Department Student Awards

Dr. Harrison Waddington Fellowship in Family and Community Medicine

The Dr. Harrison Waddington Fellowship is awarded annually to enable family physicians to pursue higher education at the University of Toronto. The award will support the recipient in pursuing peer-reviewed dissemination of an education scholarship project beyond what would be required for their graduate program. This could include further dissemination of a required practicum project or thesis. A wide range of education scholarship projects are acceptable, including research, innovation, curriculum development, learner assessment, program evaluation, or the scholarship of teaching or mentorship. The DFCM Office of Education Scholarship will also provide project consultation as required to the award recipient. 

Eligibility:

The applicant must be a family physician licensed and practicing in Ontario who is registered in Graduate Studies (in a full-time or part-time Master’s or PhD program) at the University of Toronto for the year the award is granted (presently 2021-2022 academic year). 

Your submission should include:

• Completed application form
• Copy of a current CV
• Transcripts
• Letter of recommendation
• A description* of the education scholarship project to be disseminated (up to three pages, 12 pt. Arial font, single spaced)

*The description should include the following sections[1]:

• Clear Goals: A description of the problem, the goal, objectives, and relevant questions related to your project.
• Adequate Preparation: The institutional context surrounding the project; a literature review and summary of the current state of knowledge regarding this topic. This will also include a description of the impetus for proposed project, a clear demonstration or statement of current practice (i.e. environmental scan), the gap or need identified, and detail of perceived value of project outcome.
• Appropriate Methods: this will include a description of your proposed methods which are appropriate to your project goals.
• Dissemination plan and timeline

Terms and Conditions of the Award:

The award holder must be registered in the eligible graduate (Masters or PhD) program for at least 14 weeks of any term for which they hold the award. Repayment of an award is required if a student is registered fewer than 14 weeks in any term, or withdraws from their program.

Amount of Award: up to $4,000

Application Deadline:  Mid September annually  (Apply by September 13, 2024 for 2024-25 award)

Submit applications to familymed.grad@utoronto.ca

[1] From Glassick C.E. (2002). Boyer’s Expanded Definitions of Scholarship, The Standards for Assessing Scholarship, and the Elusiveness of the Scholarship of Teaching. Acad Med, 75, 877-880.

Waddington Fellowship Award Recipient 2023-24

Alongside the Graduate Awards Committee, the AFGS program selected Dr. Susan Deering as the 2023-24 recipient of the Dr. Harrison Waddington Fellowship in Family and Community Medicine in the award amount of $4000.

The Dr. Harrison Waddington Fellowship is awarded annually to a family physician, licensed and practicing in Ontario, who is registered in Graduate Studies (full or part-time Masters or PhD program) at the University of Toronto for the year the award is granted.  The Fellowship enables family physicians to pursue higher education at the University of Toronto and supports the recipient in pursuing peer-reviewed dissemination of an education scholarship project beyond what would be required for their graduate program.

Dr. Susan Deering is a Family Physician, Physician Lead, Division of Long Term Care at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Associate Staff at North York General Hospital. She is a 3rd year MPH student in the Advanced Standing Family and Community Medicine stream at the DFCM. Dr. Deering is a passionate and highly revered primary care researcher, innovator and educator reflected by her extensive academic contributions - more recently in the long term care, curriculum development and climate change and health fields - through committee involvement and disseminated work.

She is a leader in continuing professional development with a deep commitment to education scholarship, patient advocacy and change. Dr. Deering is Co-chair of the Green Task Force, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Sunnybrook representative of the Primary Care Sustainability Working Group with Toronto Academic Health Sciences Hospitals. As an extension of her very timely work, Dr. Deering's proposed Education Scholarship project aims to '"assess the effectiveness of an interactive educational intervention for Family Medicine Residents on their ability to identify, counsel and advocate for older adults at increased health risks due to climate change".

DFCM 50^th Anniversary Dr. Lynn Wilson Award

The DFCM 50^th Anniversary Dr. Lynn Wilson fund supports DFCM residents in PGY2 or PGY3 year or alumnus of a University of Toronto DFCM residency program, in early practice (in the first 5 years of practice at time of enrolment in a graduate program), and a student registered in the MPH(FCM), MScCH(FCM) or MScCH(HPTE) fields at the University or Toronto.

Award Eligibility:

Candidates must demonstrate:

• excellence in the study and scholarship of Family Medicine - which may include Family Medicine Education, demonstrated through course work projects, practicum, research or other academic activities related to their graduate work
• overall academic excellence
• completion of at least 50% of their degree

Preference is given to candidates who have not received other forms of tuition support (e.g U of T tuition waiver).

Awarded Annually:

• graduate students will be identified for award candidacy by the Academic Fellowship and Graduate Studies Award Selection Committee at the end of each academic Winter term
• selected recipient will be notified during early Fall term of the preceding award year

Award Fund:

$4000 

DFCM 50th Anniversary Dr. Lynn Wilson Award                          Recipient 2023-24

Alongside the Graduate Awards Committee, the AFGS program selected Dr. Karina Prucnal as the 2023-24 recipient of the DFCM 50th Anniversary Dr. Lynn Wilson Award in the award amount of $4000.

Dr. Karina Prucnal is a family physician at the Credit Valley Family Health Team, Trillium Health Partners, and Associate Program Director, Admissions, Awards, and Recruitment, of the Postgraduate program, Department of Family and Community Medicine.

As a recent graduate of the MScCH(FCM) program, Dr. Prucnal was selected for this award for her demonstration of excellence in the study and scholarship of Family Medicine, reflected by her academic excellence and outstanding performance throughout the coursework of her degree.