Residency Program

The Family Medicine Residency in Neepawa started in July 2024 and is the next step in a long tradition of medical education in our community. 

This Residency is part of the Department of Family Medicine at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba.  Jenna Kilburn is the Program Administrator and is affectionately known as the "den mother."  Dr. Brian Milligan is the Education Director, but all of the clinic physicians actively participate in the program.

Residents are physicians in the final stages of training before independent practice.  Each year, we accept 3 residents into the program.  The residency is two years long.  Applicants come from medical schools across Canada and around the world, and have a keen interest in rural family medicine.  Residents maintain a home base in Neepawa, but they spend approximately half of each year in Winnipeg or Brandon gaining experience in various specialties.  Each resident is paired up with a primary preceptor, a local physician with a University appointment, but ends up spending time with all the Neepawa physicians as they gain experience in the hospital, emergency room, operating room, obstetrics, and personal care home, in addition to their time at the Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic.  Residents try to integrate into our community with what little free time they have.  

There are many benefits to having a residency program at our clinic.  First of all, residents are at the forefront of medical knowledge.  Physicians who teach and train are constantly updating their knowledge base and frequently report that they learn as much from their students as the students learn from them. 

This means patients in teaching practices get the most up-to-date care.  Secondly, being associated with the University of Manitoba helps maintain positive relationships with various specialists, which helps patients in Neepawa be referred to the highest level of specialist care when they need it.  Thirdly, it is well-established that communities involved with medical education have the most success with recruitment and retention of physicians.  Many of Neepawa's current physicians had some of their medical education in Neepawa.

In addition to our own residency program, the physicians at the Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic continue to train residents from other programs for month-long rural rotations and they frequently teach medical students at various stages of their four-year medical degree.  Feedback from patients and from medical learners has been overwhelmingly positive and our physicians have won a number of teaching awards. 

We are grateful to our community for being so welcoming to medical learners. Let's continue this tradition of excellence in medical education!

If you want to learn more about residents, please visit the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba, or the Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba.

Two women standing in a medical simulation room, holding VR headsets, smiling, with a large screen behind them displaying a virtual patient in an examination room.

Meet Our Residents

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    SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN

    Hi! My name is Sydney McLaughlin and I am so excited to be returning to the Beautiful Plains Medical Clinic as part of the Neepawa Residency Program. 

    I grew up in Neepawa and graduated from NACI in 2017. Since then, I have been in Winnipeg obtaining my Bachelor of Science (2021) and my Doctor of Medicine degrees (2025) from the University of Manitoba. During my time in the city I have been returning home for the summers to work. You may recognize me from the clinic where I worked as a summer student in 2021 and 2022, as well as from Country Meadows or the COVID-19 vaccine clinics where I worked in 2020. I also previously helped with the Town of Neepawa Day Camp program way back in 2018 and 2019.

    In my free time I love spending time with my partner, Jake, and my dog, Randall. I also love to travel to the lake whenever possible and spend time with all our other family and friends. I am looking forward to getting home and spending time in Neepawa and meeting everyone, whether that be clinic or the community.

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    RITU PATEL

    Hi! My name is Ritu Patel, and I am thrilled to join the team at Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic as I begin my journey in Family Medicine with the Neepawa Residency Program.

    I am an International Medical Graduate from India and pursued my medical degree at Odessa National Medical University in Ukraine. Following graduation, I returned to India, where I cultivated five years of comprehensive clinical experience, managing a wide spectrum of patient care in both hospital and community settings before relocating to Canada.

    My husband and I are relocating to Neepawa from Toronto, Ontario, and I am really looking forward to making this wonderful town our new home. In my free time, I enjoy reading, exploring nature, and spending time with family and friends!

    I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this community and can’t wait to meet everyone.

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    ENAS ALHARETHI

    Hello, my name is Enas Alharethi. I come from Dhi As Sufal, a small rural village in Yemen with a population of just 1,500. My roots are in a farming family that has grown coffee and fruits for generations. I pursued my medical education in Saudi Arabia, graduating in 2015 in the top 10% of my class. I then moved to Chicago, USA, where I completed a year of clinical clerkships, followed by a Master of Science degree at the University of Nottingham in 2019. My clinical experience spans across Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Canada.

    I am deeply passionate about patient advocacy, patient-centred care, and fostering strong, trusting relationships with the individuals and families I serve. Outside of medicine, I am a proud mother to beautiful triplets. I love the outdoors and enjoy hiking, biking, discovering new places, and spending time with loved ones.

    Choosing to work in a rural setting reflects both my personal and professional values. I appreciate the hands-on, community-focused nature of rural practice, and I want my children to grow up surrounded by nature in a slower-paced, grounded lifestyle. I’m truly excited to be part of the clinic team and look forward to contributing to the health and well-being of the Neepawa community.

  • QUEEN EKPA

    Hello! My name is Queen Ekpa, and I am thrilled to join the team at Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic as I begin my Family Medicine residency in Neepawa.

    I am originally from Nigeria, where I completed my medical training before relocating to Canada in 2021. After spending the past few years in Kitchener, Ontario, I am excited to begin this next chapter in Neepawa with my family. I chose Family Medicine because I value the opportunity to care for patients across different stages of life, build trusting relationships with patients and families, and be part of the community in which I practice.

    Within Family Medicine, I have a particular interest in Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, and I look forward to developing these interests throughout my residency while gaining experience across the broad scope of Family Medicine.

    Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my family, visiting new places, exploring nature, cooking and trying new recipes, and reading. My family and I are excited to make Neepawa our new home, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Beautiful Plains community. I look forward to meeting patients and families throughout Neepawa and the surrounding communities and to becoming part of this community.

  • TOLU OLA

    Hi – my name is Dr. Tolulope (Tolu) Ola, and I’m excited to be joining the team at the Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic as part of the Neepawa Family Medicine Residency Program.

    I’ve lived and travelled across the world and Canada. From Ottawa to rural Newfoundland to the Niagara Region – I grew up watching my father practice rural family medicine, showing me that great physicians don't just treat illness; they understand their patients and communities, which deeply inspired my own journey into medicine. I completed my medical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and have had diverse clinical experiences across Canada and America through the years.

    Through these experiences I’ve developed special interests in medical technologies, women’s health, emergency medicine, and sports medicine. I am passionate about providing comprehensive, patient-centred care and in a rural setting, I expect the breadth of practice will keep me ready for anything.

    Outside of medicine, I love food, music, and travelling, and I enjoy exploring new cultures and experiences. I also prioritize wellness through fitness and self-care – after a busy day at the clinic or hospital, my favorite way to unwind is with a relaxing skincare routine.

    I am very excited to make Neepawa my new home – building meaningful, lasting relationships with you, the patients and your families, learning from the incredible team here, and becoming part of your health journey!

  • FAZAL ALAM

    Hi! My name is Fazal Alam, and I am excited to join the Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic as a Family Medicine resident in the Neepawa Residency Program.

    I grew up in a rural community in Pakistan, where seeing the challenges people faced in accessing healthcare inspired me to pursue medicine. After completing medical school, I completed an Internal Medicine residency and later worked as a rural general practitioner, caring for patients with a wide range of medical conditions. Those experiences strengthened my passion for comprehensive, community-based care and ultimately led me to Family Medicine.

    My wife, Urooj, our son, Ahad, and I are excited to make Neepawa our new home and become part of this welcoming community. I have a special interest in Emergency Medicine and enjoy the variety, continuity, and hands-on nature of rural practice.

    Outside of medicine, I enjoy photography, exploring new places, and spending time with my family.

    I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Neepawa community and look forward to becoming part of it.