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With a focus on palliative care, Dr. Tanja Borchers has dedicated her career to compassionate, patient-centered care in Southern Health-Sante Sud. She completed medical school at UM and graduated from the family medicine residency at Boundary Trails in 2019. As she navigated medical training, Dr. Borchers found herself drawn to the profound impact she could make providing end-of-life care and completed her palliative care subspecialty training. 

Since graduation she has balanced various roles, from community family practice and emergency and hospital work at Boundary Trails Health Centre to her involvement in Southern Health’s and the WRHA’s palliative care programs for both adults and children. Broadening her impact and knowledge-sharing in the field, she is involved in research projects in palliative care and looks forward to joining the team of ​“Ask a Professional” for the Canadian Virtual Hospice in the New Year. Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Borchers also enjoys her role as an educator and mentor in both palliative care and rural family medicine, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in comprehensive and quality care to medical learners, other health providers and the public. 

Caring for families and children with life limiting illnesses, Dr. Borchers has met many brave and strong individuals and families who inspire her in many different ways and who teach her about resiliency and bravery. She often reflects ​“on what a privilege it is to walk alongside patients and families who are navigating the hardest scenarios.” She tries to meet her patients and their families where they are, with kindness and understanding. Dr. Borchers finds joy in providing culturally appropriate palliative care in homes in First Nations communities throughout the Southern Health region.

Patients and colleagues value Dr. Borchers’ knowledge, availability, and diligence. One patient, Andrea, says Dr. Borchers goes ​“above and beyond anything” she has ever experienced as a patient, adding ​“Dr. Borchers has stood by me through many challenging moments. I trust her and find great comfort in her care.” Colleague Dr. Bruce Martin echoes Andrea. In his four decades of practice he has ​“met few other clinicians who have equaled her contributions in their first decade of their career,” adding Dr. Borchers ​“truly manifests community adaptive capacity in clinical care, research, education and health system change in Palliative Care.”

Outside of work, Dr. Borchers enjoys being active, spending time with family and friends, indulging her creative side and spending warm summer days at the cabin, taking advantage of all that lake life has to offer. She loves her sweet three-year-old goldendoodle, Maisy, who happily accompanies her on walks and adventures.

Dr. Ranjit Tatineni, graduated from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India. After practising in North Wales in the UK, he moved to Canada in 2014. Since then, he has focused on psychiatry and addiction medicine, caring for patients in Brandon.

Driven by a calling to help those facing mental health and addiction struggles, Dr. Tatineni finds fulfilment in making a positive impact. He feels especially rewarded when he hears from patients or their families telling him of the difference he has made in their life. Colleague and friend Dr. Keith Jenkins applauds Dr. Tatineni’s tireless dedication to providing quality addictions care and inpatient psychiatry work, emphasizing Dr. Tatineni’s role in keeping the psychiatric ward operational during staff shortages. Dr. Jenkins says ​“I can truly say the Brandon psychiatry team would be lost without him.”

Like many colleagues working in mental health, he shares concerns about the declining workforce in mental health and addiction services, a challenge amid rising demand. Dr. Tatineni exemplifies the resilience and compassion required in the demanding field of psychiatry. His advocacy and work, in spite of staffing and mental health resource shortages, is an example of the transformative power of a physician committed to the well-being of their community.

Beyond his medical duties, Dr. Tatineni is a family man, married with a son and a daughter. He enjoys outdoor activities, especially mountain biking. His favourite book is Ayn Rand’s ​“Fountainhead” and his favourite dish, that reminds him of home, is Hyderabadi Biryani.

At the Specialized Services for Children and Youth Centre, Dr. Stefanie Narvey wears many hats as a developmental pediatrician, educator, and advocate. Born and raised in Portage la Prairie, Dr. Narvey’s journey to a career in medicine was shaped by her experiences working in her father’s chiropractic office and the Portage Clinic. These early encounters instilled in her the value of the doctor-patient relationship and the importance of primary care. After completing her medical education in Winnipeg she did her subspecialty training in Vancouver.

Dr. Narvey’s passion lies in unraveling the intricacies of child development, working at the Child Development Clinic and the Manitoba FASD Centre, where she is involved with the FASD Justice program. A highlight of her role is the opportunity to work in rural and remote communities, conducting outreach clinics. It’s in these settings that she feels privileged to hear people’s stories. She says ​“I love that my job allows me to dig deep with families and try to help them understand their children better and figure out how to best support them.” This work highlights the barriers and waitlists that hinder access to vital services, particularly for those who need them most.

Beyond her important clinical work, Dr. Narvey is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of developmental pediatricians. As the Program Director for the Developmental Peds training program, she endeavors to attract more residents to this vital field, emphasizing the increasing need and profound meaning inherent in this kind of work.

Dr. Narvey’s commitment to others extends beyond the clinic and training medical learners. A heartfelt testimonial reveals her compassionate side. She reached out to Doctors Manitoba, even facilitating the necessary paperwork, in support of a fellow member dealing with a significant personal traumatic event to ensure the individual could access the necessary benefits.

Outside of work, Dr. Narvey is a married mother to two children, ages 6 and 8, who constantly remind her of the intricacies of development and behavior. In her free time you’ll find her with her husband at the rink, walking her delightful dog, or indulging her passion for bird-watching.

Born and raised in the coastal city of Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Rizqa Sulaiman-Baradien began her journey in pediatrics, graduating in 2010 with an MBChB from the University of Cape Town. After completing her MBChB, she worked in Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics before obtaining a masters degree in Medical genetics. During the COVID pandemic she played a crucial role in a testing centre, marking the beginning of her specialist career.

She first practiced at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, honing her skills in genetics and neurodevelopment. Looking for new challenges, she relocated to Canada with her young family, joining the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at HSC in 2021. At Children’s Hospital, she works primarily in the general genetics clinic catering to both children and adults with a wide array of genetic conditions. Driven by a special interest in Neurodevelopmental disorders and Skeletal Dysplasias, her practice spans from fetal anomalies to adult-onset genetic conditions.

Dr. Sulaiman-Baradien’s passion for medicine stems from her love for people and her desire to serve humanity. She feels called to serve her fellow humans and says ​“working with families, doing the detective work around trying to figure out their unique and rare conditions, is most rewarding, especially when we find a diagnosis. It is often years of multiple doctors, investigations and procedures before patients finally have closure. In addition, with advances in targeted therapies based on genetic findings, our scope of practice is ever increasing and we are continuously learning and making new discoveries.” The constant evolution of medical practices, fueled by genetic findings and targeted therapies, keeps her engaged and ensures there is never a dull moment.

Like many of her colleagues, Dr. Sulaiman-Baradien has concerns about access to care, particularly in rural or remote communities, and the challenge of especially long wait times for these communities. 

Her proudest professional accomplishment is being a ​“Doctor-Mom.” Balancing the demands of medical specialization while raising four children, she sees her family as an integral part of her journey, motivating her to push boundaries and continually grow in her medical career. Married with two boys and two girls, Dr. Sulaiman-Baradien took on the challenging task of medical school and residency, all while experiencing the joys and challenges of motherhood. Outside of work she enjoys working creatively, with an interest in painting and drawing. While her demanding schedule has shifted her focus to doodling, she is proud of the oil seascapes she created in the past. 

Through her dedication to both family and patients, Dr. Rizqa Sulaiman-Baradien proves that balance is possible between personal passions and family and the pursuit of excellence in medicine.

Dr. Seth Shaffer has always loved science and working with people, making medicine a natural choice for a career. Born and raised in Winnipeg, he graduated medical school from UM and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Queen’s University and a gastroenterology fellowship in Winnipeg. In 2018, he completed a two-year fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at the University of Chicago, where he also obtained his Masters of Public Health Sciences, with a focus on health economics.

An Assistant Professor of Medicine at UM, Dr. Shaffer also works as an academic gastroenterologist at HSC, providing inpatient consult service, working in outpatient clinics, and performing endoscopies. He sees patients with all kinds of gastrointestinal issues, but his main interest lies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He also teaches medical learners through the UM. 

Patient, Megan Romphf felt anxious and hesitant about medical procedures from past experiences but Dr. Shaffer’s bedside manner, professionalism, and knowledge made her feel comfortable with testing and treatment again. His efforts to go above and beyond to help ease her fears and control the symptoms of her illness are what led Megan suggest him for the Physician of the Week. 

Dr. Shaffer works hard to empathize with his patients, and he loves that his specialty allows him to interact with patients in all stages of life. The most rewarding part of his work as a gastroenterologist, is helping his patients to feel better and get their lives back. He says, ​“caring for people in their most vulnerable state is something I cherish and don’t take for granted.” 

As a member of the University of Manitoba IBD Clinical and Research Centre Dr. Shaffer’s research focuses on understanding the causes and clinical management of persons with IBD, the economic impact of caring for those patients, and impact the pandemic has had on patients’ mental health. He will be presenting the latest research in IBD, and future developments for patients next month at the Crohn’s and Colitis Gala in Winnipeg

With health care workers dedicating longer days to caring for patients, Dr. Shaffer worries about the risk of burnout to both physicians and nurses. He is concerned about the inadequate funding in healthcare and believes ​“we should be investing more in healthcare as our population continues to age.”

Dr. Shaffer loves to travel, having recently visited Italy and Greece and he got married in 2022. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar and watching sports. He is passionate about good coffee. This Sunday you’ll find him cheering on his Philadelphia Eagles as they face the San Francisco 49ers in the conference final, while possibly enjoying some take out pizza and pasta from Harth, his favourite Winnipeg restaurant.

When Dr. Amrit Malik was younger, she was inspired by the care her father received from the doctors and nurses at St. Boniface Hospital. That experience sparked her interest in medicine, and she now works at St. B as an academic cardiologist. 

Dr. Malik grew up in Birds Hill ​“before it was fancy.” She obtained her medical degree from the University of Manitoba, and then spent time in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Toronto specializing in internal medicine, cardiology, heart failure and echocardiography. 

Today, in addition to working as a cardiologist at St. Boniface and HSC, Dr. Malik is also an Assistant Professor at UM. Along with teaching, research, and administrative work, she cares for inpatients and outpatients with a variety of cardiac problems.

For her, medicine is a rewarding career: ​“it is such a privilege to be able to help people in a time of need and hopefully make a positive difference in their lives.” Indeed, Dr. Malik feels most rewarded for her work when she sees her patients out in the world ​“feeling better and living their lives.” 

Described as ​“extremely attentive and diligent,” a colleague recognized Dr. Malik’s willingness to dig deeper and request alternative testing for a patient with normal screenings but pervasive symptoms, which likely saved the patient’s life. Her care for patients across Manitoba is appreciated, with Dr. Malik seen as ​“a great resource to rural family physicians”.

With the health care system in its current state, Dr. Malik is worried about doctors and healthcare workers. Struggling to advocate for patients in a broken system makes physicians’ jobs more challenging and the pandemic has made matters even worse. She believes that if Manitobans can have a better understanding of ​“how the system works and why there are so many delays, they could see where their participation could help the system.” Dr. Malik believes more ​“transparency would help the system be more accountable to the stakeholders — which is all of us.”

One way of coping for Dr. Malik is humour. She says he best parts of her day involve joking and laughing while connecting with colleagues. Believe it or not, she used to do improv. ​“I think I’m pretty funny. Not everyone agrees, but most don’t tell me to my face.”

Dr. Malik has two daughters, ages 10 and 15, whom she enjoys spending as much of her time with as possible. They recently took a pottery class together, which ultimately proved to Dr. Malik that she should stick to cardiology while her daughters have the talent for artistic creativity. She enjoys spending time with friends and family playing games, watching movies, and going for dinner.

Dr. Mryanda Sopel is a family physician working in Southwestern Manitoba. After studying at Dalhousie University in Halifax, she earned her medical degree from UM and returned to her rural roots to practice family medicine. Because of her research background, Dr. Sopel had originally planned to become a Pathologist, ​“but it turned out that Family Medicine was what stole my heart.” She completed her residency through the Brandon Rural Stream. 

Dr. Sopel’s love of a good mystery – finding the pieces of the puzzle to find solutions for patients — is what originally drew her to medicine. And while she still finds this part of her career captivating, it is working with patients, colleagues and staff that has provided her with the rich experiences that continue to spark her passion for being a physician.

She began her career as a hospitalist at the Brandon Regional Health Center, and today works primarily in Souris. She also spends one day per week offering a satellite clinic in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, as well as precepting medical learners through UM. Dr. Sopel calls herself ​“a generalist at heart who likes to dabble in a little bit of everything.”

Dr. Sopel is most proud when patients from marginalized communities, who have felt alienated by the health care system, seek out care from her and her team because they feel safe. She loves seeing the learners she has mentored strive and grow towards independence and becoming competent and caring providers. ​“Medicine isn’t about a moment but is about the quilt of many small moments we compile.”

​“I thrive most when I can bring some silliness to life,” Dr. Sopel declares, as she acknowledges there is a lot of seriousness, distress and trauma out there. In a profession that can be very serious and sometimes dire, and especially in these times where our system and people seem especially stretched, Dr. Sopel is a breath of fresh air. She believes that dancing and singing in the hallways of the hospital or clinic is required, ​“though never done technically well.”

Colleagues and staff who work with Dr. Sopel agree that she is an exemplary physician, but her ability to tackle tough situations with humour and grace are what truly set her apart. Dr. Jenwa Beapre values the levity and humour Dr. Sopel brings to the workplace, saying ​“she is ​“fun to work with and a treat to be around.” Dr. Nichelle Desilets, Doctors Manitoba Board Representative for the Assiniboine District, admires Dr. Sopel’s ​“passion to advocate for her patients and the healthcare system, while still being able to maintain a healthy perspective.” Dr. David Cram, based in Souris and a former Doctors Manitoba President, describes Dr. Sopel in just four words: ​“She’s a rock star!“

Dr. Sopel and her partner live on a small acreage between Souris and Brandon with their dog, four chickens and a green house, raising and growing as much of their own food as possible. To ​“fill their cups”, they get outdoors as often as they can and spend as much time as possible with family and nearby close friends.

Dr. Saima Manzoor is a family physician who has lived in Northern Manitoba for nearly a decade. She is valued by her colleagues and the community for her dedication to patient care. 

Dr. Manzoor grew up in Pakistan where she trained in medicine and began her medical career in a Welfare Hospital with a focus on women’s health. She moved to Ottawa in 2005. As an IMG with young children, she initially worked as a sonographer. After moving to Gillam, Manitoba in 2013, she wanted to support the small, isolated community using her original training and pursued getting her education and experience recognized here through the Manitoba Licensure Program for IMGs (MLPIMG). She relocated to Thompson where her main focus has been primary care at the Thompson Clinic and hospital care at Thompson General.

Getting back into medicine in Canada is a personal and professional achievement Dr. Manzoor does not regret. ​“My proudest professional moment was getting my CCFP and attending the convocation in Toronto,” she says. ​“This reminded me of my first convocation back home. It’s hard to explain the hardships as an IMG to start all over again at a new place with uncertainties, barriers, and a lack of extended support.”

Working in a remote and isolated community was also a reminder about why she was drawn to medicine in the first place. 

“I like working for people in an impactful way and being able to make a difference in their lives. The best part about practicing medicine is the satisfaction of providing a wide variety of care and support including physical, psychological, and even moral support which is rewarding.“

Because of the break she faced in practicing medicine after moving to Canada, Dr. Manzoor has a unique perspective about valuing her chosen profession. ​“Medicine is not just a profession, it’s a lifestyle which is not easy to give up. I strongly believe that the rewards of being a physician are extensive and everlasting. The value of building a trusting relationship with patients and the satisfaction of sharing compassion outweighs any other incentives.” 

While medicine has been personally and professionally rewarding for Dr. Manzoor, she is worried about physician workload and burnout. ​“My real concern right now is the shortage of physicians in Manitoba,” she explains. ​“This will impact the practicing physician with an increased demand for work leading to increase chances of error which can negatively affect the quality of patient care.” 

Dr. Manzoor has become involved with Doctors Manitoba advocacy to address the shortages and better support physician wellness. ​“I am passionate about physician health. I consider it a strong determinant of patient’s and ultimately the community’s health.“

Dr. Manzoor has three children. She enjoys making her favourite family recipe, Chicken Biryani, for family, friends and colleagues. Her favourite movie is Wonder, a coming-of-age drama. ​“The interesting thing about the movie is a rare disorder in a young boy leading to the disfigurement of his face and its impact not only on the boy but also on the family and friends.”