What I Learned from Working in Rural Manitoba

I travel to rural Manitoba every few months to provide eye care to an underserved community.

Here are four lessons that I learned:

1) Building a Compelling Career Increases Job Satisfaction

At networking events, I used to introduce myself as an optometrist in North York. I felt like "just another optometrist".

Now, I talk passionately about my optometry work in multiple provinces. I share about challenges providing eyecare to Indigenous communities, building a career without a stable full-time job, and flying to remote areas (I like travel!).

My colleague and dear friend, Dr. Yi, runs our Manitoba clinic. As the only optometrist in the area, he could easily coast. Yet, he's constantly working on new exciting work projects and investing in new equipments.

In our latest call, he shared that he's sponsoring a local hockey team to connect with the community (we'll be attending their game next month 🏒).

2) Once You Master Something, Become a Student Again in Something Else

After many years at the same office, I learned everything I could there. Eventually, lack of growth made me unhappy at work.

In April, I worked in Manitoba for the first time. Here are some highlights:

• I sparred with an amateur boxer (more on that later). 🥊
• On my first day, I saw 8 emergencies. Because local hospitals in rural Manitoba are not equipped to see eye problems, I had to push my comfort zone to handle tough cases. 🙌
• Since we're the only eye doctors within several driving hours, our schedules were packed. I had to see patients twice as fast as in Ontario. 😅

My first Manitoba trip was challenging, sometimes anxiety-inducing, and... I absolutely loved it.

I've always found deep satisfaction in pushing past my comfort zone (hence, the marathon). As soon as I got back to Toronto, I put in a resignation letter from my Toronto job.

3) Being Underpaid Destroys Job Satisfaction

Ontario optometrists went on strike a few years ago due to the lowest funded eye exam fees in all of Canada for decades. After much negotiations, we are now the second-lowest funded province instead. 🥲

Being underpaid made a lot of good doctors deeply unhappy. Even now, I suspect many are still dissatisfied.

Due to better pay in Manitoba, I felt more satisfied with my work (even though it is the same work). This proved to me that loving what you do isn't enough for lasting job satisfaction. (Check out other relevant factors here)

4) Time Felt Slow (In a Good Way)

After work, some of us went to a local boxing gym for a workout.

As I was leaving, a man said, "Hey you, can you step in the ring and spar? She's got a fight coming up". "She" turned out to be an amateur boxer 40 pounds heavier than me. Two problems:

1) I've never sparred before.

2) They ran out of protective headgear.

So... I said, "Sure let's do it!" (it went exactly as you might expect 😂)

New experiences in Manitoba made time feel slow – a stark contrast to my fast-paced life in Toronto.

Integrate Work and Life

The Manitoba trip mixed work with fun (I love novel experiences, traveling, and meeting new people). Adding these to my work felt like a breath of fresh air, and I've never felt more passionate about my career. I'm curious to see where work and life will take me next!

On a side note, the Manitoba town hosts an annual summer track-and-field with cash prizes. 🏃 How cool is that?? Subscribe to stay in the loop! 👊