Third-year Emergency Medicine resident Dr. Emma Crawley is one of four residents recognized by NS Health for their exemplary commitment as part of Resident Doctor Appreciation Week. 

Run in tandem with Resident Awareness Week, Resident Doctor Appreciation Week is one way that NS Health acknowledges and appreciates the vital role that resident physicians play in the health-care system. NS Health recognized four outstanding residents in 2014, including Dr. Emma Crawley. The following is reprinted with permission from NS Health:

Dr. Emma Crawley is a resident physician specializing in emergency medicine. Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she ventured to Toronto for her undergraduate degree, where she also played varsity hockey. However, her heart remained in Halifax, and she returned for medical school at Dalhousie University. Dr. Crawley’s husband, Kyle, serves in the Canadian Armed Forces and is stationed at the military base in Greenwood, where they currently reside.

Influenced by her mother’s career as a pharmacist, Dr. Crawley had an early interest in sciences and health. Early on in her medical training, she was drawn towards orthopedic surgery, but she fell in love with family medicine during medical school, appreciating its broad scope of primary care. A significant highlight in Dr. Crawley’s medical training was her family medicine residency at Dalhousie’s Southwest Nova site in Yarmouth. Dr. Erica Lasher-Coates, her primary preceptor, played a pivotal role as a mentor, role model, and friend. 

Her interest in emergency medicine developed during her family medicine training, where she recognized the dynamic intersection of primary care and procedural work. After completing her family medicine residency in June 2023, she began a second residency in emergency medicine. 

For aspiring medical professionals, Dr. Crawley’s advice is to maintain an open mind throughout their training. She emphasized the importance of keeping an open mind. 

“There is a lot of pressure to pick a specialty early in medical training, but it is okay for interests to evolve and for career paths to change,” she said. “Five years ago, I would never have imagined a career in emergency medicine, but with more exposure to more specialties throughout my training, my path evolved, and I’ve found an area of medicine that I really enjoy. I’m proof that you can change your mind!” 

Outside of medicine, Dr. Crawley is a dedicated surfer who tackles the waves year-round, even in the winter. Remarkably, she has surfed at least once every month for the past 39 months. Additionally, she is building an off-grid tiny cabin with her husband. They have done everything from clearing the land to building the structure themselves and are looking forward to having a fully functioning cabin this spring!