Skip to content

New doctors enjoy nature of small town living

Dr. Chelsea Anchikoski has joined Dr. Sayed Subzwari as another new physician in Nakusp.
12119nakuspChelseaAnchikowski
Chelsea Anchikoski is one of the new doctors now in Nakusp.

You may have heard there’s a new doctor in town. You may have even met her at the clinic or hospital. Dr. Chelsea Anchikoski has joined Dr. Sayed Subzwari as another new physician in Nakusp.

Dr. Subzwari has now been with us since July last year, and is now into the second year of a three-year contract. Nakusp is becoming more and more significant for Subzwari and his family. They celebrated the birth of their new son on May 28 this year, a young brother for their 20-month-old daughter.

The Kootenays are a far cry from Pakistan, or even Surrey, where there is more of a Pakistani community. Subzwari moved to Canada from Pakistan six years ago, and has been progressively adjusting to the change in country and culture.

Initially, basics like traffic laws and learning right-hand driving were the big challenge. Now, missing the comfort of familiar foods makes the doctor wistful, who would also like to get to know the community better.

So far, Dr. Subzwari has found himself surrounded by supportive staff and people at work, and is keen to meet more of the town socially. The Subzwaris really enjoyed the fall fair, and look forward to more family-oriented community events where they can meet more of their neighbours and potential friends here in Nakusp.

Coming from the northern climes around Prince George, Dr. Anchikoski is the newest medical recruit to Nakusp. Anchikoski has been in town since Sept. 9, and has been coming to town for years before that. Even before her rural rotation with Dr. Lea, she had become familiar with the town because she used to come to Nakusp on holidays. When there was a chance to work on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake, she leapt.

Here for a three-year contractual stint as well, Anchikoski is hoping to stay forever. The hiking, biking, skiing, camping and backpacking possibilities are endless and that is what the young doctor and her husband want to do.

Anchikoski’s other love, medicine, began early. Since the age of five, she knew that she wanted to be a doctor. When her dad’s pelvis was crush under a horse in a bad riding accident, she was even more motivated to study medicine.

“I want to be a person who knows what to do when something like that happens to a family,” said Anchikoski. She is now enjoying practising suturing, injections and women’s health (“I like men’s health, too,” she added) in Nakusp and is taking new patients.