In this first newsletter of 2026, I want to express to all Department members that I hope you had some restful vacation at the end of 2025, with activities that energized you for the excitement of the new year!
The Department of Family Medicine held a couple of momentous events in January. On January 22, we held our inaugural Family Medicine Grand Rounds with Dr. Cara Bezzina titled, The Real World Isn’t a Case Study: Rethinking How We Teach Complexity in Medicine. If you missed it, you can view the hour-long webinar on the Teaching Hub (to access this, please contact facdevcme.fammed [at] mcgill.ca).Ìý
The following day, on January 23, a Land Acknowledgement Workshop was held. Facilitated by Indigenous Professors Alex McComber and Richard Budgell, and Indigenous PhD student Megan Légaré, this event offered a reflective, discussion-based space to explore our individual and collective relationships to land and territory, fostering thoughtful dialogue and shared learning.
February is Black History Month, and our Graduate Studies EDI committee has organized an event on February 26: From Stigma to Support: Changing the Conversation on Black Mental Health. This event will explore the current state of Black mental health in Canada, highlighting both best practices and the biases that shape clinical care. Register here. The EDI committee has also organized an interview series featuring voices from across our Department—including staff, faculty, students, and alumni. Stay tuned on social media to learn from and celebrate these stories (follow us on ).
Other activities coming up include:
- February 19: Faculty Development: Redesigning Assessments in the Age of AI. This hands-on workshop will support instructors in rethinking their assessment strategies in light of generative AI. Register here.
- February 9–13: Resident Doctors Appreciation Week. I invite you to join me in sending a Thank You message to a resident who has positively impacted your life or gone the extra mile. Even a simple message of gratitude can go a long way in reinforcing residents’ sense of purpose and belonging within our family medicine community. and we’ll then create a collage of all the thank you messages!
Finally, are you a researcher who has recently published a paper or have some interesting community-patient stories to share? Please get in touch with our communications team at com.fammed [at] mcgill.ca (com.fammed)%20fmhs-fmss.healthenews-lebulletel [at] mcgill.ca (@mcgill.ca) who would love to find out more.
Wishing you many happy moments in the snow, sun, and frigid temperatures!
With inner warmth,
Marion
