Today we're meeting with Major Allison Kabaroff. She's a military doctor. More specifically, a medical specialist in emergency medicine. They're the doctors on the front lines saving lives. It doesn't get much cooler than that. Hey, major Kabaroff, or is it, Doctor Kabaroff?
Allison
You can call me Allison.
Interviewer
Okay. Will do. Where are we today?
Allison
Today we're in beautiful Petawawa, Ontario on Exercise Starlight Response. It's a joint exercise between one Canadian field hospital and two field ambulance to exercise our mobile surgical and resuscitation capabilities in the event of a deployment.
Interviewer
Okay. Wow. Sounds really important. And what is your job here?
Allison
My job here is to help run the scenarios and educate the teams that are undergoing training.
Interviewer
So you are a medical specialist in emergency medicine, right?
Allison
That's correct. I work about 90% of my time in a civilian hospital as a specialist in emergency medicine.
Interviewer
So you're a civilian doctor and a military doctor?
Allison
Yep. I spend most of my practice working in a civilian hospital alongside other civilian doctors and treating regular patients. And about 10% of my time doing things like this.
Interviewer
Wow. Okay. And did you work as a doctor before joining the military?
Allison
So I was a reservist for a number of years as a physician. And then when the trade opened up in the regular force, I put my application in.
Interviewer
How do you balance doing both?
Allison
That's one of the beauties of shift work, is that it allows me to stack a lot of my shifts working in a regular emergency department, and then free up some time to come and participate in exercises like this one.
Interviewer
Okay, cool. And I've got to ask, what's in this blue bag?
Allison
This is a video laryngoscope. It's what we use to help manage some difficult airways by putting breathing tubes in patients with complicated airways or in moving vehicles such as helicopters or ambulances.
Interviewer
Wow. Okay. Why did you decide to move from the reserve force to the regular force?
Allison
Well, the emergency medicine specialist trade was not open in the regular force up until a couple of years ago. At that point, I put my application in and here I am.
Interviewer
That's amazing, Allison. Okay. What's one word that describes you?
Allison
Chaotic. And on that note, I've got to get some things out of the tent.
Interviewer
All right, let's go. So, Allison, what's your favorite part of the job?
Allison
My favorite part of the job is getting to practice emergency medicine in challenging circumstances, interesting locations, and with a really great, high functioning team.
Interviewer
And what kind of training did you do for this job?
Allison
So after finishing my Royal College residency in emergency medicine, I would have done my basic medical officer's course. Then for CMERT I got to do the CMERT course, which is advanced aeromedevac, as well as really cool courses like SERE and Land Survival, where you get to learn how to survive if your aircraft goes down.
Interviewer
Oh, sounds like maybe you're a bit of an adrenaline junkie.
Allison
Just a little bit.
Interviewer
What do you like to do when you're not working?
Allison
I like to spend time with my family. We go camping, hang out with my dog, and I like to box.
Interviewer
Amazing. So this is the field hospital?
Allison
Yes. This is a high mobility or high readiness field hospital, which is set up for damage control, resuscitation and damage control surgery.
Interviewer
What are your first steps when a patient comes in here?
Allison
Well, in order to come to this facility, you've got to be really sick. So our focus is going to be on resuscitating that patient and making sure that they're stable enough to survive an operation.
Interviewer
And what do you think it takes to be an emergency medicine specialist?
Allison
To be an emergency medicine specialist, you have to be flexible in your thinking, highly adaptable, have a great sense of humor, and work well as part of a team.
Interviewer
Got it. And what does a civilian day look like for you?
Allison
I work in a level one trauma center in my civilian practice, which means any day I could see some of the sickest trauma patients in Edmonton and Northern Alberta, or be managing sick heart failure patients with organ transplants or sepsis. We also see a variety of patients, from pediatrics to geriatrics. But in the military it's a little bit different.
Allison
In the Canadian Forces, you have opportunities to do courses like aerospace and dive medicine as well as opportunities for deployments.
Interviewer
Okay. Have you ever deployed?
Allison
Yes, I just got back from OP Globe in support of Canadian operations in Haiti.
Interviewer
Oh that's amazing. And what's your proudest moment on the job?
Allison
Proudest moment on the job would probably be finishing my land survival course, lighting up that smoke generator and watching smoke get above the tree line.
Interviewer
So cool. And what's the most complicated procedure you've ever worked on?
Allison
Well, in a civilian hospital that would probably be floating a transvenous pacemaker with CPR ongoing or a resuscitative thoracotomy.
Interviewer
Wow. And what is a must do after a shift at the hospital?
Allison
Definitely a shower, then going home to spend time with my family and my dog.
Interviewer
Okay, Allison. Last question: What would you say to someone deciding between being a civilian emergency room physician or practicing as an emergency medicine physician in the CAF?
Allison
I would say you get the best of both worlds by joining the CAF. You get all of the fun times being a civilian emergency physician and the opportunities that come with being in the Canadian Forces. And it's the best job in the world.
Interviewer
Amazing. Thanks so much for your time today, Allison.
Allison
Thanks!