Owen Sound

Population: 22,000

Affiliated Hospital: Owen Sound Hospital

Description of Elective

Owen Sound is the regional centre for Grey Bruce Health Services Corporation which also has sites in Markdale, Meaford, Southampton, Wiarton, and Lion's Head/Tobermory.  Owen Sound has just over 35,000 ER visits per year.  The night shift is from 22:00 to 08:30.  The evening shift finishes at 24:00 giving you 2 hours of overlap at the beginning of your shift and the day shift starts at 08:00 which should give you time to finish charting etc and get out between 8 and 8:30.  The Day shift is from 08:00 to  16:30, and the Double Coverage from 11:00 to 19:00.
 
There is 24 hour on site RT, labs, x-ray and CT.  Specialty back up is very good and includes Gen Surg, Int Medicine, Obs/Gyne, Paediatrics, Orthopaedics, Urology, Anaesthesia, Radiology, Intensivist, and Hospitalist / city on call.  Psychiatry is available through the crisis team.  Owen Sound is a level 1 Psych facility.  The internal medicine department includes cardiology, endocrin, neuro, resp, rheum, and geriatrics.  They all take general internal medicine call and at night cover for the intensivist.  Among the 5 general surgeons there is a thoracic surgeon and 2 surgeons who do vascular work.  We  take advantage of the different areas of subspecialty abilities during the day and for outpatient clinic referral again at night it's whoever is on call.  The nurses are very helpful in telling you any particulars of the on call staff.  We have 3 ophthalmologists and 2 ENT available but do not provide seamless coverage.  There availability can usually be determined through switchboard.  MRI is available at the hospital.

Generally Owen Sound is a pretty pleasant place to work (it is often said it is “big enough to have lots of "toys" but small enough to know everyone”).  Thanks again for your time.  Please feel free to contact me or have any interested residents contact me by email or through the hospital.