While Williams Lake is a long way from her home in South Africa, Cariboo Memorial Hospital's newest internist said she is happy to be in Williams Lake.
Dr. Gloria Cudjoe arrived in the lakecity with her husband and their three children on Oct. 1, 2024.
She joined the team at the hospital with Dr. Sean Harmse and Dr. Tyler Murray, who has been coming from Vancouver to provide internist services.
Prior to moving to Canada, she had been working and living in Johannesburg, the capital and biggest city in South Africa.
She worked in a large public-funded hospital and then once she knew she would be leaving was taking locum positions.
So far she has felt very welcomed and said Dr. Mariska Neuhoff even reached out to her a few weeks before her arrival to see if she could assist the family in any way.
"The patients, when I introduce myself to them, tend to show gratitude that I am here, which is not something I'm used to," she told the Tribune. "It was nice to have patients say, 'thank you for coming,' even some colleagues as well. People in the hospital, generally, have been very welcoming. They say they there is a shortage of doctors and so they tell me they are quite happy that someone new is in town."
Being within 10 minutes of everything is refreshing, she added.
"It is different to be coming from a big, busy city with a lots of stress and chaos and hustle and bustle and long travelling times and all of that," she said. "This is quite nice. Our lifestyle has slowed down and we like this change so far. This is exactly what we wanted, a safe place to raise our kids."
Chuckling, she noted they are slowly getting used to the weather, which of course, is quite different than back home.
"The kids were quite excited when it first snowed. Well, not just the kids. I myself was excited because I've never really seen snow before."
Originally from Ghana in West Africa, her parents were missionaries and had four children.
Her family moved to the Eastern Cape in South Africa when she was eight-years-old.
For as long as she can remember she wanted to go into medicine and once high school graduation was on the horizon, she began making applications for medical school.
After finishing medical school, she worked in different hospitals around South Africa and eventually moved to Johannesburg where she met her husband and they started a family.
Outside of work, she enjoys being with her husband and children, ages eight, six and fourteen-months.
Describing theirs as an indoorsy-type family, she said in Johannesburg they did not go out much because of the crime and with their busy lives they did not have much time to socialize.
Her daughter enjoys tennis, had just started learning how to swim, and her son had just started judo before they moved to Williams Lake.
"I think if they continue those things that would be nice. And, then maybe learn how to skate, I think that will be quite cool for them."
Her husband is a chartered account .
He has continued working for a firm in South Africa until he finds work in the Williams Lake area so that means when his family is going to bed, he starts his work day because the time difference is 10 hours.
With this being their first winter ever, she said they are finding it "so cold outside" that she and her husband have not ventured out much yet.
She does notice how active people are though and said it is nice to see people out walking and cross-country skiing.
Thankful for the way her family has been received so far in the community, she said the doctors have been very helpful.
"We didn't anticipate any of it," she added. "They've really been welcoming and to start life here. It's not easy when you come to a new place and have to start all over again. They've made it so much easier. And also to the community at large has been receptive and accepting."
