If you had told me three years ago if I would be working in Winnipeg as a clinical psychology resident during a global pandemic, I’m not sure which part I would have been most surprised by.

I spent the last 5 years in Toronto at the soon-to-be-renamed Ryerson University, working toward my PhD and learning how to administer effective evidence-based treatments for patients with mental health concerns. I never expected to be calling this city home again after spending 5 years in “the six,” yet here I am, stationed primarily at Victoria Hospital and working with both and in- and out-patients.

What surprises me the most now is how much I love working here. Because I had completed all of my training in downtown Toronto at large mental health centres, I had never felt the unique kind of joy that teamwork in a community hospital brings.

At Victoria Hospital, psychologists are part of the team, rather than considered a siloed specialty program. We are valued and respected. The sense of community in the face of a pandemic overwhelms me. I have been treated so kindly here, and in turn, this makes me excited to continue my learning every day.

I want to extend a heartfelt gratitude to everyone who works here – from the COVID-19 screeners at the door, whose smiling faces make me light up, to my clinical supervisor who works alongside me every day – you embody what it means to show up for the team, despite all of the adversity we have faced. You are all heroes.

Bev Fredborg
Clinical Psychology Resident, Victoria Hospital