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Chair's Message
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all as we resume our many departmental activities and settle back into another academic year. I hope everyone enjoyed some time off with family and friends over the summer. As we are embarking on a new academic year, it is my pledge to support your academic journey by offering new and ongoing investments. As part of this initiative, we are proud to announce that half a million dollars will be dedicated to the renewed Family Medicine Scholarship Fund over the next 5 years, a doubling of our investment since the inception of this funding program in 2018. More detailed information is provided, below.
The department held its 4th annual Undergraduate Bootcamp on Friday, September 1, 2023. We welcomed 98 new medical students from the Anglophone (62) and Francophone (36) streams. Dr. Lina Shoppoff, Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Medical Education, Dr. Rita Hafizi, Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Medical Education Family Medicine Clerkship Director, Anglophone Stream, and Dr. Annabelle Pellerin, Lecturer and Undergraduate Medical Education Family Medicine Clerkship Director, Francophone Stream, provided engaging and informative introductions to family medicine. The students were provided hands on experience in carrying out procedures, such as knee injections, pap tests and suturing. Thank you to faculty and residents who volunteered their time to help facilitate the sessions, and the Family Medicine Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Education team who helped with the planning of this successful and well received event.
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On September 15th, our family medicine residents gathered for the resident retreat, a yearly event that provides teambuilding opportunities for our PGY1 and PGY2 residents. In the morning, residents met at 850 Peter Morand to mingle and have breakfast, followed by presentations on planetary health and medicine. Activities in the afternoon included hiking in Gatineau Park or enjoying some downtime at the Aylmer Marina or Constance Bay Beach. The day concluded with a formal event held at the Rideau Club, where the residents enjoyed a lovely meal and an evening of dancing. | |
We are pleased to announce that the Simulated Office Orals (SOOs) begin today (Thursday, September 21st), followed by the PGY3 interviews, which will take place from Saturday, October 14, 2023, to Saturday, December 2, 2023. November will be a busy time for faculty as they plan on attending the Family Medicine Forum (FMF) (November 8-11) in Montréal. Please watch this space for more information regarding our presence at the FMF. We anticipate highlighting our work through presentations, booths, and poster sessions. | |
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Fast approaching is our Annual Faculty Retreat, which is taking place from Friday, October 27 to Sunday, October 29, at the Fairmont, Montebello, Québec. We have an exciting, full agenda, starting with our Keynote speaker on the Friday evening, Ottawa-based critical care physician, Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng. On the Saturday morning, we welcome your participation in our Departmental Assembly, which will provide important updates on the Outcomes of Training Project (OTP), the curriculum and accreditation, followed by diverse breakout sessions and a discussion on how this work will carry us into the next stage of our departmental planning. Key topics include Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in connection with our social accountability mandate, Medical Education Innovations, Long-term Care, and matching DFM resources to faculty needs. We look forward to a fun Halloween-themed dinner and costume party Saturday evening. Start planning your costumes now as prizes will be awarded for the top-3 voted costumes! A diverse offering of faculty-led accredited workshops on Sunday morning will conclude this engaging weekend!
Come prepared with questions and feedback. We look forward to connecting with you and taking in the fall colours! If you have not yet had the opportunity to register, we encourage you to do so by following this link to register.
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We continue our recruitment efforts for physicians interested in a dynamic full-time career in an Academic Family Health Team at the Riverside and Montfort. If you have a passion for advancing the discipline of Family Medicine and are interested in broadening your involvement within primary care, please consider applying. We kindly ask that you share these job postings with your networks. They will be posted until the positions are filled.
I wish everyone a happy return to school.
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Congratulations to Dr. Frank Knoefel on the Publication of his New Book | | |
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Dr. Frank Knoefel is an Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Chair in Primary Health Care Dementia Research at the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Institute and Bruyère Research Institute. His research focuses on smart home technology to facilitate aging in place and the use of technology to assess driving risk in the context of aging and cognitive decline. | | |
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With over 30 years’ experience in Care of the Elderly, his current clinical work is in the Bruyère Memory Program at the Bruyère Hospital and the Orléans Health Hub satellite clinic.
Dr. Knoefel’s interest in smart home technology started some 20 years ago, when he co-created a smart apartment at the Bruyère Hospital, which matured into an AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub a.k.a. SAM3 (Sensors and Analytics for Monitoring Mobility and Memory). The SAM3 Smart Apartment advances the development of sensor systems which address mobility and memory challenges among older adults and focuses on smart technologies that monitor their health and wellbeing. Recently, Dr. Knoefel was instrumental in securing Canadian Foundation for Innovation funding for a driving simulator. In 2022, the Virage VS500M driving simulator arrived at the Bruyère Hospital and work has begun on collecting normative data. The first research study on cognitive change and driving will begin in the fall of 2023.
Over the last 18 months, Dr. Knoefel has led the writing of a book on supportive smart homes: Supportive Smart Homes: Their Role in Aging in Place. It is part of the “Synthesis Lectures on Technology and Health” series, done in partnership with the AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, and will be published by Springer Nature in October 2023. Written in an introductory format, it provides information on the technological components of supportive smart homes; health and wellbeing conditions associated with aging in which technology might be supportive; the ethics and public policy considerations in this domain; and hints about the future of the technology. The hope is the book will inspire engineers, computer scientists, industrial designers, clinicians and healthcare providers, social scientists, students, policy makers, and older adults and their caregivers, to collaborate in advancing the supportive smart home space to develop more options for aging in place.
Please access the Springer webpage for more information about Dr. Knoefel’s upcoming publication and to pre-order a hardcopy.
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The New Family Medicine Scholarship Fund | |
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In support of faculty members’ academic career growth and pursuit of scholarly activities, the department is pleased to announce the rejuvenation of our Family Medicine Scholarship Fund (FMSF), formerly the Academic Leadership Support Fund (ALSF).
As part of our commitment to invest in our faculty, foster scholarly activities using a social accountability framework, and advance our department’s growth within the academic sphere, we have created new opportunities to apply for funding within 7 different categories using a single application form. Applications are being accepted on a quarterly basis to increase opportunities to apply for this funding. We welcome applications by Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Please visit our Family Medicine Scholarship Fund webpage to review the Terms of Reference. Applicants must be at the rank of Assistant Professor to apply or in the process of seeking a reclassification to progress in rank. We look forward to supporting your ongoing contributions to our department.
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Rural Doctors Can Apply for up to $35,000 in Funding | |
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The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada is offering the National Advanced Skills and Training Program, which funds training opportunities to upskill practicing rural physicians, including specialists, nationwide. If you are a rural physician interested in advanced training, access this link. If you are interested in serving as a preceptor, access this link.
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Outcomes of Training Project Update | |
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On September 7, 2023, the Department of Family Medicine held its first Three Year Curriculum Design Workshop, an anticipated first of many before the implementation of the new curriculum in 2027. All unit Program Directors, coordinators, and members of the Outcomes of Training Project (OTP) executive committee discussed an initial framework for the three-year program along with brainstorming local priorities for curriculum reform. In the upcoming weeks, unit Program Directors will continue the discussion that started at the Design Workshop at each of their respective sites, to elicit additional feedback from preceptors on how they envision moving towards a three-year program in their home environments.
The OTP team will also be attending next week’s Family Medicine Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 28, 8-9 a.m., where Dr. Montpetit, Associate Professor and Dr. Archibald, Director of Research and Innovation, will present the Resident Training Profile Survey Tool along with a Question-and-Answer period. Participation in this Grand Rounds is encouraged.
If you would like to become involved in this phase of curriculum development or have suggestions regarding opportunities to develop partnerships and innovations, please attend the upcoming Grand Rounds or contact the OTP team at pmodfm@uottawa.ca.
The Outcomes of Training Project Team, uOttawa:
Dr. Madeleine Montpetit, Complex System Navigator
Dr. Douglas Archibald, Developmental Evaluator
Marisa Duval, Senior Project Manager
Ashley Mautbur, Specialist, Project Management
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Registration Open for Workshop: Using AI in your Research and Scholarly Work | |
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This AI Workshop is being offered on Friday, October 27th during the 2023 Annual Faculty Retreat at the Fairmont, Montebello. Note that this workshop requires a separate registration. It is intended for all active members of the Department of Family Medicine involved in research or scholarly work. As the workshop capacity is limited to 24 participants, we encourage you to register early. Register for the AI Workshop. Contact Sylvie Forgues-Martel at sfmartel@uOttawa.ca should you have any questions.
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Program for Research and Innovation in Primary Care and Medical Education (PRIME) Grant | |
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The PRIME grant supports Department of Family Medicine faculty members to undertake a scholarly or research project with access to an experienced research team, including guidance from a research advisor and mentoring from a medical educator. The PRIME grant provides up to $20,000 per project in support of research in primary care or medical education innovation. The deadline for Letters of Intent is Tuesday, October 31, 2023. For more information, please access the following links:
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Dr. Eric Wooltorton, Associate Professor, has taken on a new role as Interim Vice-Dean of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). We thank him for his passion and dedication to medical education and the key role he has played in evolving our faculty development program offering since stepping into his Faculty Development Director role in 2016. We wish him all the best in his new role. | |
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Dr. Kamila Premji, Assistant Professor, recently joined Dr. Tara Kiran in a two-part interview for The College of Physicians’ podcast "In Dialogue". The topic was “The Primary Care Crisis.” Access the podcast links for the full interview: Primary Care Crisis - Part 1: How did we get here? and Primary Care Crisis - Part 2: What do we do now?
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GAD7s Choir is Back!
Dr. Erika Tanner, Lecturer, lead of the uOttawa Medical Choir, aka the GAD7s, welcomes you back for another year of music, fun and singing! Choir practices resumed Thursday, September 14th, and will continue weekly on Thursday evenings from 6-7:30 p.m. at 600 Peter Morand, Room 103. All are welcome! Please contact Dr. Tanner should you have any questions: erika.lee.tanner@gmail.com
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Congratulations are in order for two of our residents who placed 1st and 2nd in this year’s Practice-Based Learning Program (PBLP) Family Medicine Residents Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize an outstanding scholarly project by Family Medicine Residents in the area of small group learning through research, quality improvement, or education program development. A heartfelt congratulations to the following University of Ottawa winners:
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Top Winners: Drs. Mariela Fleury de Marquez and Leila Badr (nominated by Dr. Alan Ng, Assistant Professor)
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2nd Place: Drs. Sean To and Jonathan Zeng
2023 CFPC Medical Student Scholarship Recipient
The DFM would like to congratulate Christina Di Carlo (MD 2024) as the recipient of the 2023 CFPC Medical Student Scholarship for the University of Ottawa, which was recently announced by the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine (FAFM) of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC). The CFPC Medical Student Scholarship recognizes a top medical student in Canada who has demonstrated an interest in or a commitment to a career in family medicine during their undergraduate medical education. Christina will be presented with her award during the Family Medicine Forum taking place from November 8 to 11, 2023, in Montréal, Québec.
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Soft Launch of the Department of Family Medicine’s Innovation Portal | |
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We are thrilled to announce the release of the DFM's Innovation Portal – a website dedicated to housing all the custom applications, games, and projects developed by the Department of Family Medicine (DFM). Inspired by the forward-thinking vision outlined in our 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, the Innovation Portal aims to revolutionize education within our department, catering to the needs of the next generation of Faculty members and learners.
The Innovation Portal offers family medicine learners an immersive, dynamic, and ever-evolving educational experience through its diverse e-learning modules and podcasts (Anti-Racism Curriculum, MSK, Gynecological Procedures, Long Term Care and Veterans Health) and its Virtual Reality experiences (an Escape Room that tests Quality Improvement principles). The portal serves as a supplemental resource for learners to enhance their medical knowledge and provide high-quality care to their patients.
As we embark on this first iteration of the portal, we encourage those interested to explore the platform and provide us with valuable feedback. Your insights, suggestions and review are crucial in shaping the future of the Innovation Portal and its content, and we are excited to collaborate with you in this endeavour. To share your feedback with us, or to participate in future working groups, please contact our project team at pmodfm@uottawa.ca.
The content hosted on the Innovation Portal is designed to remain evergreen, continuously relevant and valuable to all members of the DFM. We look forward to witnessing the transformative impact it will have on the way we teach and learn at the DFM.
Follow this link to visit the Innovation Portal.
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We say goodbye to Kendra Stapleton, who left her position as Project Management Specialist on the PMO Team on September 15th , as well as Matthew Preteroti, who left his position as Research Assistant on the Research team, on August 31st. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours and their new adventures overseas. (Picture: Kendra Stapleton (far left) with a few members of the staff during a goodbye scavenger hunt.)
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Canadian Women in Medicine | |
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Canadian Women in Medicine (CWIM) is a national non-profit organization focusing on support for women physicians in all aspects of their lives. The CWIM hosts regular educational, networking and mentorship events, and a celebration for Canadian Women Physicians’ Day on March 11th. They are also involved with advocacy, awards and recognition for women physicians, and an annual wellness conference. For more information, visit their website.
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Bruyère Continuing Care is seeking a Research Assistant to help in the implementation of the Candrive RST in a family medicine clinic. Under the supervision of the Principal Investigators, the Research Assistant will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of this study. For more information, click here.
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OMD Educates: Digital Health Conference 2023
Discover how to streamline your administrative tasks and enhance the efficiency of your practice at the OMD Educates: Digital Health Conference 2023. Join clinician leaders and health care innovators in discussing the latest advancements in digital health. Engage in interactive sessions, networking, and workshops on EMR and digital health tools, gaining practical and skills-based knowledge. The conference will be held at the Beanfield Centre in Toronto on Thursday, September 28th. Register here!
Ottawa Hospital Research Day
Registration is now open for the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s 2023 Research Day taking place November 15-16, 2023. Register here!
Family Medicine Forum
Registration is open for the Family Medicine Forum (FMF) taking place this November 8-11, 2023, at Palais des Congrès de Montréal, in Montréal, Québec. Follow this link for information and early bird registration.
Medicine Through Movement
On Saturday November 4th the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM) is hosting a webinar 'Medicine Through Movement'. Attendees will be provided with practical resources and pearls to implement the use of physical activity in treating primary care patients with a variety of conditions including mental health, addiction and chronic illness. Register here!
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