October 2020 Newsletter
Transition of Leadership
The Department of Family Medicine and the Postgraduate Program would like to announce a transition of leadership in the Postgraduate Director role from Dr. Jamie Wickett to Dr. Julie Copeland (Program Director) and Dr. Daniel Grushka (Associate Program Director) effective this coming January. Dr. Wickett’s term as Family Medicine Residency Program Director started in July, 2014 and her improvements to the curriculum and devotion to the program has been nothing short of exceptional. We thank Dr. Wickett for her outstanding leadership and wish her well in her next pursuits.
Chair's Message – COVID-19 Second Wave
We are in the midst of the second wave of COVID-19. In the Department of Family Medicine our doctors and clinics are doing a good job of balancing the public health recommendations with the need to provide patient care. Family practices in our Department are providing service approximately 60 per cent virtually and 40 per cent in person while gradually increasing the in-person services with appropriate precautions.
Graduate Program Report
Congratulations to Drs. Nisha Ravichandiran and Divya Garg (MClSc) on completing their programs. Western will be celebrating their success virtually on October 29, 2020 and again back on campus at a future Convocation ceremony when it is safe to do so. Dr. Julie Copeland will defend her thesis virtually on December 2, 2020. Dr. Copeland’s thesis is titled “The Experiences of Family Medicine Teachers and Family Medicine Residents in Multimorbidity Care and Education" and her supervisors are Drs. Sonja Reichert and Ted Osmun.
Postgraduate Program Report
The annual career night for medical students hosted by the Learner Experience office took place in a virtual format on September 29. We also had our first virtual CaRMS information session on October 7 and over 230 students registered to attend. We will be hosting a second CaRMS information session highlighting our rural/regional site directors on November 11. Residents and preceptors should contact the FM office regarding any leaves due to exposure to and/or symptoms of COVID-19. We are required to report these leaves to the central PGME office.
Undergraduate Program Report
Thank you to all the faculty who have continued to accept clinical clerks, elective students and special selective students this fall! In October alone, we have placed almost 100 students on rotations. We realize rotations look different in the COVID pandemic with a combination of in-person and virtual care, and possibly reduced office hours, but appreciate the on-going learning experiences you are providing to the doctors of tomorrow.
Celebrating our achievements
The PSI Foundation has approved funding for Dr. Obaidullah Khan's Resident Research application, "Training of Canadian family medicine residents for POCUS screening of AAAs: a feasibility study" in the amount of $20,000.00 over 1 year.
Meet the Administrative Staff – Ms. Kelsey Klages
2020 has been all about virtual. As such, we will be virtually profiling our administrative staff as they continue to work from home and keep our Department on track and meeting its strategic goals. Ms. Kelsey Klages is approaching nine years in the Department come November 23, and five years as the Manager of our Postgraduate Program.
In the Media
Dr. Jane Thornton co-hosted the Season One, Episode 12 MSK Matters podcast and also participated in a British Journal of Sports Medicine blog posted on October 7 titled, Opportunities for Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) in a Post COVID-19 world.
New Grant Funding
Congratulations to Dr. Jane Thornton as a team member on two new grants: Canadian MSK Rehab Research Network Pilot Grant (2020) Joint Management: An Online Web-Based Platform for Individuals with Mild to Moderate Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis, and SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2020) (Collaborator/Key Advisory Board Member) – Sport Policy for pregnancy and postpartum athletes.
Meet our new Resident Leaders
Drs. Karan Chawla, Diana Cuckovic, and Obaidullah Khan are the 2020/2021 Family Medicine chief residents. They serve as an important resource to the Department and resident body, and act as mentors, leaders and advocates for the Program. Meet each of our resident leaders in this profile series.
Family Medicine Residents of Western Retreat
The Family Medicine Residents of Western invite current residents to this year's virtual retreat held on October 31 and November 1 via Zoom (link to be provided upon registration). The retreat aims to connect residents with resources for future clinical practice as well as potential job opportunities.
Announcement: Learner Equity & Wellness Office changes name to serve learners
Effective October 2, the Learner Equity & Wellness (LEW) Office at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry will be renamed to Learner Experience. The decision to change the Office name comes after consultation and feedback from faculty, staff, students and School leadership
Recruitment Request
Western University and UBC Family Medicine faculty are looking for third- and fourth-year medical students and Family Medicine residents to deliver the HealtheSteps™ Program to community patients.
TUTOR-PHC Call for Applications
The call for applications for TUTOR-PHC is open to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, mid-career clinicians, and decision makers from across primary health care and is now open. Learn more about this exciting opportunity.
Department Spotlight: Dr. Diana Cuckovic
There was a time where Dr. Diana Cuckovic, PGY2, Family Medicine, considered dance might be her calling, but her interest for life sciences and desire to help others encouraged her to pursue a different path. Read the full Resident Spotlight.
October 2020 Research and Publications
The Department of Family Medicine is at the forefront of research in primary health care. Among the areas of focus for research are patient-centered care, clinical practice guidelines, health promotion, population health, care of the elderly, health services and information technology.
Events
Join us for our Faculty Development Leader Series: Digital Primary Care via Zoom on October 28 at 11:00 a.m. Save the date for Family Medicine Grand Rounds – COVID-19: Review of Current Epidemiology and Community Practice on November 4, and our second Family Medicine Information Session (core site overview) on November 11.
Top stories from our September newsletter
Missed reading our September newsletter. Take a moment to read the top stories: Undergraduate Program Report, Department Spotlight: Meet Dr. Adam Loennberg, Celebrating over 40 years of long term family practice.
