Canadian Women Physicians Day 2024

According to the Canadian Institutes for Health Information, the number of women physicians in Canada continues to rise. In 2022, females represent 49.7 per cent of family medicine physicians and 40.2 per cent of specialist physicians in the country. 

On Canadian Women Physicians Day, we thank the Libin Cardiovascular Institute’s hard-working, passionate females who make a difference in the lives of patients every day. 

We sat down with three of those physicians for a sneak peak into what they love, and find most challenging, about their jobs.  

Dr. Shafeena Premji 

A family physician with specialty training in women’s health, pregnancy care and menopause care, Dr. Premji has served the local community for 11 years. 

What do you love about your job? 

I am privileged to have the opportunity to care for women at every reproductive stage of their life, from childhood to pregnancy to menopause and beyond. As a family physician, I am in a unique position to offer personalized strategies that enable my patients to make informed choices about their health at all stages of their lives. Being able to walk that journey and empower each patient with the knowledge and tools to navigate that stage in their life is a privilege for me. 

What’s most challenging about your role? 

Women’s health has historically been under funded and under researched. Contraception and pregnancy care is well learned in medical school and residency, but we’re lagging in our education on how to treat women in perimenopause and beyond. According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, one in two Canadian women feel unprepared for this stage of life and only 27 per cent of women reported that their health care provider proactively spoke to them about it. 

What advice do you have for young women considering a career as a physician?  

As women we are socialized to master many roles simultaneously including working towards a career, raising a family, maintaining the home environment and caring for aging parents. In that process, we often neglect ourselves. My advice is to endeavour to maintain self care throughout your life with activities that bring joy and contentment so you can show up as the best version of yourself in each role you play. 

Dr. Sonia Butalia

Dr. Sonia Butalia is an endocrinologist and researcher who has been practicing for almost 15 years. 

What do you love about your job? 

I love working with patients.  I have the privilege of taking care of so many amazing people and as an endocrinologist, I’m able to provide care over the adult life span.  I also love working in teams alongside many other amazing health care professionals.  Finally, as a physician-researcher, I cherish the opportunity to problem solve and help the broader community, as well as people in my clinic or at the hospital. 

What advice do you have for young women considering a career as a physician?  

I encourage anyone, from any background, to consider becoming a doctor. I would suggest that they talk with as many health care professionals as possible to get a better understanding of the challenges and rewards of being a physician.  Follow your dreams and your heart! 

Dr. Debra Isaac

A cardiologist with specialization in advanced heart failure and echocardiography, Dr. Isaac has served the community for 30 years. 

What do you love about your job? 

My job involves direct patient care, imaging, research, program development and teaching. This diversity ensures I am never bored! I particularly love the interaction and relationships with patients. I am lucky to work with amazing colleagues with a variety of backgrounds, including medical, nursing, pharmacy, social work and echo sonography, in a field that is constantly advancing.

What’s most challenging about your role? 

There is so much to do, so much to continue to learn, so many opportunities to develop better ways to provide care, education, and advance knowledge! I love the complexity of my specialty, but it can be stressful and sometimes I feel that I am not able to do enough.

What advice do you have for young women considering a career as a physician?  

Medicine is a great career for those who enjoy interacting with people, want to continuously learn and grow, and enjoy a challenge.  There is so much joy and satisfaction in this career, as well as opportunity for diversity within your practice, whether it be clinical care, education, research, program development, implementation, or all of those.