Phased retirement, retraining, and role reversal.

Is retraining practical when you are close to retirement? This is the question I considered after 36 years as a family doctor in Vancouver, BC. I was semiretired and ready for a change of scene and pace for my final 2 to 3 years of clinical practice. Seeking challenge, flexibility, and adventure, I was also yearning to experience rural practice again, where I had started out. My wife and I packed up and moved to Gibsons, BC, on the Sunshine Coast, known for its mountains, old-growth forest, waterways, and beautiful beaches. I wanted to get acquainted with, and help out, its medical community, as well as some of the more remote BC and Canadian towns.