When we are asked as children what we want to be when we grow up, doctor is one of the most common answers. However, when they find out it is not an easy path many opt for different careers. But for Danielle Mitchell, family doctor in Fort Frances, the path did not scare her but rather drove her to the successful career she has now.
There was no specific turning point in Mitchell’s life that led her to apply to medical school.
“I knew in high school that I really liked science, especially health sciences,” Mitchell said. “I liked teaching and having a variety in my day.”
Mitchell received her nursing and science bachelor’s degree from Lakehead University. She then joined the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and specialized in family medicine.
Early in Mitchell’s training as a nurse, she realized that she wanted to know more. Instead of just giving the medication to the patient, she wanted to know why that medication was chosen and how it worked.
“I found that I was always asking why and asking for more information than what I was getting in my courses,” Mitchell said. “Some of my nursing teachers said I should pursue either being a nurse practitioner or a physician because I was always asking them ‘why.’”
It was a journey that took Mitchell eight years in post-secondary education. Knowing that she wanted to come back to her hometown and practice family medicine, she was determined to excel in the most challenging course, anatomy.
The path to becoming a doctor is not an easy one, but Mitchell said her family has been supportive in providing the tools to help her succeed.
“They were very helpful logistically,” Mitchell said. “My mom would sometimes come visit me to make some home cooked meals, or if she knew somebody driving to Thunder Bay, she would send a crock pot of soup.”
Mitchell then met her husband, Adam, and got married halfway through medical school.
Mitchell said Adam is a very hands-on husband and father and helps around the house.
“He’s done everything to make it easier for me when I’ve had stressful days at work or when there was a big exam coming up,” Mitchell said. “We hired my fantastic nanny and she has made my life much easier. Adam and my parents are very involved at home with the kids.
With two young children, work, home and personal commitments, Mitchell said she tries to not fully book her day knowing that last-minute urgent matters may come up.
However, there are certain difficulties in Mitchell’s job that she cannot directly solve, one being the amount of residents in Fort Frances without a physician.
“I’ve been asked every work day if I am accepting new patients,” Mitchell said. “I was very eager to return home and give back to my community, and although I’ve been working for three months and quickly building my practice, there are still hundreds or thousands of people who need a physician.”
Another challenge that Mitchell and other doctors have to deal with is when they have exhausted all treatment options, especially for young patients with aggressive cancers.
The hardest part is triggering the discussion of end of life care, especially when it’s somebody who’s blindsided with a bad diagnosis, Mitchell said.
“I know the goal is for a cure and we’re hoping for a cure, but maybe we need to have plan B, or talk about that option now. It can always be tricky to initiate that. At that point, when the family and the patient have accepted that this is the best way to preserve some quality of life, those can be really rewarding experiences with loved ones.”
There are also many rewarding aspects of Mitchell’s job, the main one being delivering babies and seeing people recover from illness.
“I’ve had a few people that have been airlifted out for emergency surgeries,” Mitchell said. “Weeks later, they come and book a follow up with me in the clinic and tell me that they feel better, they’re playing with their grandkids and that they have this second chance.”
Mitchell said it all comes down to two qualities that doctors must have: doing the best and safest for the patient and being kind while you do it.
Having recently started her career, Mitchell said the one advice she would give to aspiring doctors is to go for it.
“If you’re thinking of it, do it,” Mitchell added. “Do the application and set yourself up. I always tell people to have a plan B. I was really grateful that I had a wonderful nursing career in case I didn’t get into medicine. Don’t hesitate. You’ll never know unless you apply and you try it.”
