Background: Dr. Sarah Giles is a dedicated rural generalist physician based in Kenora, Ontario. She graduated from Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine in 2005. Her passion for rural and remote medicine was sparked by a summer experience in the Northwest Territories, where she observed firsthand the unique challenges and rewards of this field. She has additional certifications in emergency medicine and tropical medicine.

Career Highlights: She is known for her commitment to providing comprehensive care in emergency and hospitalist medicine. Despite the demanding nature of her work, she has remained a steadfast advocate for rural health, often addressing the systemic issues that affect patient care in rural settings.

My highlights: CAEP Small Urban/Rural Physician of the Year 2019, organizing the SRPC conference in Winnipeg in 2025, the time I spent working with Médecins Sans Frontières.

Challenges and Advocacy: Dr. Giles has openly discussed and written about the burnout and challenges faced by rural physicians, emphasizing the need for systemic changes to improve healthcare delivery. Her experiences highlight the critical need for adequate staffing and resources in rural hospitals, and she has been vocal about the personal toll that these challenges can take on healthcare providers.

Contributions to CJRM: Dr. Giles is a contributing author and assistant editor to the Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine (CJRM), where she has published numerous pieces, mostly articles that provide step-by-step instructions on how to perform procedures that rural providers must occasionally perform.

Current Role: In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Giles is an associate professor of family medicine at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. She continues to inspire and mentor future physicians, advocating for the importance of rural medicine and the need for sustainable healthcare practices in remote areas.

Personal Life: Dr. Giles balances her professional commitments with her personal life, finding time to engage in activities that help her manage the demands of her career. She can be found outside road cycling, open water swimming, or skiing. She can often be found playing with other people’s dogs.