NOSM Faculty and Learners Honoured by the College of Family Physicians of Canada

On Saturday, November 9, 2013, faculty and learners of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) were presented with a variety of awards of distinction for their dedication and contribution to family medicine. These awards were presented at the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC) national conference, the Family Medicine Forum, held in Vancouver, BC.

It is with great excitement that NOSM announces the following accolades:

• NOSM’s Medical Director of Faculty Development, Dr. James Goertzen of Thunder Bay, Ontario was awarded the highly prestigious Ian McWhinney Family Medicine Education Award.
• NOSM Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Dr. Sarah Newbery of Marathon, Ontario was one of ten physicians to receive the Reg L. Perkin Award, which is accompanied by the title of “Family Physician of the Year.”
• Previous NOSM resident Dr. Nichole Currie was awarded the Family Medicine Resident Leadership Award after completing her residency at NOSM this year.
• Previous NOSM resident Dr. Ryan Patchett-Marble received the Family Medicine Resident Award for Scholarly Achievement.
• Dr. Michael Mason, who completed his MD at NOSM, was presented with the Medical Student Leadership Award.
• Fourth year NOSM medical student Emily Yeung received the Medical Student Scholarship.

“It gives me great pleasure to see Northern Ontario School of Medicine faculty and learners honoured at a national level,” says Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean. “I am continually impressed by the extremely high calibre of the faculty and learners in the North, and express my sincere congratulations to these talented and passionate individuals.”

One of the highest honours given by the CFPC, The Ian McWhinney Family Medicine Education Award has been referred to as the “Nobel prize” of family medicine education. The award honors physicians who have made a significant national impact on the development of family medicine in Canada. Award recipient Dr. James Goertzen was selected for this award based on his innovative work as Director of Faculty Development at NOSM in regards to the School’s continuing medical education programming.

Starting in 1972, the CFPC Family Physician of the Year Award is part of a long-standing tradition to honour family physicians who exemplify the best of the true spirit of what it means to be a family physician. Award recipient for the CFPC’s Ontario Family Physician of the Year, Dr. Sarah Newbery, NOSM Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, is known throughout the Northern Ontario medical community for her dedication and contributions to rural family medicine in Northern Ontario, as well as for her leadership in the structuring of NOSM’s curriculum and assessment models.

“The 2013 Family Medicine Forum was very exciting this year for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine; this year marks the first time that Northern Ontario physicians have received either the Ian McWhinney Award or the distinction of Ontario’s Family Physician of the Year,” explains Dr. Janice Willett, NOSM’s Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs. “I extend my sincerest congratulations to Drs. Goertzen and Newbery for their exceptional commitment to their patients, their learners, and their profession. I am personally very proud to be part of NOSM’s exceptionally talented and innovative faculty.”