Dr. Elizabeth de Klerk
MD, FRCPC
My family moved from the beaches of South Africa to the tundra of the Canadian Arctic as a young child. Most of my childhood was spent in the rural and remote community of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. I moved ‘down south’ for univeristy and completed my undergraduate studies in Biology and Psychology at the University of Victoria. I relocated to the prairies to attend medical school in Calgary and promptly moved back to the west coast to complete my residency in Pediatrics at through UBC/BC Children’s Hospital in 2018.
I work as a locum pediatrician at Fairmont Pediatrics and enjoy all aspects of general pediatrics! While studying at university, I worked as a behaviour interventionist with children with autism spectrum disorder and have an interest in children with developmental delay.
My favourite way to spend time outside of work is backcountry hiking and camping with my husband. Some of our favourite hikes have been in Assiniboine Provincial Park, the Routeburn track in New Zealand, and Hatcher Pass in Alaska!
I love the variety of working with newborns, teenagers, and all ages in between! Each day working in hospital and clinic is a great mix pf patients and families. I’m definitely always learning!
Fun facts about Dr. de Klerk
I can’t live without Salt & Vinegar Chips (preferably Miss Vickie’s)!
Most memorable moment of your career?
As a pediatrics resident, I had the opportunity to spend 3 months working in Paarl, South Africa. I grew up near this community as a young child and it was wonderful having the chance to connect and speak with patients in my first language, Afrikaans. It was also a very special experience to learn more about medical care in underserved populations and low resourced settings.