The Department of Family Medicine held its 2025 Annual Retreat online on October 23 and 24 under the theme titled Connected by Care: Human and Digital Integration in Family Medicine. This two-part event brought together faculty from across the Department to explore the intersections of teaching, technology, equity, and clinical practice, marking an important moment of reflection and forward planning for the future of primary care in Quebec. The retreat was accredited by Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s Office for Continuing Professional Development.
Day 1: Celebrating the Essential Work of Rural Teachers
The first part of the retreat, held in the morning of Thursday, October 23, was dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the contributions of Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s rural teachers across our entire RUISSS, from Gatineau to Val-d’Or, Chibougamau and beyond. Organized by the Distributed Medical Education (DME) team, the session shed light on the unique realities, opportunities and challenges of rural medical teaching across the province.
After some opening words by Dr. Marion Dove, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, the day began with a warm welcome from Dr. Lesley Fellows, Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to family physicians and clinical teachers across the RUISSS Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ network for their essential role in training future doctors. She emphasized that teaching in regional and remote settings is indispensable to meeting Quebec’s healthcare needs, and that these educators, despite resource constraints, continue to model compassion, rigor and service for their students.
The agenda for Day 1 included the following topics:
- A closer look at Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s DME Program with Dr. Dominique Archambault, Director, DME, Department of Family Medicine.
- Teaching When There Is No Time to Teach with Dr. Mylène Arsenault, Assistant Director, Faculty Development, Department of Family Medicine.
- Giving Feedback with Dr. Catherine Jarvis, Director, Faculty Development, Department of Family Medicine.
The sessions offered both reflection and connection, allowing rural and urban educators alike to exchange experiences and insights. Discussions focused on how to better support and value rural educators, address the realities of teaching with limited resources, and strengthen links across Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s distributed network.
The event reaffirmed that rural and decentralized medical education lies at the heart of Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s Department of Family Medicine, training physicians who are not only skilled and adaptable but also deeply rooted in the communities they serve. There was also a screening of short videos giving a closer look at the work of rural educators, the first one available to watch .
Day 2: Human + Digital Integration in Family Medicine
The second part of the retreat, held in the morning of Friday, October 24, served as the main departmental event, centered on the theme of human-digital integration in family medicine. Dr. Lesley Fellows and Dr. Marion Dove opened the day with complementary remarks, emphasizing that family medicine stands at a pivotal moment, navigating rapid technological advances alongside evolving societal changes. Both highlighted the critical role of integrating equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), artificial intelligence, and effective communication to build a healthcare system that is fairer, smarter, and more human-centered.
The agenda for Day 2 included the following topics:
- A panel discussion on the retreat theme featuring Eleni Philippopoulos and Genevieve Gore (Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Library Services), Dr. Carolyn Samuel (Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Teaching and Academic Programs), and Dr. Mark Karanofsky (physician at the Department of Family Medicine who practices at the Herzl Family Practice Centre).
- Workshops: Attendees could choose from a variety of interactive sessions, including:
- Workshop 1: From Awareness to Action: EDI Cases in Family Medicine with Pierre-Paul Tellier, Associate Professor; Alex McComber, Bear Clan, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation and Assistant Professor; and Khandideh William, graduate student.
- Workshop 2: Prévenir l’épuisement en équipe : Plus fort ensemble with Dr. Alexandre Ouellet, Programme d’aide aux médecins du Québec, PAMQ.
- Workshop 3: Patient-Centered Communication Skills and Navigating Challenging Patient Encounters with Dr. Lisa Thurgur, Canadian Medical Protective Association, CMPA.
Overall, Day 2 underscored the responsibility to train future family physicians who can use digital tools wisely, communicate with empathy, and advocate for inclusive care. The day also featured another short video showcasing the Department’s many accomplishments over the past year, available to watch . Thank you to all participants for your engagement and enthusiasm, especially in the context of the recent adoption of Bill 2. Together, we were truly Connected by Care!
Thank you also to the retreat organizing committee, namely Marion Dove, Catherine Jarvis, Mylène Arsenault, Dominique Archambault, Kate Rice, Maxime Pirenne, Andrew Marscheschi, Ania Johnstone, Nina Schmauch and Marie Moucarry for putting this retreat together. See you all again next year!
Photo: A Zoom screengrab of some participants during Day 2 of the retreat.
