University of Toronto Family Medicine Report

Highlights of International Collaborations and Programs Aimed at Strengthening Family Medicine Toronto International Program to Advance Family Medicine: Every year, emerging family medicine leaders from around the world come to the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine for two weeks to learn how we structure, teach and conduct research in family medicine.

These international leaders also share with us and each other some of the key successes of family medicine in their country.

Over the past six years, 58 participants from 13 countries have participated in this program, creating a “learning network� of family medicine champions eager to innovate and strengthen family medicine for their communities.

Family Medicine at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia: Family medicine did not exist in Ethiopia until 2013. Part of an overall partnership with the University of Toronto, we supported our visionary colleagues at Addis Ababa University to establish Ethiopia’s first training program in family medicine.

Developing Family Medicine Curriculum Globally: Department educators have worked with colleagues from a range of countries, including Oman, Thailand and Brazil to support the development of state-of-the-art family medicine curricula that will ultimately strengthen family medicine in those settings.

Collaboration with Mirin Hospital Network, Japan: A group of doctors from Japan are collaborating with experts in caring for vulnerable populations in Toronto. Through exchanges, conferences and mutual visits between Japan and Toronto, doctors from both countries are discovering new ways to deliver care for those most vulnerable.

Growing Family Medicine Leadership in Pudong, China: For the past five years, our department has hosted young family medicine leaders from the Pudong Area of China to learn about family medicine leadership and the foundations of strong family medicine. Participants are then expected to return to their country to transform and adapt the lessons they learned to better address the needs of the population they serve. Seventy-three family medicine leaders have participated in this program.

Primary Care Program, Chile: Every year, between 12 and 30 Chilean health professionals including nurses, dentists, midwives and others come to the Department of Family and Community Medicine for five weeks to learn how we organize and deliver quality primary care through teams. While in Toronto, they also share some of their new ideas and innovations to improve teambased primary care through teams in their settings. Since 2005, a total of 166 Chilean primary care providers have participated in an intensive five-week training program.

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