Medical Spotlight: Dr. Reena Baweja, Neurosurgeon at Royal Inland Hospital
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step-into the life of a neurosurgeon? In this highlight, Dr. Baweja shares her personal story as a neurosurgeon, new to Kamloops, and gives us valuable insight into a day in the life.
Meet Dr. Reena Baweja. She is the newest member of the neurosurgery team at the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) and the first female neurosurgeon at Interior Health. Dr. Baweja was born and raised in Ottawa but recently moved to Kamloops to offer her expertise to the Royal Inland Hospital. As a young professional and mother of one, she feels optimistic about the future and looks forward to exploring our region and everything Kamloops has to offer.
What does your educational background look like?
I received my undergraduate degree from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. My desire to explore the other side of the world led me to Australia where I completed medical school at the University of Sydney. I have a general license to practice in Australia but my desire to practice in Canada led me back home where I finished my neurosurgery training at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I then went on to complete a two-year fellowship at the University of Ottawa, specializing in peripheral nerve and spinal disorders which finished in June of this year.
What inspired you to pursue this field of medicine?
When I was in medical school, I thought that I wanted to be a heart surgeon but changed my mind in the process. As I was on track to become a general surgeon, I had the chance to try out some neurosurgery electives while studying in London Ontario and ended up loving it! I discovered that neurosurgery is a specialty that allows for a proportionate balance of working with your hands and your mind. The problems are complex, challenging and very rewarding!
How does it feel to be the first female neurosurgeon at Interior Health and in our region?
This is an extremely proud moment for me, but I also feel a sense of sadness. It shouldn’t be a novel thing to have a female neurosurgeon amongst your medical staff in 2021. In the last 50 years, the proportion of women attending medical school has risen to at least half of each graduating class. The number of women being accepted to specialty training has risen proportionately with this number except for a few specialties. Neurosurgery being one of those specialties. The number of practicing female neurosurgeons in Canada is 12% and that number has not changed in the last 50 years. To change these statistics, we need to re-examine our approach to the way we think about family structure, childcare, and female roles in the workplace. If we as a specialty are unable to attract women to our training programs, then we are missing out on half of the best and brightest candidates graduating from each medical school class.
How are the majority of your working days spent?
My days are often quite variable depending on what I am doing. We work as a group of four neurosurgeons and we each cover one week of call at a time. During the week we are on call, we must be available at all times for whatever comes through the door. In other weeks, I am either in the operating room working on my own cases or assisting the other surgeons with their surgeries. I am always looking for opportunities to learn from my senior partners. I also run my own clinic with a shared office space in the Welcome Back Centre and it is here that I see my new referrals as well as provide follow up care for patients that I have seen or operated on in the hospital.
What is the most rewarding part of your career?
In my profession, when a patient comes to me with a neurosurgical condition, it is most often a very critical time in their life. I might see brain tumours every day, but for the patient, this is a life altering experience. It is during these difficult times that I am able to make a difference in their lives with my expertise and compassion.
What are the values you try to live by everyday?
There are two very important values that I try to live by everyday. One is that I do the very best I can with absolutely everything I do. Whether that be with every patient I see, every surgery I undertake, every bedtime story I read or every meal I make for my family. No matter what I do, I always try my best. Second, kindness is at the forefront of everything I do. No matter what kind of situation I am in, I always let kindness be my guiding force. People have shown great kindness to me and in turn, I try to show that to others.
Can you share a memorable experience in your career?
I recall an experience as a trainee where I was involved in treating a woman who had a brain tumour at the back of her head. This woman was a young, vibrant mother, with three children at home. When she arrived at the hospital, she began deteriorating rapidly as she lost consciousness. In response to her worsening condition, I drilled a hole in her skull and fed a tiny tube through to the fluid filled part of her brain causing her to wake up. This is a basic neurosurgical procedure but it saved her life and allowed her to go on to have the surgery she needed and make a full recovery. Whenever things are tough, it is the rewarding moments like these that I hold on to.
What inspired you to live and work in Kamloops?
I moved to Kamloops in July for the general neurosurgical position at Royal Inland Hospital because it offered high volume trauma and the opportunity to gain valuable experience. As a young physician establishing a practice and building my career, this position has everything I am looking for. Since my arrival, I have received endless support from the RIH administrative team, my colleagues, the RIH Foundation, and the community.
How has you and your daughter’s experience in Kamloops been thus far?
Although moving has been quite the adjustment, my daughter and I have thoroughly enjoyed our experience in Kamloops so far. We have whole heartedly embraced everything Kamloops has to offer, especially when it comes to exploring nature and spending time outdoors. As for the people, we are so grateful to this community that has embraced us. My colleagues and the administrative team at Royal Inland Hospital have been there for us every step of the way, offering guidance, support and even childcare, to ensure that we have exactly what we need to successfully transition into our new life here in Kamloops. I came here to serve this community and I am grateful that we have received such incredible support and enthusiasm.
What does the future hold for you?
The direction I am moving in the moment is the exact direction I intend to keep going. I am in the process of building my practice into a busy and productive service to the community. I want to continue to explore Kamloops and the surrounding area with my daughter. This winter, I plan to enroll my daughter in skiing lessons and look forward to spending lots of time at Sun Peaks. I feel like I have only touched the surface on discovering all that Kamloops has to offer and look forward to discovering what lies ahead!
