Alex Horsthuis always wanted to be a doctor when he was growing up in Black Creek.

The former North Island College student is now a resident at the University of British Columbia’s Family Medicine Strathcona Site, which is set up both in the Comox Valley, where he works, as well as Campbell River.

Dr. Horsthuis’ family has ties to the health sector, as both his mother and his sister went to NIC for nursing. Both are trained ICU nurses at the Comox Valley’s North Island Hospital. His own path led him toward the Associate of Science program while at the college.

“I always loved the sciences in high school,” he said. “Since I was five years old, I wanted to be a doctor. I like helping people, I like the challenge.”

He also liked the idea of being able to work in his home community.

“I always wanted to come back to the Comox Valley,” he said.

He started at NIC in 2014, then transferred to study psychology at the University of Victoria. Following completion of that degree he spent about three years working with the Assertive Community Treatment support team in Campbell River, providing outpatient mental health services.

In 2022, he entered the medicine program at UBC at the Island Medical Program in Victoria and has now returned home for his residency to gain experience in family medicine as well as other specialties.

“I picked family medicine because it is such a diverse discipline. It’s got a lot of options,” he said, adding, “Building relationships with patients is a very rewarding part of medicine, especially family medicine. You get a chance to really connect with people and see them on a long-term basis.”

One thing that has changed since Horsthuis studied at NIC is the development of the Island Pre-Health Science Advanced Diploma, which helps students prepare for advanced health training in fields like medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.

“Alex's journey from NIC student to local medical resident is exactly the kind of success story I hope to see more of on Vancouver Island and in rural communities across B.C.,” said Aisling Brady, instructor and program coordinator. “While the program wasn't available when he was a student, it was created to support future learners like him by providing the academic preparation, guidance and local learning opportunities needed to pursue careers in medicine, pharmacy and other health professions.”

A feature of the Island Pre-Health program is that it provides a background in communities in which students might work, especially rural and remote ones, or Indigenous communities. Dr. Horsthuis’ Indigenous ancestry and membership in the Tetlit Gwich'in band grants him an understanding into some of the challenges Indigenous people face in the health care system. Having grown up and worked in the Comox Valley, he is able to appreciate the diverse experiences of Indigenous people in the various bands across Vancouver Island, so he has the kind of strong links to a community envisioned as part of the Island Pre-Health Science Advanced Diploma program.

Even though there was no such program when Dr. Horsthuis attended NIC, he credits what he learned for preparing him for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and helping to equip him for the path he first wished to follow when he was five.

“I learned basically everything I needed to write the MCAT, which was a big help,” he said.