These doctors have chosen to practise in rural Newfoundland. Here's why

Two doctors who will start their careers in rural Newfoundland say financial incentives aren't the only thing that attracted them to a job in the region.

Dr. Cody Diamond, who was raised in Botwood, knew he wanted to have a piece of rural life when he started his career. He had no idea that would be in medicine, he told CBC News, but it was cemented for him once he saw the impact of rural medicine.

"One of my close family friends actually had a severe diagnosis, and it was actually a local doctor that actually diagnosed him.… I thought, 'Wow, what an amazing thing you can do to have that kind of an impact in someone's life.' And then the rest is history," Diamond said in a recent interview.

Dr. Allison Best, who grew up on Fogo Island, has a similar connection to her region. Both she and Diamond will begin working in the Twillingate area later this summer.

 "I think rural family medicine offers a lot. You can make really great connections with patients and do a broad scope, a little bit of everything," Best said.

"So, you know, multiple factors, but I think rural is definitely where I'd rather be."

The provincial government has offered several financial incentives as it works to fill vacant positions across the health-care system, including signing bonuses for new graduates in an effort to keep them in the province.

Best said incentives and bursaries did play a small role in her decision but she believes money isn't the deciding factor for medical professionals when it comes to choosing where to practise.

"For me, I think the bigger factor was my personality, my identity, where I wanted to live," she said. 

"Having already grown up in a rural place … the decision was easier for me. But I think for some people [incentives] might definitely play a role."

Diamond shared a similar sentiment, saying he knew he would be comfortable practising in a rural setting. The people of Twillingate have already helped him prove that point, he said.

"The local people here in Twillingate have been amazing, and it's really kind of been the thing that has made me want to stick around," he said.

"They've really kind of, you know, become a community and a support centre for me and my wife.… Having that comfort level and the confidence is really kind of what's swayed me more than anything else to stick around here."

Both Diamond and Best say giving people from rural Newfoundland and Labrador access to an education in medicine could help retain professionals in the province after they graduate.