From QCH Scribe to Physician
An experience inspires a calling
Dr. Tanvir Minhas loves to put down roots and build connections. He planted his roots at QCH nine years ago when he took on the role of Medical Scribe and recently joined us as a hospitalist.
When Dr. Peter Graves’ (ED physician) eldest son was on summer break in 2014, the two created the scribe program at QCH to help physicians dedicate their focus to their patients while improving the flow.
Dr. Minhas recalls, "I had met Dr. Graves a few times, as he was a parent helper for his younger son’s volleyball team that I was coaching. At that point, the prospect of medical school was just a passive thought, but he had known I was pursuing a Bachelor of Science. Dr. Graves contacted me because he was looking for someone to help with the scribe program since his eldest son would return to university in the fall. The experience was unparalleled for gaining exposure to healthcare's clinical and non-clinical sides.”
His scribe role provided him with frontline experience of what being a physician might be like. His duties included anything from charting to setting up minor procedures or identifying if a patient was due for a reassessment – anything that would help increase efficiency. In September, Dr. Minhas finished his family medicine residency and is now pursuing a wide variety of assignments to determine the long-term strategy for his practice.
Dr. Minhas did not come from a family of doctors, nor were any of his peers pursuing medicine. The scribe role allowed him to see the ED as an all-encompassing microcosm where everything and anything could come through the door.
"Career planning requires some flexibility. My first time applying to medical school, I received no interviews. The next year I got accepted into at uOttawa and McMaster. I was accepted at uOttawa teacher’s college, but rejected from Queens. Generally, I try to do things I enjoy, take growth opportunities when they come, build connections, and trust that positive things will happen.”
Tanvir committed many hours to coaching volleyball for his alma mater Merivale High School, leading him to receive the 2020 OCDSB Volunteer of the Year award. He hoped that application reviewers would appreciate the value of sport in learning life lessons, and recognize someone trying to give back to their community. He learned to be part of a team, from mentoring and sharing to building and lifting others: all qualities that also make a good doctor.
“You can put work into your own community and lead the change wherever you are. Water your own grass, instead of looking for greener grass elsewhere.”