Dr. Emmanuel Aquino, a champion for mental health services by his peers in all areas of the profession, was recently acknowledged for 50 years of psychiatry service in Nova Scotia at a ceremony at East Coast Forensics.
Originally from the Philippines, Dr. Aquino completed his medical education at Manila Central University-Filemon D. Tanchoco Foundation College of Medicine in the Philippines in 1968. The following year, he immigrated to Canada to undertake specialty training. He completed in a one-year rotating internship, the equivalent of residency training at the time before completing postgraduate training in psychiatry under the mentorship of the Dr. Robert O. Jones, who established the department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University in 1949.
Dr. Aquino reflected on his experience immigrating to Canada in the late 1960s and experiencing the anxiety and responsibility of tackling different residency rotations around the province before settling on psychiatry.
He admits he was trained in a patient-centered approach from the beginning. He has worked a myriad of roles across the system, including 26 years in the federal system working with complex psychiatric cases. His main focus across these positions has been to re-establish quality of life for his patients. Dr. Aquino attributes his successes in his career to hard work and perseverance.
He is a supporter of peer support and was part of initializing the Community Focused Living program. He won the Outstanding Healthcare Provider from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia in 2016. Last January, Dr. Aquino received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal for all that he has done, and continues to do, to make our province a better place.
Congratulations Dr. Aquino on this remarkable achievement in long service!
