Dr. Warren Huber has been a familiar sight in Humboldt for more than 40 years.
Dr. Huber’s hard work in family medicine was rewarded recently, with Huber being named the 2018 Saskatchewan Family Physician of the Year.
“Surprise I guess was the biggest thing that ran through my mind. I didn’t expect anything like this. I’ve been in practice 46 years here in Humboldt and there have been a number of awards given over the years but this was quite a surprise for me,” said Huber of receiving the honour.
Huber was selected for the award by the Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians, and says it is extra special to be recognized in that kind of way by his peers.
“It’s always a major achievement. I think it means more than other things might and I think that’s the big thing is the peer recognition stands out for me.”
Huber was born in Regina and raised in Southey.
He attended Campion College in Regina during his high school years, before moving on to study medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in 1966.
Despite having no family members in the medical field, Huber said he felt a connection to medicine at a young age, which was fostered during his time in high school.
“I genuinely felt that I had an interest in people and wanted to be useful in the world and medicine appealed to me.”
After graduating in 1970, Huber moved to Flint, Mich. where he completed an internship and residency.
In 1972, Huber returned to Saskatchewan, joining the Humboldt Medicial Clinic, and has remained in Humboldt ever since, serving both the Humboldt and LeRoy communities providing general medical care, acute care, and emergency and trauma care.
Huber first made the decision to return to Saskatchewan to be closer to his ailing mother, and says he ended up finding a home in Humboldt.
“(We) gradually put down roots and we raised our three children here and although there were places that were calling over the years I just felt that this was the best place to be and we’ve continued on.”
Today, Huber remains a full-time doctor at the clinic, and remains on the call schedule at the hospital.
“I enjoy doing what I do. I think family practice or as we traditionally call it general practice, offers a variety of ways to do things and it’s interesting and I enjoy my patients, I enjoy doing what I do and I just continue to do it.”
After 46 years in Humboldt, Huber says he is most proud of his relationships with his patients.
“It’s a mutual feeling of respect and a feeling of doing something useful as well and being able to help people. It’s a wonderful calling.”
Of course, with Huber almost 50 years into his medical career, he admits the end is closer than the beginning, but says as long as he keeps enjoying it he will continue practicing.
“I’m not going to continue to practice forever and in fact probably over the next couple of years we’ll plan a retirement but I haven’t set a date yet so retirement looms ahead. But at this point I enjoy doing what I’m doing so nothing has changed.”
