A family doctor in Wawa -- Dr. Anjali Oberai -- has been named one of seven winners of Ontario Family Physician of the Year for 2022. The honour comes from the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP).
Oberai has been recognized for her leadership and excellence in patient care, said the release of the OCFP. The college selects seven award recipients from each of the seven OCFP regions in Ontario.
She was also named the recipient of the Reg L. Perkin Family Physician of the Year Award, which is the OCFP’s highest honour, presented annually to a family doctor who provides exceptional patient care and improves the health of communities and wellbeing of society.
Oberai started her career doing rural locums in Alberta, Ontario and Nunavut and from there, said the release, she fell in love with rural medicine. Since 1998, she has worked in Wawa as a rural generalist practising full-scope medicine from obstetrics to palliative care.
Outside of clinic, emergency and in-patient work, she has an interest in exercise stress testing and antimicrobial stewardship. Currently, she is co-chair of Public Health Ontario’s Antibiotic Stewardship Advisory Committee.
Part of Oberai's career was an associate professor at NOSM University (Northern Ontario School of Medicine). She was also the Enhanced Skills PGY3 program director at NOSM from 2019-2021.
Dr. Oberai is a board member of the Wawa FHT (family health team) and the local continuing medical education coordinator. She holds a medical degree from the University of Ottawa and completed her residency at the University of Calgary, said the release.
When not at work, Dr. Oberai can be found exploring the outdoors and enjoying everything rural life has to offer. She said she is privileged to make her home in Wawa, where she and her husband raised two children.
