Just what this doctor ordered: New MD takes over practice as his longtime Sarnia family doctor retires

Dr. Christopher Chopcian landed his “dream job” back home in Sarnia, right out of residency.

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He’s set to start caring for patients of Dr. William Buckton, his own family doctor, as the Point Edward practitioner retires.

“Honestly, this is the dream job I’ve been working towards for the past 12 years,” Chopcian said.

After attending Hanna Memorial elementary school and Northern Collegiate in Sarnia, where he competed in the Lambton County and Canada-Wide science fairs, Chopcian attended Western University, medical school in Grenada and did a family medicine residency in Chicago.

“I didn’t think I’d get exactly where I wanted to be so soon,” he said.

Chopcian, 30, said he found only about 14 per cent of doctors under 40 go into private practice right after residency.

“I was extremely, extremely fortunate to be able to get to exactly where I wanted to be, right away,” he said.

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Chopcian said he knew as he was completing his Chicago residency that he wanted to return to Canada, and Buckton reached out last fall to ask if he’d be interested in taking over the practice.

“This is beyond luck,” Chopcian said. “He gave me my childhood shots and now is giving me the kidneys. . . I am truly honored.”

Buckton, thouigh retiring, will continue caring for his nursing home patients.

“It’s kind of poetic,” Chopcian said. “Dr. Buckton is winding down his career and I’m winding up my career at the same practice” that has cared for him all his life.

“I think it’s just a nice, beautiful circle,” he said.

Even the office in Point Edward is the same one Chopcian visited for doctor’s appointments growing up.

“The same chairs, the same carpet, wallpaper. . . pictures on the wall,” he said. “Everything is the same.”

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There will be some overlap as Buckton moves into retirement and Chopcian assumes the practice in coming days and becomes familiar with the business side of practicing in Ontario.

“I’ve never run a business before, so that’s going to be a huge adjustment,” Chopcian said.

The practice isn’t accepting new patients at this time.

Chopcian said he’d initially expected to work elsewhere, perhaps in the Toronto area, before reaching his goal of a private practice back home in Sarnia — and there were plenty of opportunities.

“Oh, my goodness, Ontario is just pleading for doctors,” he said. “There were pages and pages and pages of listings.”

But he wanted to get back to Sarnia, a smaller city where he grew up cycling around town, sailing on Lake Huron and swimming at the beach.

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“Anything outdoorsy, Sarnia is the best place to do it,” Chopcian said.

He also knew he wanted to be a doctor while growing up, but didn’t know what kind.

Once he was at medical school and rotated through the specialties, he found them all “too specific,” Chopcian said. “I like family medicine, because it’s so broad you’re not going to get bored.”

Carly Cox, with Blue Coast Primary Care recruitment and retention, said Chopcian is the third family physician he has recruited this year and the 49th since 2001.

“We’re really pleased with the success we’ve had in the past few years, particularly this year,” Cox said.

“But there are still a large number of unattached patients in Sarnia-Lambton and we anticipate three to four more physicians will retire before the end of 2026.”

Cox keeps in touch with medical students from Sarnia and several have been recruited to practice here, but Chopcian is the first to assume the practice of their childhood family doctor.

“I think it’s such a unique, feel-good story,” she said.

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