Meet Marili van der Merwe, MBChB, CCFP, LMCC
Marili is a full-service rural generalist physician in Slave Lake. She came to this community in 2018 as an international medical graduate after completing her training through the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Marili also holds a position within the Chief Medical Informatics Office as the Provincial Medical Informatics Lead for Primary Care, Connect Care and is currently appointed as Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the U of A.
Marili joined the Physician and Family Support Program as an Assessment Physician in 2023.
What inspired you to become a PFSP Assessment Physician?
I have always been passionate about advancing equitable health access while still fostering resilient, effective healthcare environments for both patients and professionals. My experiences within different overburdened healthcare systems and the impact they had on my own health have made me realize that physician health lies at the core of being able to provide not only safe and effective patient care but also care that is empathic and healing. Working with the PFSP has allowed me to contribute to these ideals. It is also a way of "paying it forward" to other physicians for the invaluable peer support I have received over the years during some of my most difficult times.
What expectations did you have going into this role, and which of those expectations have been realized?
I expected to hear many stories about the heavy burden that physicians carry on a day-to-day basis. And this is certainly present, but it has been incredible to hear about all the other facets of our physicians’ experiences: stories of genuine empathy, of joy at a job well done even in the most challenging circumstances and the desire of our physicians to be the very best that they can be for themselves and for their patients despite the hardships that they endure.
What has surprised you most about the role when providing peer support?
I expected to be able to provide practical help to most of our callers, but I realized that sometimes the most important role I could play is to bear witness and carry, for a short time, some of the weight of the work that we do as healers. I am reminded of the quote by Theodore Roosevelt, "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;".
It has also been humbling to realize how oblivious we may be as colleagues to complex issues that might be taking place at home in our colleagues’ lives. We can all be affected by physical health problems and complex psychosocial or financial issues just as our patients are.
What is the most satisfying aspect of your role as an Assessment Physician?
I love hearing a quiet chuckle on the other end of a line during a difficult call or an enthusiastic "You get it! That's exactly what I'm trying to say!" I also enjoy the intensity of knowing I only get this brief time with someone to truly form a connection.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being an Assessment Physician?
There is no way to be fully prepared, as every call can bring something completely different, and you are also exposed to situations in the callers' lives that may be beyond your own realm of experience.
What are some key lessons you have learned when providing peer support as a PFSP Assessment Physician?
1. Try to get the physician to "tell their story" in its entirety. Very often, when callers can just lay things out it helps them to gain the perspective they need.
2. It is not just about listening, it's about feeling. My feelings in response to a physician's story help me to understand why some decisions or reactions on their part might be different from what could be logically expected or explained.
What peer support advice would you share with AB physicians about caring for their wellness?
It’s the old adage about the oxygen masks on the plane - you can only care for those around you if you are first able to care for yourself. Extend the same kindness and empathy that you show your patients to yourself, and in doing so, recognize where you need to draw healthy boundaries in your work and private life.
Please share a quote/statement that best describes your experience when providing peer support as a PFSP Assessment Physician.
"Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on.”
Wild Geese, by Mary Oliver
What interesting/fun fact would you like to share about yourself?
I have started horseback riding again after many years. And although my muscles are protesting, my soul is singing to be in the presence of these sensitive and patient animals again.