Dr Don Wilson
Dr Wilson is an obstetrician-gynecologist who has recently switched to full-time locum work, practising mostly in the Comox Valley. Here he shares a little about himself with BCMJ readers.
What profession might you have pursued, if not medicine?
Veterinary medicine was my first dream job, which only changed when I saw a baby born when I was 14.
Which talent would you most like to have?
A knack for carpentry and home maintenance. My father was a jack-of-all-trades, and I left home too young to learn many of those skills from him.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having loving, healthy relationships with my family and friends.
Who are your heroes?
My two grandmothers, my mother and father, and the Elders who directly influenced my life before I left my home Nation for high school at age 14.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Sharing times of togetherness and good food with my children and grandchildren, with some time outdoors by the ocean on a warm sunny day.
What is your greatest fear?
Outliving any of my children or grandchildren.
What characteristic do your favorite patients share?
They are intellectually curious, are engaged in their own health care, and genuinely want to know how and why recommended treatments are supposed to work.
Which living physician do you most admire?
I cannot narrow it down to just one. At the moment, I am in awe of the physicians who are trying to work in the Gaza Strip.
What is your favorite activity?
Cooking for my family, especially for large gatherings.
On what occasion do you lie?
When my spouse asks if I ate the last peanut butter cookie.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m not sure if it’s just me who thinks this, but I want it to be authenticity.
What do you most value in your colleagues?
Team effort, kindness, and a willingness to step up and help when others are struggling.
What are your favorite books?
There are too many titles to list. I love reading science fiction, fantasy, and biographies of interesting people.
What is your favorite place?
There is no place like home, and by home I mean the territory where my ancestors and I are from—the home territory of the Heiltsuk Nation.
What is the proudest moment of your career?
I have many, but one has to be saving a mother and baby from certain death after a uterine rupture. It was clearly a team effort, but having the skills of an obstetrician were the key ones that prevented a terrible outcome.
What is your motto?
Prioritize the accumulation of memories, not the accumulation of things.
How would you like to die?
Hopefully in my sleep if I live to an old age in relatively good health. Otherwise, via MAID if I am facing a long terminal health spiral.
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