Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine has been honoured with three awards from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC).
The society is the national voice of Canadian rural physicians.
For 2022, Memorial is the recipient of the SRPC’s Keith Award for the second year in a row. Memorial tied with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine for the Rural Medical Education Award.
As well, Dr. Robbie McCarthy was recognized with the Rural Resident Leadership Award.
The awards recognize the Faculty of Medicine’s excellence in undergraduate and postgraduate rural medicine education.
“The Faculty of Medicine is incredibly proud to have won the Keith Award nine times and the Rural Undergraduate Medical Education Award four times,” said Dr. Margaret Steele, dean of the Faculty of Medicine. “The faculty’s success in rural medical education comes thanks to our outstanding physicians teaching our undergraduate and postgraduate learners in rural and remote areas across Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Also, we could not have these achievements to celebrate without our excellent learners embracing rural practice, and our talented staff providing administrative support. We are proud to be Team Memorial!”
Success in rural residencies
The SRPC Rural Medical Education Award recognizes Canadian medical schools encouraging students to pursue rural medicine training.
The award is presented annually to the program matching the most graduates to rural family medicine residency. Memorial and Northern Ontario School of Medicine tied with 86 per cent of their graduates matching to a rural residency.
Memorial also received this award in 2008, 2019 and 2020.
Recognized two years in a row
The SRPC Keith Award recognizes postgraduate medical programs excelling in producing rural doctors.
The Keith Award is presented to the university with the most graduates practicing in rural Canada for the most recent 10 years after graduation.
Memorial University has received the Keith Award nine times.
Teaching and involvement
Dr. McCarthy is a family medicine resident completing additional training in emergency medicine at Memorial.
His contributions to undergraduate teaching led Dr. Lynette Power, an assistant professor with Memorial’s Discipline of Family Medicine, to nominate him for the leadership award.
Dr. Power noted his mentorship and contributions to the discipline and medical school.
“He has been an excellent role model for our learners,” Dr. Power said. “The discipline of family medicine is very proud of him.”
The SRPC presented the three awards on April 22, during its 29th Annual Rural and Remote Medicine Course in Ottawa, Ont.
