Chair's Message
This is our last newsletter for 2017. At this time I would like to offer my personal thank you to the faculty and staff of our Department for your dedication and hard work throughout the year, and your commitment to excellent clinical care, outstanding education, and groundbreaking research.
The success of our Department depends on your engagement with the strategic directions for our Department and Schulich Medicine. It all starts with our staff who provide the organizational backbone for all our Department activities, including the many special events that we have celebrated this past year, including the 40th Anniversary of the Masters of Clinical Science Graduate Studies Program, the third annual Dr. Ian McWhinney Lecture, the CaRMs recruitment weekend, the Family Medicine Clinical Skills Day among many others.
Our researchers, basic scientists and clinicians, have had a stellar year producing new knowledge in the fields of primary care and population health. This work has been disseminated through many presentations and posters at FMF and NAPCRG and documented through a fantastic publication record. Several have won awards and received accolades this year including Dr. Moira Stewart, Dr. Stewart Harris and Dr. Judy Brown.
Our educational efforts training family physicians and medical students depends in large part on the dedication of our clinician teachers, in London, Windsor, Chatham, Petrolia, Strathroy, Goderich, Hanover and Stratford and in many family practices throughout southwestern Ontario. These physicians provide teaching and mentorship to nearly 200 family medicine residents and countless students in addition to continuing excellent clinical care.
2018 will mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of our academic Department of Family Medicine, denoting 50 years since Dr. Ian McWhinney became the first Professor of Family Medicine in Canada in 1968, and academic Family Medicine was born at Western. Special activities to mark this occasion are being planned and we look forward to another outstanding year for our Department.
I wish everyone in the Department a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays.
As usual, I welcome your comments and feedback at swetmore@uwo.ca or Twitter @DOCSJW.
