Peers for Joy in Work

DFCM is excited to offer the Peers for Joy in Work Program! The aim of the program is to help reclaim what you love about family medicine. There are meaningful and evidence-based methods that can foster joy in work –feeling safe, engaged, and having some choice and control over your time to focus on those activities that you know add value to your patients. 

This program involves 1:1 support with a family physician that has been trained as a Peer Guide for Joy in Work. This training enables Guides to be a source of support for their peers during the formal program and beyond. We expect this program to result in mutual increased joy in work for both Peer Learners and the Peer Guides.

In the Peers for Joy in Work program, you will:

  • Learn skills that foster joy in work 
  • Complete three monthly 30-minute sessions with your Peer Guide for Joy in Work between February and April 2024
  • Complete short surveys as part of a linked research evaluation
  • Receive a total of 4.5 Mainpro+ credits upon completion of three sessions with a Peer Guide and evaluation surveys
“Joyful experience! It was a well organized program where our well-being was addressed by our own peers through the creation of a cheerful environment, mindfulness and fitful schedule.”
Dr. Erum Raheel, Family Physician, Scarborough (Peer Guide)
In this 1 minute video, Dr. Danielle Martin and Dr. Navsheer Gill discuss the important work we do as family physicians and the opportunity to become a Peer Learner.

Contact us

For more information, please contact peersforjoy@utoronto.ca 

Acknowledgements & Funding

Acknowledgements 

Peers for Joy in Work is a program that has been co-designed by members of the DFCM, Women’s College Hospital, and family doctor and Certified Professional Coach, Dr. Sarah Smith, also known as the Charting Coach. This collaborative effort is led by Dr. Tara Kiran, Dr. Noah Ivers, Dr. Navsheer Gill, Dr. Jennifer Shuldiner, Dr. Noor Ramji, Dr. Susie Kim, Erin Plenert, and Kirsten Eldridge. 

Funding

Peers for Joy in Work is offered by the DFCM and has received funding support from St. Michael’s Hospital Medical Services Association (SMHA) Alternate Funding Plan (AFP) Innovation Fund, Women’s College Hospital Academic and Medical Services Group (WCHAMSG) Alternate Funding Plan (AFP) Innovation Fund, and a grant from the Ontario Medical Foundation