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Winter 2009 |
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D
O C T O R S I N T H E N E W S
Dr. Paul
Bonisteel receives Family Physician of the Year award
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John Crowell, HSIMS, Photo |
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L to R: Dr. Bob Miller, Chair, MU
Discipline of Medicine, Dr. Paul Bonnisteel and Dr. Sarah Kredentser,
CFPC Past-President |
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Dr. Paul Bonisteel of New Harbour was
presented with the Family Physician of the Year award at the
Newfoundland and Labrador College of Family Physicians chapter
awards dinner held in St. John’s.
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By Sharon Gray |
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Dr. Paul Bonisteel of New Harbour was
presented with the Family Physician of the Year award at the
Newfoundland and Labrador College of Family Physicians chapter
awards dinner held in St. John’s. Award recipients from each
province were announced at the College of Family Physicians of
Canada’s Family Medicine Forum in Calgary on October 31, 2009.
Dr. Bonisteel is credited as being a
physician who “epitomizes the principles of family medicine,” and as an
incredible advocate for both the profession and his patients.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, he graduated
from the University of Ottawa in 1983 and moved to Newfoundland and
Labrador in 1985 after obtaining his certification in family medicine.
He now practices at the New Harbour Medical Clinic where he divides his
time between the Newhook Community Health Centre and Carbonear General
Hospital.
From 1986 to 1991, Dr. Bonisteel was an
assistant professor of Family Medicine at Memorial University and later
the acting chair of continuing medical education for the university.
During the 50th anniversary celebrations of The College of Family
Physicians of Canada in 2004, he chaired the Annual Scientific Assembly.
Since 2005, he has been a clinical preceptor with Memorial University,
providing guidance to medical students as well as family practice
residents.
In accepting the award, Dr. Bonisteel
reflected that the “single greatest life-changing move I made was to
come to Newfoundland, to leave the navel gazing claustrophobic,
centre-of-the-universe attitude of Toronto and be welcomed by warm
friendly and generous people. Here I got a fresh perspective on the
country and the world and myself.”
Dr. Bonisteel credited psychologist Dr.
George Hurley’s teaching as greatly affecting his professional and
personal life. “His course on interviewing skills was much more than the
mechanics of such. The course caused one to look deeply into the minds
and hearts of both the interviewee and the interviewer…. For any of you
who’ve not read George’s message In Danger of Growing I commend it to
your reading pleasure.”
As a city boy, used to the anonymity of
the urban landscape, Dr. Bonisteel said that dealing with the “goldfish
bowl” of rural life and practice was a major milestone. “Two colleagues,
Dr. Margot Walker and nurse Linda Strickland, helped me with this during
my time in Burin. They modeled an approach that was as simple as it was
easy – be yourself in both your personal and professional life.”
Dr. Bonisteel said he had the privilege of
working with four masters of the essentials of “mutual positive regard,”
all named John – John Forster, John Ross, John Lewis and John Sheldon.
“To this day, when faced with a surprise encounter, I ask myself, ‘now
what would John do?’ ”
Dr. Bonisteel said that one of the medical
interventions in which he takes most pride takes place on a sports field
in Blaketown. “In 2006, my wife Mary and I started a regional soccer
program for kids in Kinderstart to Grade 6. We’ve just finished our
fourth season and registered 130-177 children each summer from as far
away as Southern Harbour on the isthmus and Heart’s Delight in Trinity
south.”
Known to be a devoted family man, Paul is
married to Mary Harris, with whom he shares three children, Simon, Erin,
and Isaac. An avid banjo player, Paul loves 17th Century Newfoundland
and Labrador history. His hobbies include soccer and hockey as well as
hiking and camping.
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