We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories.
Name: Dr. Travis Allen
Job Title: Family Physician/Hospitalist
Years of Service: 5
Worksite: Vernon Jubilee Hospital
Community: Vernon
Ancestral Territory: “Syilx” (Saay-ilks) / Okanagan Interior Salish
Favourite Quote: "I love lamp."- Brick Tamland, Anchorman
In the vast world of medicine, there are many career paths to take to become a physician. For Dr. Travis Allen, his interest in medicine sparked during a first aid demonstration in third grade. From that moment on, it was clear he would pursue a lifelong journey of helping people.
As a Family Physician and Hospitalist at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH), he spends his days positively affecting the lives of many ranging from his patients, colleagues, to his greater community. When asked to describe himself in a few words, his sense of humour becomes apparent, as he self-describes as sarcastic, brilliant, hilarious, saintly and of course, humble.
Raised in Prince George's supportive and tight-knit community by his single mother, Travis learned the importance of community at a young age. Beginning his career teaching first aid, he furthered his education through his undergrad followed by graduating from the newly developed Medical School Program in his hometown of Prince George.
Intrigued by the world of rural medicine and the variety of family medicine during medical school, Dr. Allen was eager to gain hands-on experience in an assortment of settings. Partaking in a rural medical program organized and led by Prince George physicians, he worked in many rural communities across British Columbia. As Dr. Allen reflects on his experiences serving rural communities throughout his career, his smile beams ear-to-ear, as he shares his passion for providing care to low-resource communities in need. Throughout his career, he has continued his rural locum work experiencing new places, work environments and meeting new people. These experiences helped shape the trajectory of his career and continues to be priority work.
Pushing himself out of his comfort zone, he also worked in other countries in West Africa, such as Liberia, and Ghana. Working in unique situations such as helping villages battling tropical diseases continually challenged him to develop as a physician. These experiences quickly put the world of modern medicine he was accustomed to into perspective. Meeting new people, learning new skills and practicing medicine in a new environment contributed to growing Dr. Allen’s skill set and confidence as a practicing physician.
Pursuing his passion for teaching others and giving back to his community, he sought teaching opportunities at the University of British Columbia. Thinking of his role as a preceptor, Dr. Allen happily shares how "[he] loves teaching and paying it forward and helping shape the doctors of tomorrow."
Working within his community of Vernon at the Urgent and Primary Care Centre, Dr.Allen works with vulnerable populations who do not have a family doctor. This part-time role brings him closer to helping those in need and mentoring other doctors along the way.
Dr. Allen reminisces on his journey to becoming a doctor, as he shares how, “with medicine, you get all sorts of opportunities to push yourself out of your comfort zone, to learn new skills, and grow as a person.” Approaching life with a growth mindset with abundant learning opportunities, he sees the daily diversity of work as an exciting problem to solve. Proud to be working alongside a diverse and talented team of health-care professionals, he expresses how grateful he is for his diligent and innovative team to navigate the pandemic together. His contagious sense of humour and optimistic outlook has been pivotal in creating a positive work environment for all.
Career highlights at Interior Health over the past five years include designing a vision statement with fellow hospitalists to bring the team together and promote a positive work culture. The vision refresh continues to contribute to building a strong hospitalist team at VJH.
Laying down roots to raise his own family with his wife in her home community of Vernon, they recently welcomed their baby girl to the world. Congratulations! His love of gardening yields home-cooked gourmet meals presented with love. Goofy at heart, he creatively names dishes adding to the fun of exploring new cuisines. Relaxing after a hard day's work, he spends most nights sipping his favourite drink, watching a movie paired with buttered popcorn. Early mornings before work, Dr. Allen spends time making memories with his family. Most recently, he has been learning to play the Muppet song on Ukulele for his daughter. Watch his performance below.
Looking forward, he is excited for simple pleasures like watching the latest movie in theatres with popcorn layered in butter and in-person strategic planning sessions. Motivated to grow the hospitalist department at VJH and across Interior Health, his cohesive and high-performing team can provide more care further to vulnerable populations.
Always looking to brighten someone’s day with a laugh, Dr. Allen continues to encourage others to make the most out of life and seek adventure and fun. Thank you for all that you do, Dr. Allen!
Dr. Allen's nomination keeps the We Are IH loop going:
"Susan Lawrey, a Unit Clerk at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, can naturally make everybody's day at the hospital brighter. She's always smiling and treats everyone like family, from patients and their families to all of her co-workers. She works hard to go above and beyond for patients yet still makes time to remind fellow staff of the big picture-to treat each other with kindness. If you are lucky she will even feed you!" - Dr. Travis Allen
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