RURAL MEDICINE'S REWARDS
I am a family physician practising in rural Alberta. I immigrated to Canada from South Africa for a number of reasons — the most important being a safety from crime and balance between career and life. Despite the cold winters and the lack of family supports in Canada, my wife and I have no regrets.

Rural family medicine is challenging and rewarding. It has also afforded me the opportunity to have as balanced a life as a doctor can have. Just to keep myself in check and to maintain balance I keep myself up-to-date with the National Review of Medicine. I write this letter as both a reminder to my colleagues to not let life pass them by, but also to illustrate to new doctors that rural family medicine is a sure route to the best of both worlds — career and family fulfilment.

Dr Sundren Govender
Edson, AB

FRUSTRATED FPs
The title of your article "FPs feel pressure to play psych" (Vol 2, No 16, September 30, page 11) is pejorative and insulting. FPs are not merely playing, toying or acting at a role. We are shouldering a large portion of mental health care, doing it well, with a terrible shortage of resources in every province in Canada. Why would you choose such a demeaning title?

Paul Bonisteel
New Harbour, NL

EDITOR'S RESPONSE: The title and article were written to convey exactly those frustrations — as well as raise awareness and give a voice to physicians feeling that they are being asked to go above and beyond in providing mental health care, with little thanks from the establishment. As Ottawa FP Dr Barry Dworkin commented in the piece, "Things aren't really changing. We are still dealing with a healthcare system that is unresponsive.... It's always in the back of your mind that there's no backup."

NRM DISCOVERED
Since returning to Canada in 2004 from a 21-year sojourn in California, I have been an avid reader of your magazine.

Dr Clayton L Reynolds
Victoria, BC

THE AVIAN FLU DEBATE
Here are some responses to the latest NRM's September 30 survey question, "With yet another warning from experts about the migration of the avian flu, are we becoming desensitized to the threat?":

I believe it doesn't matter, we simply can't guard against all possible strains. And anyway, we have bigger problems in medicine than possible flu bugs. The world has bigger problems too. If we don't fix the environment, no amount of vaccine will save us.

Dr Harry Zeit
Cambridge, ON

This is something we need to be acutely aware of. We can't say we were never warned when it does happen.

Anonymous

I strongly believe we should be prepared for this.

Anonymous

Hurricane and flu warnings must be taken seriously.

Anonymous