DFM Staff Holiday Celebration, December 11, 2025 | | |
Chair's Message
As 2024 draws to a close, I am delighted to have shared in so many departmental achievements this past year – from our educational opportunities for our learners, including undergraduate and resident bootcamps, to faculty development sessions, culminating in our annual Departmental Assembly in October where we gathered to reflect on our current activities and plan for the future. As we are winding down in December, we are also busy preparing for CaRMS in January.
| | Planning is well underway for our Departmental Annual Retreat at the Fairmont Montebello in April 2025. Look for Early Bird registration in January 2025. Poster abstract submissions are being accepted until Friday, January 31, 2025. We appreciate everyone who submitted presentation abstracts this year. The volume of innovative and inspiring submissions we have received is remarkable. Your contributions are vital to our department, and we are excited to finalize our agenda that will include many engaging sessions. | I wish everyone a joyful season with family and friends and look forward to seeing you in 2025. | | Celebrating our 2024 Award Winners | | |
Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence – Our Faculty Award Recipients
The Faculty of Medicine’s Awards of Excellence recognize the achievements of its faculty in many areas reflecting the Faculty’s five strategic priorities: Education, Research, Engagement, Francophonie, and Internationalization and Global Health. Congratulations to our three 2024 Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence award winners who were recognized for their outstanding contributions to our discipline:
| | Our faculty award winners were presented their awards by the Dean, Bernard Jasmin. | | (L-R): Dr. Claire Kendall, Dr. David Ponka, and Dr. Erika Tanner accepting their awards | | Members of our DFM faculty leadership team and administrative staff attended the Faculty of Medicine Gala in November to celebrate our award winners. | | (L-R): Ryan Morrison, Andrea Rawley, Dr. Eric Wooltorton, Dr. Claire Kendall, Dr. Lindsay Bradley (spouse-L), Dr. David Ponka (spouse-L), Dr. Denice Lewis, Roslyn Ahrens, Dr. Doug Archibald, (spouse-R), Dr. Erika Tanner (spouse-R) | | | | Congratulations to Dr. Kay-Anne Haykal, Associate Professor, who received the Undergraduate Medical Education, Health Advocate Competency Award. This Scholarship Award is presented to a faculty member who displays an exceptional degree of compassion towards patients within the Francophone Stream. | | |
Staff Award Recipients
Congratulations to two staff members who were recent award recipients. They have demonstrated an outstanding dedication to our department's progress through their impactful and transformative contributions.
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University of Ottawa President's Award
Asiya Rolston was awarded a University of Ottawa President’s Award: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award (EDI), Individual Manager Award, within the More Impactful, Leadership Award category. This award is in recognition of Asiya’s exceptional commitment as a manager to workplace equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as its advocacy within the University community. Asiya celebrates exceptional collaboration and demonstrates accountability in overcoming biases, identifying systemic issues and promoting an environment that reflects the diversity of its people, their ideas and their identities. Of note, Asiya is the first member of our department to achieve a University of Ottawa President’s Award.
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Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence
Congratulations to Gregory Nasmith, who was the recipient of the Faculty of Medicine Support Staff Awards of Excellence: Award for Innovation, Transformative Thinking and Continuous Improvement. This award is presented to an individual in recognition of demonstrated innovation, transformative thinking, and/or continuous improvement that has the goal of improving efficiencies, reducing costs, or improving service to faculty members, learners, support staff, and/or others in the Faculty of Medicine community. Greg, along with other staff award recipients, were presented their awards by the Dean, Bernard Jasmin, during an awards ceremony at the December Support Staff holiday luncheon.
| | Staff award ceremony: Greg Nasmith with the Dean, Bernard Jasmin | | New Faculty Leadership Roles | | Dr. Avik Nath has been appointed Vice-Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) at the Faculty of Medicine, effective January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2029. Dr. Nath is an Associate Professor with the Department of Emergency Medicine. He has championed competency-based training and transition-to-practice curricula, serving in leadership roles such as Program Director for Enhanced Skills in Emergency Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, and Chair of the National Emergency Residency Directors Group. Known for fostering collaboration and advancing medical education, Dr. Nath is highly regarded for his mentorship and scholarly contributions. | | Dr. Erika Tanner, Assistant Professor, has recently moved into the position of Director of Wellness at the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Tanner has worked in community family medicine for the past 17 years and has held staff positions at The Ottawa Hospital and the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Obstetrics, Rehabilitation Medicine, Addiction Medicine and Mental Health. Dr. Tanner brings to this role a wealth of experience gained from working in education, mental health and the arts. Dr. Tanner is excited to work with learners and faculty individually and on committees to help develop professional fulfillment programs through wellness resources. Quite fittingly, Dr. Tanner was this year’s recipient of the Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence, Leadership in Wellness award! | | Dr. Lindsay Bradley, Assistant Professor, has accepted the leadership role of Assistant Program Director, effective January 1, 2025, for a three-year term. In addition to this new leadership position, Dr. Bradley will maintain her existing roles as the Enhanced Skills Family Practice Program Director and the Sports and Exercise Medicine Program Director. | | |
Dr. Daniel Myran, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Accountability, has co-authored a study investigating the potential link between psychedelic substance use and the risk of developing schizophrenia. Published on November 13, 2024, the study explores how the use of hallucinogenic substances, such as psilocybin and LSD, may increase the likelihood of schizophrenia, particularly in individuals with a predisposition to mental health conditions.
This research provides important considerations for family physicians, highlighting the need for thorough, evidence-based discussions with patients regarding the risks of psychedelic use. The study calls attention to the complexities of incorporating these substances into therapeutic settings and underscores the importance of monitoring the mental health of individuals using psychedelics. Read the complete article here.
| | Dr. David Ponka, Full Professor and Director of the Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine at the College of Family Physicians of Canada, released the final article in the Dispatches series published in the Canadian Family Physician (CFP) in December. In this article, Dr. Ponka examines the role of Family Medicine as a discipline operating at the intersection of societal needs and clinical care. This piece challenges family physicians to reflect on their roles in addressing health disparities, emphasizing the shared responsibility of advancing equitable care. Read the complete article here. | | Dr. Dana Pearl, PGY3 Family Medicine resident enrolled in the Women's Health Enhanced Skills Program, recently published an article in collaboration with her supervisor, Dr. Anna Wilkinson. Their work, featured in the Women's Health Journal, addresses critical caps in breast cancer survivorship care and highlights the importance of improving adherence to clinical guidelines. This publication reflects a significant contribution to advancing knowledge in women's health. Read the complete article here. | | AI Research and Family Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Sharon Johnston | | |
Dr. Sharon Johnston, Associate Professor, is leading research to improve communication in primary care through innovative applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Her work focuses on leveraging AI-driven tools, such as medically trained chatbots, to generate clear, accessible educational materials for patients. These tools aim to support healthcare providers by delivering evidence-based advice on topics such as preventative care, vaccinations, and chronic disease management, alleviating communication burdens and enhancing patient understanding. To ensure clinical relevance, Dr. Johnston and her team evaluate AI-generated materials against provider-created content, focusing on readability, appropriateness and patient satisfaction.
Dr. Johnston also envisions technology as a bridge to improve healthcare access for patients in rural and remote areas. Automated updates could provide region-specific health information, alerting patients about local resources or mobile clinic schedules. This approach reduces unnecessary travel and ensures timely access to care, particularly in underserved regions.
Collaboration with healthcare providers plays a key role in her research. Dr. Johnston’s partnerships, such as with the 360 Concussion Care Clinic, have explored how digital communication can enhance mental health care. Their work has shown strong patient approval for messages addressing topics like seasonal mood changes, highlighting the potential of these tools to improve engagement.
Nuance is critical in patient communication, and Dr. Johnston emphasizes tailoring language and tone to suit different health topics. For example, advice on back pain prevention requires a distinct approach compared to discussions on cancer screening. Her research demonstrates how AI can support primary care teams by providing adaptable communication tools that maintain the quality of patient interactions while saving time.
Dr. Johnston’s work reflects a commitment to integrating innovative, patient-centered solutions into primary care. By combining AI’s potential with collaborative research, she is helping to address challenges in communication, accessibility, and provider workflows that will ultimately enhance patient outcomes.
Reflecting on the collaborative nature of her work, Dr. Johnston expressed gratitude for the primary care team’s willingness to engage with new technologies and share valuable feedback. She emphasized, “Advancing research is a collective effort. Each team that participates helps us refine tools that will ultimately support primary care as a whole.”
Through her research, Dr. Johnston aims to make communication tools a valuable extension of primary care, enhancing patient engagement and provider efficiency. By thoughtfully integrating digital solutions, Dr. Johnston envisions advancing primary care in ways that respond directly to the evolving needs of providers and the communities they serve.
| | Destination: Family Medicine – An Outreach Success | | |
On Friday, November 22, 2024, more than 250 high school students from around the region gathered to participate in hands-on experiential learning in one of Canada’s largest Simulation centers, the uOttawa’s Skills and Simulation Centre (uOSSC). The Destination: Family Medicine event was developed to inspire youth interest in Family Medicine and provide opportunities for communities that are underserved and underrepresented in the field of medicine. A total of 89 students were selected to participate through a bursary, which was roughly 1/3 of the total number in attendance. The Department of Family Medicine provided funding to support this important initiative, led by Dr. Eric Wooltorton, Interim Vice-Dean of uOttawa’s Office of Continuing Professional Development and an Associate Professor with our department.
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More than 70 family physicians, residents and medical students volunteered to share their skills by mentoring and guiding students from grades 9 to 12 through 20 unique learning opportunities at 26 stations. The day’s events detailed a crucial roadmap for high school students interested in a career in our discipline, aiming to inspire the next generation to choose Family Medicine. The students also had the opportunity to select top speakers to win special “Golden Larynx” trophies.
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Dr. Liddy awarding Dr. Rifai the Golden Larynx trophy (above)
Faculty and resident volunteers (L and R)
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This day-long program was the collaborative effort of five teams, including the Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD), the Department of Family Medicine, the uOttawa Skills and Simulation Centre, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education, and Affaires Francophones. There is a specific stream dedicated to francophone students.
Thank you to the numerous faculty members, residents and student volunteers who made this impactful community outreach program possible.
| | North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Update | | |
In November, Doug Archibald, Associate Professor, Director of Research and Innovation, and Chair of the 2024 NAPCRG Program Committee, along with members of our faculty and staff, attended NAPCRG. This is the largest primary care research conference in the world, connecting researchers in family medicine and related fields, clinicians, educators, students and patients.
DFM faculty members participated in various sessions, such as forums, workshops, oral presentations and posters, covering a wide range of topics that included educational tools, accessibility to primary care, eConsult, AI, and the Francophone International Primary Care Research Network. Over 15 faculty members contributed to the research presented at the conference, including a poster presentation by Maddie Venables, Senior Research Associate and Academic Research Advisor, and Jarvis Dongmo, Research Assistant.
| | Call for Facilitators for Learning Activities for Francophonie Month | | |
Dr. Stefan de Laplante, Assistant Professor and Co-Director, Family Medicine Residency at the Montfort Hospital, is organizing bilingual Linguistic Simulated Clinics, which are interprofessional simulation-based learning activities, as part of Francophonie Month in March 2025. Recruitment has begun for preceptors and residents to help facilitate this event as part of the pre-clerkship curriculum for medical students at uOttawa. Please read the full event description and how to become involved here.
The sessions will be conducted synchronously online via the Zoom platform. Participants can join from home or the office and choose to attend one or more of the following sessions:
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Monday, February 24, 2025, 12:30 to 6:00 p.m.
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Friday, February 28, 2025, 12:30 to 6:00 p.m.
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Friday, March 7, 2025, 12:30 to 6:00 p.m.
To register, please contact Agnès Collet at acollet@uottawa.ca. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Stefan de Laplante at stefan.delaplante@esfam.ca.
| | Welcoming Our New Research Team Member | | |
Sarah Dickson, Research Coordinator, is a recent graduate from the MSc Epidemiology program at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Prior to this, she studied at the University of Toronto, where she obtained her BSc in Global Health, Immunology, and Statistics. She’s passionate about how data science can be incorporated to advance health research. In her spare time, she loves all things outdoor and active, and is enjoying being near Gatineau Park again after returning to Ottawa!
| | Nominating Our Faculty: Ongoing Recognition | | |
Numerous family medicine awards are open to our faculty members, with nomination deadlines throughout the year. We encourage our faculty’s support by reviewing upcoming awards listed on the Faculty of Medicine’s uOttawa and External Awards and Prizes webpage and nominating a colleague for their outstanding contributions to our discipline.
Your nomination goes a long way toward recognizing the exceptional work of our faculty. Consider nominating a faculty member today!
| | Call for proposals: Annual Meridith Marks Days 2025 | | |
The Centre for Innovation in Medical Education (CiMED) is calling for proposals (abstracts for oral and poster presentations, innovations, and workshops) for dissemination at the 2025 Meridith Marks Medical Education Days, which will take place May 2-3, 2025.
The deadline to submit a proposal is January 10, 2025. Submissions can be in English or French. Refer to the submission form for presentation categories. Questions? Contact Sue Humphrey-Murto at shumphrey@toh.ca.
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