Ask A Family Doctor

For the next few instalments of our Ask A… series, Two Doulas will be interviewing professionals who help catch babies. This week we are picking the juicy brain of Hannah Shenker, a family doctor caring for families here in Montreal.

Dr. Shenker is a Montreal based family physician providing perinatal and well baby care. She works at the CLSC Côte des Neiges, La Maison Bleue, and the Family Birthing Centre at the Jewish General Hospital. She also spends a few weeks per year working in Nunavik, Quebec and is an assistant professor in Family Medicine at McGill University.

How would you describe your job in just one sentence?

“Cradle to grave care”. We learned that in medical school but turns out it is true.

What made you want to be a family doctor?

The opportunity to form longstanding relationships with families from various backgrounds.

What happens at your first meeting with a new or expectant parent?

I introduce myself, my role, explain that I work in an interdisciplinary team, get an understanding for the expectant family’s medical and personal background, make a general plan for prenatal care, answer questions.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your field?

That physiologic birth is not our priority or that we don’t understand its importance.

What do you love most about your job?

Bringing new babies into the world.

And finally, when you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A writer or a gymnast.

Stay tuned for more interviews to come! And if you want to catch up on our previous Ask A posts, you can find them here.