Dr. Jenkins has over 30 years’ experience as a Flight Surgeon, with specific expertise in maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter missions at both operational and leadership levels. His years of experience include roles as a family physician and occupational health practitioner. Dr. Jenkins' many consulting and advisory roles have allowed him to provide support to the mining, oil & gas and construction industries. 

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?

My very first job, at the age of 15, was working as a janitor’s assistant for the apartment building that we lived in. I was also responsible for stripping and waxing the floors and cleaning the washrooms of a church in town. I learned a lot in that job including the value of hard work, the independence that comes from learning new skills, and the importance of sanitation in our day to day lives!

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A DOCTOR?

In my second year of university I enjoyed the biological sciences and the thought of combining that with caring for others was very appealing to me. I was also thinking about my future in terms of having my own family some day and being in a profession that was likely to provide good security. In those days you could apply to Medical School after 2 years of university undergraduate studies, which I did. When I didn’t get accepted at first it gave me the initiative to work hard in my third year when I was finally accepted.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY AS A PHYSICIAN?

To have the honour of serving one’s country is a fantastic experience, especially when you consider the incredible history of the brave men and women who have served before you and the many sacrifices that they made. Most of my 20 years of service were in the Air Force, and I loved it. There are not too many other ways for a physician to get to participate first hand in a Search and Rescue mission over a stormy ocean, or to ride in the back of an F-18 with both afterburners lit up, as you rocket straight up on take-off. Some of what I did was really tough including responding to and investigating fatal accidents, planning for wartime deployments, and advising seasoned soldiers that they are no longer medically fit to serve. But there was plenty of good to be done too, like helping people cope with and recover from mental health and addictions issues, participating in preventative health programs, and delivering routine care. The Canadien Forces provides excellent training in environmental medicine and these experiences were really the genesis of my lifelong interest in occupational and environmental medicine.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO FOUND THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS (CAPA)?

My role with starting up CAPA was as a co-founder and inaugural Chairman of the Board of Governors. My business partner, Tom Ashman is the true founder of CAPA, and was the incredible spark plug that set the table for the civilian recognition of the Physician Assistant (PA) profession in Canada. My exposure to PAs came early in my military career where I witnessed first-hand the strength of the practice model. I turned these interests into a research project while I was doing a Master’s Course in Health Care System Organization and Policy with Dr. Doug Angus at the University of Ottawa, and proposed a model for the integration of PAs into the Canadian civilian health sector. A military colleague,

Dr. Ron Wojcik, was working with Tom at the time, knew about his formative thinking regarding CAPA, and recommended to Tom that he contact me to solicit my interest as a physician champion. We hit it off and put the gears in action to foster the recognition of PAs and the evolution of the profession in main stream health care.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH THAT YOU FIND INTERESTING?

There is an intriguing variety of options in occupational medicine, especially when serving in generalist and leadership roles. Many experiences are available, from routine care and medical fitness assessments, to conducting medical and biological surveillance programs, to providing on call supports to remote site staff, to meeting the business needs of your clients and so much more. This all occurs in a team based environment where there are so many things to learn about, especially in field settings such as the mine sites, oil & gas facilities, and major construction projects that we support for many large clients right across the country. You get to work with seasoned veterans of industry who have lots of great lessons to share. Adaptability is essential, particularly as we have learned in the resource sectors in the past few years, so working with clients to manage their pressure points and retain their business can be a very interesting experience.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE YOU GIVE MOST CORPORATE CUSTOMERS?

Give adequate attention to the health of the workforce and provide sufficient resources such that an individual’s health and productivity is maximized. A healthy employee, in a workplace with good morale, will produce the results that an employer needs.

WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED?

My love of occupational medicine, learning new things, my colleagues who work so hard, the opportunity to travel (some contracts in the Caribbean would be nice), and the ability to support my family.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST PIECE OF HEALTH ADVICE?