The Moose and Squirrel Medical Clinic’s ranks have grown with the addition of a full-time physician who started earlier this month.
Dr. Anthony Willmot, the newest general practitioner at the clinic whose first official day was on July 3, became convinced during the course of his student residency in Sundre that this is a community to call home.
The opportunity to pursue a residency in town came to his attention in 2016 during a presentation by Dr. Rob Warren in Red Deer, where Willmot was at the time enrolled in the University of Alberta’s rural family medicine two-year training program.
“That inspired me to come to Sundre,” he said about Warren's presentation.
Willmot, originally born in Oxford, England, relocated to Canada as an infant and grew up in the small B.C. community of Ladysmith on Vancouver Island.
Graduating from Ladysmith Secondary School in 1998, he eventually completed a bachelor of human kinetics degree in Vancouver, which set him on the path to pursue a master of science in physical therapy at the University of Toronto, where he earned his degree in 2007.
Before pursuing a career in medicine, Willmot worked as a physiotherapist for five years, during which time he was able to work with athletes of all levels, including the Canadian Men’s National Rugby team, varsity collegiate volleyball and basketball players, as well as elite youth hockey and soccer players.
“I had always thought about it going through high school and university,” he said when asked what compelled him to pursue a path in medicine.
He said an innate desire to help others, combined with another passion for sports and physical activity, led him down his initial path in physiotherapy, which after a year in Toronto brought him back to the West Coast in Victoria.
Along the way, he came across an opportunity to work at a physiotherapy clinic in Okotoks. During his time there, Willmot reconnected with an old high school friend who had become a doctor and motivated him to consider also becoming a physician.
Convinced, he applied and was accepted into the University of British Columbia’s Victoria campus, where he completed his medical degree and graduated in May 2016.
The first year out of medical school, Willmot married his wife Katie, with whom he has two daughters.
Upon learning about the University of Alberta rural family medicine program in Red Deer, Willmot relocated with his young family and enrolled, starting his residency in July 2016. He went on to complete rural rotations in Sundre for six months.
He will occasionally attend satellite clinics in Caroline, and the doctor’s extensive musculoskeletal background is also going to be an asset to the community as he aims to support his colleagues by offering focused assessments to patients ailing from acute and chronic sports injuries, reads part of his bio on the Moose and Squirrel website.
The physician said during an interview that what he most enjoys about his profession is the variety of tasks involved in rural family medicine. Although being able to identify a complex issue affecting a patient’s health can sometimes be quite challenging, he said there is nothing more rewarding than diagnosing an illness and working with the individual to help him or her convalesce.
With a passion for the great outdoors, Willmot said his family is excited to take advantage of the vast opportunities that this area has to offer. His hobbies include golfing, mountain biking, travelling and basketball.
Willmot said that he absolutely intends for the foreseeable future to remain in Sundre.
“I absolutely love it. It’s been a great community, not just for myself but also for my family. Everyone seems so friendly.”
Both he and his wife previously played basketball at a high level, and the couple hope to get involved in the local basketball community. Meanwhile, their young daughters have also been enjoying themselves, he said.
“We’re sort of happily setting up a family here, laying down some roots.”
