New medical student scholarships: Building the future of family medicine

It is no accident that the past decade’s growing problems in access to care coincided with a substantial decrease in the number of family physicians in Canada. These problems have been exacerbated by inadequate numbers of graduating medical students choosing to pursue careers in family medicine. Although we are starting to see a reversal of this trend, the Canadian Institute for Health Information still reports more than 13% of Canadians have no family doctor. Our own studies show that in 2004 millions of Canadians tried unsuccessfully to find a family physician. Many factors have contributed to the reduced popularity of family medicine as a career for new graduates, including inadequate exposure to family physician teachers and role models in our medical schools and insufficient support and remuneration for family doctors in practice. Each contributing factor must be clearly identified and reversed. In addition to contributing to development of new models of practice with remuneration incentives for family physicians, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) has also taken the lead in introducing initiatives to enhance the value and image of family medicine in medical schools across the country, including revamping the undergraduate medical school curriculum to ensure an augmented and relevant role for the discipline of family medicine and for family physicians as teachers, mentors, and role models; establishing and supporting Family Medicine Interest Groups at every Canadian medical school where medical students will have the opportunity to interact with family medicine faculty, residents, and family doctors from community practices; creating a medical student leadership awards program whose recipients receive their awards at Family Medicine Forum (FMF), where they also participate with family doctors in leadership development workshops; and offering complimentary registration to all Canadian medical students who attend the FMF. As well, the CFPC has collaborated with and supported the Canadian Federation of Medical Students on various issues of concern to students from rising tuition fees and student debt loads to the timing of their career choices and the need for more flexibility for residents who want to switch from one training program to another. In 2005, we also introduced our new CFPC Medical Student Scholarships, developed in collaboration with medical students and undergraduate deans, and supported by donations to our Research and Education Foundation (REF) from Janssen-Ortho Inc, Scotiabank, the CFPC, and College members themselves. One student at each Canadian medical school has been named to receive a $1000 scholarship along with complimentary registration and expenses to attend FMF in Vancouver, BC (December 8 to 11), where the scholarships will be presented. Six of the students have been further selected by a national panel of family physicians, teaching faculty, and student and resident peers to receive $10 000 scholarships. Nominees for these new scholarships are medical students in the graduating class of 2006 at each Canadian medical school. Their Dean’s offices must verify their academic standing and any special achievements or awards they have received. Nominees are expected to have demonstrated skills and attributes consistent with their becoming excellent medical doctors and to have an understanding of or interest in the values and principles of family medicine. Some examples of a student’s interest in family medicine include: participation in Family Medicine Interest Groups, completion of outstanding articles, posters, publications, presentations, or research projects related to family medicine, demonstration of exemplary interpersonal and communication skills, and volunteer involvement in family medicine teaching, research, or clinical settings. Each nominee must provide two reference letters from medical school mentors, at least one a family physician, and must also submit a 250-word essay to demonstrate his or her understanding of or interest in family medicine. It is with great pride that we announce the first-ever recipients of the CFPC Medical Student Scholarships: Ms Pamela Kryskow, University of British Columbia Ms Jennifer Hollowell, University of Calgary Ms Erin Brennand, University of Alberta Mr Reid McGonigle, University of Saskatchewan Ms Keleigh James, University of Manitoba Ms Christine Palmay, University of Western Ontario Ms Carol Potter, McMaster University Mr Jonathan Kerr, University of Toronto Mr Lucas Cockburn, Queen’s University at Kingston Ms Danyele Lacombe, University of Ottawa Ms Fleure Gallant, McGill University Ms Marie-Helene Desrosiers, University of Sherbrooke Ms Daphne Hamel-Breault, University of Montreal Mr Mathieu Roy, Laval University Mr Ryan Sommers, Dalhousie University Mr David Thomas, Memorial University of Newfoundland We hope that contributions to the REF’s CFPC Medical Student Scholarships will continue to increase from corporations and from our members. Our goal is to be able to offer a $10 000 scholarship to a recipient from each Canadian medical school. Tax-deductible donations to the REF can be made at any time to support this program (contact ac.cpfc@fer). Special fund-raising events will be held during each year’s FMF (eg, silent auction, fun and fitness “Walk for the Docs of Tomorrow”). As we look ahead to a brighter and better-supported future for Canada’s family physicians, all of us at the CFPC wish our members, colleagues, and friends a healthy, happy, peaceful, and safe holiday season and new year.

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