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Dr. Arleigh Trainor
Emergency Physician
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“If you come here and stay, people are willing to make you a part of this community.
There is diversity, there is opportunity, and there
is caring."
Coming Home to Make a Difference
With Dr. Arleigh Trainor, Emergency Physician
Brandon, Manitoba
Dr. Arleigh Trainor hadn’t planned for her life, and career, to bring her back to her home province of Manitoba.
“We established a life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and thought it would be our forever home,” shared Dr. Trainor.
After spending more than two decades building her career in the United States as an emergency medicine physician and medical educator, life took an unexpected turn. Following the loss of her husband, Dr. Trainor found herself rebuilding her life and reflecting on what the future might hold.
“Being a new widow in a new reality of the world after COVID-19, and the geopolitical environment that followed, I realized that things had changed for me. They were different.”
At an emergency medicine conference in Montreal, Trainor found herself walking towards a Manitoba recruitment table.
“Going to the conference was actually, one of these fortunate coincidences, where the universe is looking out for you,” explained Dr. Trainor, recalling how her original travel plans had changed.
Dr. Trainor, who grew up in Thompson, Manitoba, was curious about returning to the province she once called home and exploring what it could offer at this stage in her career.
The coffee and conversation that followed opened the door to an opportunity that combined two of her biggest professional passions, rural medicine and medical education.
“I was blessed with a lot of opportunities across Canada, but when all was said and done, and I weighed all the pluses and minuses across the country, I decided Brandon was a real fit for me.”
Today, Dr. Trainor works as an emergency medicine physician at the Brandon Regional Health Centre while also serving as an Assistant Dean with the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. She has been able to bring her expertise and voice to the table, particularly around Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum programs, drawing on her experience from national committees, accreditation and international emergency medicine initiatives.
From the beginning, Dr. Trainor says the support she received from Prairie Mountain Health, and the University of Manitoba made the transition easier.
“The people here in Brandon went out of their way to have clear communication and their support for me. They really go above and beyond.”
Returning to Manitoba has also meant reconnecting with the community she left decades ago.
Dr. Trainor has run into people she grew up with at the grocery store and around town, including a neighbor from Thompson. Now, she has the opportunity to practice in a community that feels like home again.
“You just don’t really get that in other places. Like, 40 years ago I knew this person,” shared Dr. Trainor. “It’s a privilege and an honour to be able to take care of what truly is and feels like my people.”
Having worked in both the Canadian and American health-care systems, Dr. Trainor sees important differences between the two but says neither system is simply “good” or “bad.” Each faces its own barriers to accessing care.
“There are more similarities than differences,” she explained. “But the lovely part in Canada, is you truly don’t have to think about being bankrupted for health care and that is a beautiful thing.”
She recalls treating patients in the United States who had to make impossible choices between their health and basic necessities.
“We still have barriers to care here too,” she added, discussing staffing shortages and socioeconomic factors. “But patients don’t have to decide between their blood pressure medication and paying their electric bill. These are barriers I can live with better.”
For Dr. Trainor, Manitoba offers more than professional opportunities. It offers connection, community and a quality of life that is difficult to replicate elsewhere, including plenty of space to explore with her Alaskan Malamute, Magnus.
“Manitoba is truly a hidden gem. There is the outdoors, from kayaking and canoeing to fishing, wildlife and the proximity of Riding Mountain National Park. There is also the sense of space and the amenities available in communities like Brandon.”
Dr. Arleigh Trainor’s Alaskan Malamute, Magnus
But it’s the people who have made the biggest impression.
“Every time I’ve seen a patient here, I am still constantly amazed and shocked. No matter how long people have had to wait, no matter how busy it is, the number of people who say, ‘Wow, you guys are busy. Are you okay?’ I swear, never once did that happen to me in the US. These people genuinely care for their health-care providers.”
When asked what she would say to someone considering a career in Manitoba, her answer was immediate.
“Yes, you should come. We definitely need you. One hundred per cent. Please come to Manitoba. You’re not going to be one of five million other doctors. You will be cherished.”
For those who choose to make Manitoba home, Dr. Trainor believes the province offers something even more valuable: belonging.
“If you come here and stay, people are willing to make you a part of this community. There is diversity, there is opportunity, and there is caring.”
Could Manitoba be your next chapter?
Find your community and make a difference in Manitoba. The Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office (HCRRO) can help you explore opportunities across the province and connect you with the people and resources you need to build a career and a life you’ll love here.