Family medicine physician Dr. Susie Egar embraces life and rural medicine in Inverness, Cape Breton

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For family medicine physician Dr. Susie Egar, Cape Breton was never just a summer escape - it was home in waiting.

Born in Nova Scotia and raised mostly in Ontario, she returned each year to spend summers in the Margaree area. That early connection grew into something lasting and deeply rooted.

Reflecting on her path to medicine, Susie recalls, “I was really into sports growing up, and I was interested in science and biology. I knew early on that I wanted to be involved in health somehow.”

She went on to attend medical school in Ottawa, followed by a family medicine residency in Sydney, Cape Breton, before starting her independent practice in Inverness. “I wanted to be close to the Margaree area, and so it was a real dream come true to get to work here,” she says.

Rural medicine felt like the right path from the beginning. “I always knew I wanted to figure out a way to be in rural Cape Breton full time,” Susie says. “Rural family medicine was kind of the obvious fit. It started off as an idea, but it turned out to be something that was really a good fit for me.”

Her practice in Inverness is dynamic and varied, balancing clinic work with emergency department coverage at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital. “There’s no two days alike,” she says. “Some days I’ll get up and round on my inpatients at the hospital first, then go to my office and see patients there.”

Despite the long hours, Susie finds her work deeply meaningful. “It’s a great hospital where we see a lot of high-acuity medicine and have a fairly high inpatient load for a rural hospital. It’s a level of care that really challenges and pushes all of us,” Susie says.

Mentorship of medical residents is another key part of her role, and she values the strong sense of camaraderie among her colleagues. “Our group here in Inverness really tries to take care of each other,” she says. “There’s more and more being asked of our group, but I think we’ve managed to keep a really cohesive team and a general kind of taking-care-of-one-another mentality, and we try to pass that along to the residents.”

Outside of work, Susie finds joy in the outdoors and in spending time with loved ones. “I used to run track and field, and I still run for fun and for mental health and well-being,” she says. “I like running trails, hiking, kayaking, going to the beach.”

Family time is essential too: “My mom lives in Margaree Harbour, and my partner and I will go there. We also enjoy little day excursions to the surrounding communities and in the winter, we like cross country skiing.”

At the heart of her story is a deep love for this place and the people in it. “It turned out it was a really good fit,” she says simply.

Thank you, Dr. Egar, for your passion and commitment to rural medicine in beautiful Inverness. The community is better for it.

Photo of Dr. Susie Egar.