Octavia Hristea DCh, CRA, BESc, B/DScN
Octavia Hristea, Registered Chiropodist (a.k.a. Podiatric Medicine Practitioner, Foot and Ankle Specialist) was born in Romania where she studied nursing and engineering, while working as a banking administrator and nurse. She came to Canada in 2005 along with her two sons. She landed first in Windsor, where she worked as a research nurse, then moved to Toronto to study Chiropody. Few years ago, Octavia moved to Ottawa, which she is now happy to call home. Octavia's upbringing by two parents involved in the medical field, her mother a general physician and her father a dentist, exposed her to the realities of helping sick people and being comfortable around blood. Her training as a nurse seemed like a good fit. When she moved to Canada, she worked as a research nurse, but found that she missed the hands-on work with patients. This led her to pursue further studies and receive the Clinical Research Associate Graduate Certificate, and ultimately, after 3 years, to achieve a Graduate Advanced Diploma of Health Sciences in Chiropody, both from the Michener Institute in Toronto. This program is the only English-speaking program in Canada and there is tough competition to enter each year. Octavia is registered with the College of Chiropodists of Ontario, College of Nurses of Ontario and is a member of the Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine. In 2011 she enrolled in a Manipulation and Mobilization Techniques course in which she achieved Level I, II and III.
Chiropody is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of feet. It appealed to Octavia because she likes the variety it provides day-to-day by being able to focus on structural and surface problems. She likes having the full responsibility of the patient's care remain with her because she works independently, without the need of a nurse. Octavia finds Chiropody a very rewarding field especially when she is able to help her patients become pain-free.
While Octavia appreciates working with her patients independently, at the same time she is delighted to have around her different Health care practitioners, with whom she works in a team: family doctors, nurses, osteopaths, massage therapists, physiotherapists, diabetic educators, etc. She likes the team aspect of the practice, values the way the practitioners look after each other and most importantly, sees how each patient's care, health and well-being is everyone's priority.
When she's not busy looking after her patients' feet, Octavia enjoys taking hikes in Gatineau park with her teenage sons and her soft coated wheaten terrier, Yoda. She also loves exploring down-town, centre-town and all that Ottawa has to offer as a manageable and vibrant city.
While Octavia appreciates working with her patients independently, at the same time she is delighted to have around her different Health care practitioners, with whom she works in a team: family doctors, nurses, osteopaths, massage therapists, physiotherapists, diabetic educators, etc. She likes the team aspect of the practice, values the way the practitioners look after each other and most importantly, sees how each patient's care, health and well-being is everyone's priority.
When she's not busy looking after her patients' feet, Octavia enjoys taking hikes in Gatineau park with her teenage sons and her soft coated wheaten terrier, Yoda. She also loves exploring down-town, centre-town and all that Ottawa has to offer as a manageable and vibrant city.