If you take a closer look at the top of certain bottles, you’ll notice they say Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or DOC, while others say Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or DOCG. These labels guarantee that the contents of the bottle
30
with this label can also lay claim to a specific region or, with recent changes in regulations, be a blend of one or more varietals, thus not conforming to DOC or DOCG rules. Some producers who felt confined by the rigid recipes of the DOC denomination chose to experiment with 100% varietal wines or other blends known as Super Tuscans. I explored these at length in another issue (please see the May/June issue of Just for Canadian Doctors) so will just note here that these adventurous vintners can now affix the IGT stamp to their bottles. Previously, Super Tuscans fell into the final category, VDT, Vino de Tavola, or table wines. These are the most basic Italian wines; they lay no claim aside from “made in Italy.” Understanding Italian wine requires more than an appreciation of the coveted
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
pink DOCG label. When you peer into the ruby-red depths of your next purchase, you should know what grapes you are about to savour, and where they originate. There are 20 wine regions in Italy, but these are the standouts: Valpolicella in the northeast; Valle d-Aosta, Lombardy, Liguria and Piedmont in the northwest; there’s Tuscany, of course, in the centre, along with Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Latium; and in the south, there’s Molise, Campania, Calabria and Puglia. Some, like Lombardy in the northwest, are best known for their sparkling wines, while others—take Puglia in the south—were long known for mediocre The hills and vineyards of Piedmont— known for Barolo and Barbaresco wines. middle Harvesting grapes in Piedmont.
reds but have recently produced some highquality blends. All these regions contain both DOC and DOCG zones. Sometimes these zones overlap—the most obvious example being Tuscany, which is home to multiple DOCGs. This is possible because while the main varietal may be the same, the exact blends differ according to traditional recipes. So, where do the ABCs originate? Amarone hails from the northeast region of Valpolicella, Barolo and Barbaresco are from Piedmont in the northwest, while Brunello and Chianti are both natives of Tuscany. Before we get better acquainted with this Italian wine alphabet, pick up some DOCG wines, sit back, sip and savour…and in my next column, we’ll study our ABCs. Arrivederci until we journey to Valpolicella! part 2 continued in next issue
from left: Fototeca ENIT / De Agostini Picture Library; Fototeca ENIT / ATL Novara; Fototeca ENIT / TURISMO TORINO
H
ave you ever found yourself frozen, hand hovering mid-air in the Italian section of your local wine store? Unsure exactly how to narrow down and choose between bottles that all claim to be classic Italian wines from the best regions? This is the common theme I hear regarding Italian wines: How does one learn to navigate confidently among Italy’s bestknown wines given the country’s hundreds of varietals, thousands of vineyards, and numerous wine-producing regions? The best place to start is the ABCs of Italian wine: Amarone, the Killer Bs (Barbaresco, Barolo and Brunello) and
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great
Grenada story + photos by Barb Sligl
The Spice Island embraces all the senses. Inhale, imbibe, indulge, engage + explore this Caribbean wonder—from leafy callaloo to rich chocolate…
if you go
+
stay Spice Island Beach Resort is a luxurious place to rest your head—and entire body (there’s a spa here as well, naturally). The posh resort is on miles-long, white-sandGrandAnse Beach, anda member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World network. Here, you’re a guest of Sir Royston Hopkin, K.C.M.G. (he was knightedfor his work in promoting local tourism). Stay beachside andlisten towaves while in bed or opt for one of the sleek hideaways with a private plunge pool (midnight skinny dips are definitely in order). Bliss! spiceislandbeachresort.com sample The Grenada Chocolate Company’s organic dark chocolate is amongst the finest in the world: grenadachocolate.com go For more infoon the Grenadian islands of Grenada, Carriacou andPetite Martinique, goto: grenadagrenadines.com
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B
am. Ba ba ba ba ba bam. Ba bam. It’s Friday night in Gouyave, a little fishing village on the north end of Grenada. Drums are beating, locals singing, children giggling…fresh seafood is sizzling on open grills. The air is still heavy with the day’s heat, and now the steaming food from busy stalls. The scent of savoury “oil down” stew mixes with sweet local lobster. There’s a party going on. It’s the weekly fish fry, where locals and visitors alike can sample piles of crispy jackfish with a frosty bottle of Carib, the island’s local brew. When the bounty is this fresh and flavourful, you need to celebrate. A tiny jewel at the southern end of the chain of Caribbean islands, Grenada is just 100 miles off of the coast of South America. Christopher Columbus was an early enchanted visitor in 1498. He named the island Concepción, a fitting name for the jungle-covered hills, gushing mountain streams and waterfalls, rugged cliffs and soft beaches that rose out of the sea when the island was created in an ancient volcanic eruption. Today, this lush landscape is largely unspoiled. And at its edges are pockets of charming communities. The small, hilly, seaside town of St. George’s is steeped in history, from long-gone explorers to modern-era communist coups. The colonial capital has retained its French and British legacy with charming red-tile roofs, grand hilltop forts, smiling school children in uniform, a bustling open-air market, and even cars on the left-hand side of the road. And the port town’s deep, natural harbor, the Carenage (from the French word for where ship repair took place shoreside), has long lured sailors into its perfect horseshoe shape. More towns dot the 21-mile-long and 12-milewide island, each with its own character, from Gouyave, with its Friday Fish Fry, to Sauteurs on the wilder north end of the island, where the last indigenous people, the Caribs, are said to have leapt to their deaths rather than succumb to French rule. Along the way are serpentine roads that jostle and delight at the same time with unending views of the sea, jewel-tone boats resting ashore, dripping boys carrying home a silvery catch, peeks inside humming rum shops, and walls of green fronds at the edge of dense tropical forest. All this in a drive that, from tip to tip and from placid Caribbean to churning Atlantic, takes less than a day.
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
Beyond this is the beach…Grenada boasts string after string of pristine sand dotted with resort sanctuaries. Stroll the beach or loll by a seaside pool on miles-long Grand Anse Beach with its posh properties or the more secluded and cliff-hugging Magazine Beach. And taste the island—again and again. Sample fresh-caught seafood and local fare like the national dish of oil down, a savoury concoction of seafood, callaloo (a leafy green plant similar to spinach), coconut milk and spices. Or chocolate…The Grenada Chocolate company is a tiny, humble facility that processes some of the world’s finest chocolates (Lindt sources most of its chocolate here). A somewhat stronger sample of Grenada’s bounty (in terms of potency, that is) is Rivers Rum at the River Antoine Rum Distillery. This ancient distillery has been operating in Grenada since 1785. Take a guided tour from a local and marvel that the original water mill still functions as it did when Grenada was a French colony. For a non-alcoholic quencher, the island is known for flavour-packed smoothies featuring local goodies like paw paw (papaya). The best are rumoured to be at a strip mall just outside St. George’s but the Run Down at Spice Island Resort is a liquid treat—sea moss (an aprhodisiac), coconut cream, banana, nutmeg. Nutmeg is in just about everything here. It’s such a part of island life that it adorns the country’s flag. There’s also ginger, saffron, cinnamon, clove, vanilla (and that chocolate!). A visit to one of the island’s spice processing plants reveals why Grenada is called the “Spice Island.” Then there’s bright red sorrel, leafy green callaloo, banana, mango, coconut, paw paw…The volcanic soil here grows vegetation unlike anywhere else; this land is so lush and fertile that it’s said if you put a stick in the ground it will sprout. A short trek into the Grand Étang National Park and Forest Reserve reveals the bounty… Crunch, crunch, crunch. Footsteps reverberate over broken nutmeg shells that coat a trail through the moist quiet of rainforest. Starting at a plantation that grows banana, tonka bean, and cacao trees, a tight trail plunges into the Seven Sisters Falls Valley, where it’s lined with big blooms of ginger and birds of paradise and towering stalks of bamboo. Mona monkeys watch from deep within the green. Lower in the valley, the air thickens and the falls roar as chocolate-like mud sucks up a last crunch. Squelch.
travel the world
Private pool in a Luxury Almond Suite at the Spice Island Beach Resort.
A local “Butterfly” diving one of the Seven Sisters Falls in Grand Étang National Forest.
More of the island’s bounty for breakfast at the Spice Island Beach Resort.
Grenada’s bounty at one of the island’s spice processing factories. Nutmeg is the Spice Island’s prize product, seen here with its lacy red coating of mace.
View of St. George’s and the Carenage from the French-colonial-era Fort George.
Cliff-hugged Magazine Beach, a local favourite.
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t h e f o o d d o c t o r d r . h o l ly f o n g Dr. Holly Fong is a practising speech-language pathologist with three young children who is always trying, adapting and creating dishes.
craving crepes Try crepes for a luxurious weekend brunch at home
R
ecently I was reminded of how wonderfully indulgent Sunday brunch can be. The beauty of brunch at home is that you wake up late to a leisurely breakfast/ lunch—all the while in your jammies. Brunch can be simply a large hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and pancakes or something fancier but still easy…such as crepes. A crepe is just a batter of eggs, milk, flour and butter (make the batter overnight, and let it sit for at least two hours for light, thin crepes). Yet this simple mix can be an elegant wrap for other ingredients. Crepes made with buckwheat or whole-wheat flour have a subtle eggy, nutty flavour—a delicious foil for crispy baconwrapped asparagus. Choose fat asparagus shoots without white woody ends; they have a silky sweetness when broiled. Top crepes with a poached egg and serve with citrus salad.
When poaching the eggs, the water should be lightly salted and barely bubbling. Use fresh eggs so the whites won’t spread out as much in the water. Let the eggs sit for three minutes so that the whites barely solidify and the yolks are still runny. If you let the yolk harden even the slightest bit, you’ll miss out on a delicious creamy sauce. The overall effect is unbeatable: fatty, sweet, salty, meaty, creamy and tangy. A champagne or sparkling wine is a perfect accompaniment. The crackling effervescence, acidity and lower alcohol counterbalance the dish’s salty richness. The non-vintage Champalou Brut Vouray pairs beautifully. It has a delicate floral nose with a hint of honey. On the palate, it’s full of foaming mousse that tastes of stony peach with toasted almond. It ends dry with strong acidity to cut through the bacon’s fat yet isn’t rendered sour by the citrus. Bon appétit!
Do you enjoy receiving Just for Canadian Doctors magazine? As a physician, your subscription is free. To continue a new year of issues, please request a subscription by mail, fax or email. Or subscribe at: www.justforcanadiandoctors.com All subscription requests received by February 18, 2011 will be entered into a draw to win a Kodak PlaySport Waterproof Pocket HD Camcorder and accessories valued over $250. DOCTORS life + leisure
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CITRUS SALAD
2 blood oranges or tangerines 1 pink grapefruit 1 navel orange seeds of 1 pomegranate 1 tablespoon chopped chives 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar ½ teaspoon honey lime juice to taste pinch of salt pepper to taste EGGS
4 large eggs (1 per person) Crepe batter
½ cup whole wheat flour ½ cup white flour ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cup whole milk, plus more if needed 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, unsalted butter for skillet
Peel fruit; usingasharpknife, cut off bothends at thepoles toexpose fleshandmakeaflat surfacetostand upright. Thencut closetothepulp, slicingoff skininstrips andremoving thepith. Over amedium-sizebowl, cut alongtheinsideof themembranes separatingthesegments tothecentre of thefruit. Cut eachsectionintothe bowl, discardingthemembrane. Add pomegranateseeds. Inasmall bowl, whisktogether oliveoil, vinegar, honey, limejuice, salt andpepper. Addchoppedchives. Taste, adjust seasoninganddrizzle over citrus salad. Set aside. Set oventobroil. Placeawire rackintoalargecookiesheet. Trim asparagus ends andpeel halfwayup thespear. Twirl baconaroundeach spear, stretchingtocover thetip. Place onpreparedrack. Don’t crowdthe spears toallowthebacontocrisp. Makethecrepes; whisktogether salt andflours inalargebowl. Whisk eggs andmilktogether inanother bowl. Stir eggmixtureintothe
flour mixture. Addbutter, stirring tocombine. Batter shouldbethe consistencyof heavycream; addmore milkif needed. Refrigeratebatter for at least 2hours. Heat a12-inchfrypanover mediumheat. Coat bottomwithpat of butter. Ladle1/3-cupbatter intopan, tiltingtospreadevenly. Cookuntil top of crepeis set andcentreis liftedby pockets of air, about 1– 2minutes. Runaspatulaaroundtheedges to loosenandflip. Cookuntil bottom is firmandgoldenbrown, about 1 minute. Transfer toaplate. Repeat withremainingbatter, butteringpan as needed. Cover plateof crepes to keepwarm. Put thepanof wrapped asparagus onthetoprackof theoven under broiler for 4– 5minutes per sideuntil thebaconis crisp. Turnover. Keepwarm. Meanwhile, poacheggs. Roll 2bacon-wrappedasparagus spears insidecrepe. Repeat. Plate2 rolls withcitrus saladontheside. Top withpoachedegg.
solution from page 37
16 spears of asparagus, rinsed and patted dry 1 package of sliced bacon
solution from September/October 2010 contest
bacon-wrapped asparagus crepes with citrus salad (serves 4) sudoku 2 harder solution 5 8 6 4 3 9 7 1 2 9 2 3 1 7 6 5 8 4 7 4 1 8 2 5 3 6 9 4 3 8 2 5 7 6 9 1 1 9 7 6 8 3 4 2 5 6 5 2 9 4 1 8 3 7 2 6 4 7 1 8 9 5 3 3 1 9 5 6 4 2 7 8 8 7 5 3 9 2 1 4 6
Puzzle by websudoku.com
sudoku 1 easier solution 1 9 8 4 5 3 6 7 2 5 3 2 7 6 9 8 1 4 7 4 6 1 8 2 3 5 9 8 2 5 3 4 6 1 9 7 9 1 3 2 7 8 5 4 6 4 6 7 5 9 1 2 3 8 6 5 4 8 3 7 9 2 1 2 7 9 6 1 5 4 8 3 3 8 1 9 2 4 7 6 5
Puzzle by websudoku.com
November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
35
t he w e a lt hy doctor manf r ed pu r tz ki, c .a. Manfred Purtzki is the principal of Purtzki & Associates Chartered Accountants. You can reach him at manfred@purtzki.com.
wealth building tips Is your savings plan sufficient to generate the post-retirement income you want?
T
he majority of physicians stops worrying about their finances once they have accumulated a net worth of $1.5 million (not counting the value of their principal residence and household belongings). A retirement nest egg of $1.5 million at age 60 is estimated to produce an after-tax and inflation-adjusted cash flow of $6,000 each month for the rest of your life, or $72,000 annually. As a rule of thumb, it’s wise to plan for an annual retirement income of at least 50% of your pre-retirement after-tax annual income derived from your medical practice. So, is your savings plan sufficient to generate that level of income? Here are some suggestions for optimizing your savings to pay for the post-career lifestyle you want: 1. Maximize after-tax practice cash flow through incorporation. Unless your annual income is less than $100,000, you should consider setting up a medical corporation. Any income retained in the corporation is taxed at the low Small Business tax rate, which ranges from 12% in PEI to 19% in Quebec. Ontario’s rate is 16%. By investing cash surplus in the corporation, rather than distributing it to the shareholder, the tax deferral benefit is about 30%—the difference between the corporate tax rate and the maximum personal tax rate. 2. Draw funds only to live on and not to save. To reduce personal taxes to the absolute minimum, only take funds from the corporation to pay for living expenses and house mortgage payments. There is little benefit in making an RRSP contribution from corporate funds, since the tax benefit of the RRSP deduction is reduced by the tax you pay on drawing the RRSP funds from the corporation in form of a taxable dividend or salary. For the incorporated medical practice, the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) makes no sense because you need to take a $7,000 dividend from the corporation and pay $2,000 of income tax, so that you have $5,000 left to contribute to the TFSA. It’s an expensive proposition! You are better off keeping the $7,000 invested in your corporation where it enjoys a much reduced tax rate. 3. Take advantage of income splitting. Paying a salary or dividend to family members in a low-tax bracket is number-one tax shelter
36
their savings in conservative vehicles, such as GICs, rather than investing in the stock market. An effective method of savings is the “out-ofsight, out-of-mind” plan. Each month, take a portion, ideally 10% of your gross practice income, and automatically transfer it to a corporation savings account. Don’t be concerned about the tax you have to pay once you withdraw the funds during your retirement. You’ll be in a lower tax bracket, and can split the dividend income with your family.
for physicians. The best tax savings are with children attending a post-secondary institution because you can allocate a dividend sufficient to absorb a substantial portion of their tuition and education costs. It is not unusual to allocate a $60,000-$80,000 dividend to a student without any personal taxes, producing a tax saving of about $20,000. 4. Make home mortgage repayment a priority Before you start your investment program, pay off the mortgage first. Investing in the repayment of a 4% non-deductible mortgage rate is equivalent to an investment return of 7%, which is all but impossible to achieve today in any low-risk investment, much less a zero-risk investment such as mortgage repayment. Physicians who still face a large mortgage burden in their 50s are facing a future of considerable financial pressure because the available cash surplus that should be going toward retirement funding is being used to pay off the home mortgage. This financial squeeze is often exacerbated by the need to provide financial support to children for their post secondary education. 5. Buy assets not liabilities. In our experience, the major purchases doctors have regretted include boats, recreational properties, and even condo purchases for children attending university. These purchases are often made on impulse without the consultation of a financial advisor. Generally speaking, recreational properties do not support themselves, they are often under-utilized by family members, they require time and effort to maintain, and when the real estate market is soft, as it is now, the value of a recreational property drops the most. Same goes for post-study condos left vacant by kids that have moved on. Rent instead. 6. Invest conservatively. The medical corporation is a safe and bountiful savings tool. It allows you to invest $87 dollars out of a $100 pre-tax practice income (assuming a 13% corporate tax rate), whereas the individual with a personal tax of 43% can only invest $57 dollars. The low corporate tax allows you to build up a sizeable portfolio without exposing your capital to the risks of the market. Many doctors in fact have done better over the past few years investing
Just For Canadian Doctors November/December 2010
Consider what your income needs are likely to be after you retire from your practice and what you need to do between now and then to make sure you will have that income available to you. There are many options, but just going to the office and hoping it will take care of itself is not one of them.
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diversion
Expect the Unexpected
sudoku
a true story
Solve puzzle #2 for a chance to win a Tec-Wool Cap and Ivy Cap in the Take on Winter Wearing Tilley pack (worth $150) Sudoku is simple enough that anyone can play, yet difficult enough that anyone can improve at it. Each Sudoku puzzle has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains the digits 1 through 9.
sudoku 2 harder solution in next issue
sudoku 1 easier solution on page 35
winner of last issue’s sudoku contest: Dr. Patricia Edgar of Banff, AB
1 8 4 7 5 3 6 1 5
8 2 3 1 9 7
4 6 7 4 8 9 2 3
2 7 9 5 8 3 4 7 5
2 4
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4 7 4
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5 7
entry form (please print clearly): 5
8 4 5 1 7 5 1 9
Puzzle by websudoku.com
Name: __________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________ City, Province, Postal Code: _____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ E-mail: ________________________________________________________________ Tel: ______________________________ Fax: _________________________________ Sudoku Puzzle Contest Rules: 1. Entry form must be accompanied with solved puzzle. Only correctly solved puzzles will be entered into random draw. 2. Send puzzle & entry form to Just For Canadian Doctors, 710 – 938 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1N9 or by fax to 604-681-0456. Entries must be received by February 18, 2011. 3. Prize: Take on Winter Wearing Tilley Pack. Odds of winning dependent upon number of entries. Winner will be contacted by telephone and announced in the Spring 2011 issue. 4. Contest can be changed and/or cancelled without prior notice. 5. All entries become property of In Print Publications. Employees of In Print Publications and its affiliates are not eligible to participate. November/December 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
37
This physician loves his food, from mango in Mexico to pine mushrooms foraged at home. If he wasn’t a doctor, he’d be a restaurant critic. As his wife says: “David is a gourmand who savours traditional and new flavours in life and on the table. He just walked past me with two cucumbers he picked from his greenhouse, so I know that we will share a fresh salad tonight.” She adds, “He loves to share his passion with friends, and I am so lucky that he shares his life with me.” My name: David May I live and practise in: Powell River, BC My training: MD, University of London; GP Anaesthesia, UBC, Vancouver; MRCGP, University of Nottingham Why I was drawn to medicine: Medicine is an Applied Science
ten. It was refreshing to not know what was going on.
but dangerous. Or Ming Dynasty China: breathtaking and scary.
The best souvenir I’ve brought back from a trip: $250 worth of saffron from a market in Catalonia, Spain. I was travelling with my choir and three of us beat the saffron dealer’s price down.
My favourite book: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières My favourite movie: [several!] The Jungle Book,
My last purchase: A selection of wines to serve my friends at a locavore meal. My last splurge: 2004 Bordeaux: I am saving it for my 50th birthday. My closet has too many: Of my wife’s clothes in it. My fridge is always stocked with: Good cheese
A favourite place that I keep
My medicine cabinet is always stocked with: Tylenol My guilty pleasure is: Fresh sourdough croissants and newspapers on Saturday mornings. My favourite exercise/ sports activity: Swimming My celebrity crush: Juliette Binoche I’d want this item with me if stranded on a desert island: A barbecue to cook the wonderful fish I would catch. My secret to relaxing and relieving tension: Not bringing work home A talent I wish I had: Ease with foreign languages My scariest moment: Failing the exam when I was a new doctor in Canada, with a young family. My fondest memory: The birth of my children A big challenge I’ve faced: Keeping a healthy balance between work and family. I’m inspired by: Classical music, great food, wine and art.. My biggest ego boost: My wife thinks I am great occasionally from top Dr. David May skiing with his daughter Kate at Mount Washington on Vancouver Island; Escaping bulls while hiking in the Wye Valley in England; Sampling fresh mango and coconut in Cholula, Mexico; Above the town of Monterosso in the Liguria region of Italy.
where I could make a difference and in Family Practice I can see the continuity of life. My last trip: Cornwall, England: A blissful coastal hiking holiday between picture perfect fishing villages and eating at niche restaurants. The most exotic place I’ve travelled: Hanoi, Vietnam: where the rules of life are completely re-writ-
38
returning to: The United Kingdom is where my heart is.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Amélie. La Jetée, Star Wars
My ultimate dream vacation: Having time to wander European back roads finding family-run hotels. To experience those serendipitous events that are part of the ethos of those countries.
My first job: Gardener at the local school in London.
If I could travel to any time, I’d go to: Renaissance Europe: spectacular
Just For Canadian Doctors
November/December 2010
The gadget or gear I could not do without: Bottle opener My favourite room at home: Bedroom My car: VW Golf
My biggest ego blow: The low opinion which my teenage children hold of me I’m happiest when: I am with people who love me. A cause close to my heart: Palliative Care and Chronic Pain: two fields where there is room for huge improvements Something I haven’t done yet that’s on my must-do list: A walking tour of Tuscany If I wasn’t a doctor I’d be: A restaurant critic
courtesy Dr. david may
s m a l l ta l k
doctors share their picks, pans, pleasures and fears
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