LITTLE CURRENT—It has been quite a roundabout journey to Manitoulin Island’s shores, but Dr. Inyene Inyang said she and her family are very happy to be here. Dr. Inyang (nickname ‘Iny’), her husband. Mfon, and two children, a daughter eight and son six, arrived on Manitoulin in May and quickly settled in.
Their children are attending Little Current Public School.
“I studied medicine in Nigeria and practiced there for over six years,” she said. “Then I moved to Edmonton, and I lived there for about five years before moving here. While in Edmonton, I worked with an international research organization where we carried out oncology trials. While I was doing that, I was also using the opportunity to complete my Canadian medical licencing exams. Right after I was done with the exams, I went back to Nigeria to practice while waiting to start practicing here in Canada. “
The process for accreditation in Canada takes some time. “Even the application process can take some time,” she said. “I did not want to be out of practice for too long, so, I had to go back to practice in Nigeria”
Upon her return to Canada, Dr. Inyang did clinical work in Sault Ste. Marie before coming to Manitoulin.
“I came to meet in May, but I started working in June this year, so I have been here for about three months now,” she said.
“I love it here,” said Dr. Inyang. “I mean, who wouldn’t love it here? The island has this unique charm of natural being. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful and, of course, the communities have a cultural richness that anyone would appreciate. It’s really lovely here, but most importantly, I feel like being here gives me the opportunity to serve and practice my skills where it is most needed and appreciated, while making meaningful impact in the lives of the people around me.”
Dr. Inyang has a strong belief in being proactive rather than reactive in the practice of medicine. Preventative medicine can, she notes, head off more serious afflictions.
“I am committed to providing a holistic approach, so, be it physical, emotional and social needs, I’m committed to providing this to my patients.”
Dr. Inyang is trained as a family physician, and given Nigeria’s regime for training doctors, she has worked in both rural and urban environments.
Here on Manitoulin Dr. Inyang works primarily in the Little Current clinic (Northeastern Manitoulin Family Health Team—Little Current Medical Associates), but she also travels to the Wiikwemkoong Health Centre and the Wiikwemkoong Nursing Home.
One of the challenges with recruiting new doctors to a region is finding employment for the spouse. Dr. Inyang’s husband was taken up with settling in the couple’s children over the summer vacation period, but he is now actively seeking employment. His skillset includes working as a corrections officer, something he did while they were living in Edmonton.
“I moved here with my husband because, just like me, he loves really quiet serene environments and he loves it here,” she said. “However, he’s still trying to get something to do. He’s looking for a job that would fit what he loved doing back in Edmonton.”
Dr. Inyang had high praise for Manitoulin Health Centre’s staff recruiter Dawn Noble McCann.
“She played a good role in showing me around the Island and telling me about the interesting activities that my kids could get involved in,” said Dr. Inyang. “So that really also encouraged me to want to come around. I just want to commend her for a job well done. I also want to mention that working here is an opportunity to work alongside the dedicated physicians here that have been here for some time.”
“You notice that a lot of them have worked here for a long time,” she said. “It’s encouraging for us young physicians that are just moving to the community. It gives us things look up to; the fact that we can grow with our patients while continuing to provide them the best care possible.”
Dr. Inyang noted that Canada is a multicultural country. “You have people from all over the world, so it’s nice,” she said. “I have also practiced in multicultural populations, and I have had that exposure. I have the experience of working in both rural and urban communities, as well as multicultural communities, and that has really helped in my practice here.”
Finally, in a message to the community, Dr. Inyang said that she “just wants to say that we are here to support the community, and I hope they can trust us to continue to provide care for them. I would also like to mention that I’m very committed to providing preventative care to my patients, because, of course, as you know, if you prevent it, you don’t come down with the disease.”
