- Story by Erin McPhee Photography by Don Denton
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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A conversation with her youngest daughter set Dr. Ana Teresa Armas Enriquez香蕉视频直播檚 life in an entirely new, exciting direction.
Back in 2016, the Cuba native had just moved to Nanaimo with her husband and two girls after spending 12 years in Morden, Manitoba, practising rural medicine. She was becoming increasingly frustrated at the challenge of securing a permanent position at an existing medical practice in her new Vancouver Island home.
香蕉视频直播淚 actually found it almost as hard to settle in the practice of medicine on the island as I encountered in getting my credentials recognized in Canada,香蕉视频直播� she says.
Ana Teresa香蕉视频直播檚 daughter, Camille, six years old at the time, patiently listened to her mother express her desire to hear back about a job, before asking her a series of eye-opening questions.
香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈Do they know how to do something you don香蕉视频直播檛? Do they know how to run a business in a way that you don香蕉视频直播檛? Then why is it that you don香蕉视频直播檛 just do it yourself?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 Ana Teresa recalls her wise-beyond-her-years youngest inquiring.
香蕉视频直播淚 looked at her and I said, 香蕉视频直播榊ou香蕉视频直播檙e right, I should probably do this alone.香蕉视频直播� So I went and did it,香蕉视频直播� she says.
Ana Teresa, 42, graduated from medical school in Havana before immigrating to Toronto in 2002. After arriving in Canada, she worked hard to become licensed to practice here, and spent a number of years working and learning all she could in what she considers her 香蕉视频直播渉ome clinic香蕉视频直播� in Morden. Reflecting on her experiences, she decided it was time to launch a solo practice, Women香蕉视频直播檚 Vita Medical Clinic, and to do it her way.
香蕉视频直播淚 decided this is my opportunity to take everything that I learned in medical school and medical practices in Cuba and Canada, make my own blend and make my true identity shine,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淭here are things from both places that I absolutely respect, and there are things from the two places that I absolutely think that they could do better.香蕉视频直播�
A three women partnership 香蕉视频直播� herself, a full-time nurse, Kassidy Delcaro, and receptionist Ani Rodriguez 香蕉视频直播� Women香蕉视频直播檚 Vita offers family medicine with a strong focus on women香蕉视频直播檚 health. Ana Teresa treats women at every age and stage of their lives, often seeing them during challenging periods. She aims to offer a safe, supportive and accessible option for women. She also works in the hospital, treating patients in the emergency room, labour and delivery, and during longer stays.
香蕉视频直播淚 love what I do for a living. I香蕉视频直播檓 very, very blessed that I have a job that I absolutely love,香蕉视频直播� she says.
Ana Teresa continues to advocate for more studies focused on women to better serve them as a whole, and works to integrate new technology into her practice. She also seeks to empower and educate her patients about their bodies, their specific health risks and how to take good care of themselves.
Growing up west of Havana as an only child 香蕉视频直播� the daughter of an engineer and an accountant 香蕉视频直播� Ana Teresa香蕉视频直播檚 family thought she was destined to become a lawyer.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 the shortest of the entire family and I was one of the shortest of my entire school 香蕉视频直播� but for sure I was the loudest,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淚 made my points.香蕉视频直播�
Measuring five feet tall, she credits her strong-mindedness to her father香蕉视频直播檚 side of the family and her perseverance to her mother, the combination of which helped her defy the odds and move to Canada.
香蕉视频直播淚 feel like I had to be triple strong,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淔irst, because no matter which country you go to, women are still the greatest minority. Take that on top of being a foreign physician, and I had to prove myself many times. I want to be an example for my two daughters, showing that it香蕉视频直播檚 not going to come easy, but getting there is your journey. If you persevere and put all your might and passion into it, and work really hard, you get to it, and then you become another example for the greater good.香蕉视频直播�
Ana Teresa香蕉视频直播檚 life during and after graduating medical school in Havana was challenging.
香蕉视频直播淚 studied hungry with nothing to eat, with no light,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淵ou do all of this, and then you get out of there, you香蕉视频直播檙e a doctor, you know your job, yet you don香蕉视频直播檛 have food on your plate that was provided by your own work.香蕉视频直播�
According to Ana Teresa, in Cuba, doctors are among the poorest professionals, and it is not unusual for tourists to find that their taxi driver or bed and breakfast host is also a surgeon or doctor.
香蕉视频直播淚 didn香蕉视频直播檛 want to do that; I wanted to be a doctor not having three jobs on the side. That香蕉视频直播檚 not how I envisioned my life,香蕉视频直播� she says.
香蕉视频直播淚 love the culture I come from, and I love my family. I love the beaches 香蕉视频直播� there香蕉视频直播檚 no beauty in the Pacific Ocean that quite competes with the beauty of the Caribbean. But I had no hope. I graduated and I had to be fed by my parents and my parents-in-law. I had to be dressed by my grandmother. Those were the reasons to leave and never look back.香蕉视频直播�
Wanting to provide a better life for herself and her future children led her to convince her husband, Joel Victores, an IT engineer, to join her in immigrating to Canada.
The couple met when Ana Teresa was 15 and they got married five years later.
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know if I can fathom my life without him,香蕉视频直播� she says.
When she香蕉视频直播檚 not practising medicine, Ana Teresa enjoys time with her family. Weekends are spent ferrying their girls, Cosette, 13 and Camille, nine, to different lessons and activities, and with her parents and brother-in-law, who have followed in their footsteps, similarly moving from Cuba and settling in Nanaimo.
During quieter times, she can be found immersed in a good book and or experimenting with a new recipe 香蕉视频直播� Mediterranean cuisine is a family favourite.
香蕉视频直播淲e live near Brannen Lake in Nanaimo, which is a blessing. My neighbourhood feels like I live in a resort all year round,香蕉视频直播� she says.
香蕉视频直播淧art of the beauty of living on the island is that you can go anywhere. I enjoy the drive to Port Alberni and looking at the lakes and mountains. We go to Coombs often. We go and look for shells on the beach. I grew up doing that in Cuba香蕉视频直播nd then we go and do some art with those shells or the treasures we find on the shores. It香蕉视频直播檚 beautiful; you don香蕉视频直播檛 need to invest in anything, all you need is to look around and your spirts are uplifted with the beauty of the nature around us.香蕉视频直播�
You can check out Dr. Ana Teresa Armas Enriquez香蕉视频直播檚 clinic .
