New doctor in Strathmore

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Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

Dr. Mike O’Brien, along with his wife Melissa Benassi, recently moved to Strathmore where Melissa works as a Grade 4 teacher at Sacred Heart Academy.
Dr. O’Brien joined Strathmore Medical Clinic on Aug. 29. He will be working full time at the clinic and also working at the Strathmore hospital.
Dr. O’Brien was born and raised in Calgary. He completed his first degree in biology at the University of Lethbridge. After that, he attended the four year medical school program at Queens Medical School in Kingston, Ont.
From there, Dr. O’Brien attended a two-year residency in Lethbridge in the rural family medicine program. During this time, he trained at various locations including Lethbridge, High River, Strathmore, Bow Island, Pincher Creek and Claresholm.
After graduating from the residency program in Lethbridge, Dr. O’Brien worked in High River as a locum doctor for two months before coming to Strathmore.
Dr. O’Brien has a strong interest in rural family medicine and first realized he would like to practice family medicine in a rural town while attending Queens Medical School. He also always had the idea of coming back to Alberta to practice medicine.
He has a strong interest in soccer and fly fishing, and he plays soccer in the Calgary men’s league. He helped coach the University of Lethbridge men’s soccer team over the last few years and is also a former member of the University of Lethbridge soccer team. Going forward, he will be looking to coach soccer in Strathmore.
Dr. O’Brien will be working five days a week at the clinic and will also be working with inpatients at the hospital and working in the emergency department once or twice a week. He is currently taking new patients.