Scholarship seeks to help with Ontario’s family doctor shortage
Toronto, ON, November 21, 2007 – This year’s winners of the Nycomed (formerly ALTANA Pharma) Family Medicine Scholarship were honoured Friday night at the 45th Annual Scientific Assembly of the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP). Each year, the fund gives medical students from five medical schools across the province a $5,000 scholarship to pursue a specialty in family medicine. In 2009, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine will join the program.
The 2007 Nycomed Family Medicine Scholarship recipients are:
Dr. Sara Cohen-Gelfand – University of Toronto
Solveiga Pranaityte – McMaster University
Dr. Daniel Lee – University of Ottawa
Rachael Adams – Queen’s University
Nicholas Potvin – University of Western Ontario
According to a new study released by The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), 14 per cent of the population, or approximately five million Canadians, are without a family doctor. With 31 per cent of Ontario’s doctors expected to retire in the next five years, incentive programs are an important step in helping to cultivate the next generation of family doctors.
“With most medical students shouldering six-figure debts, it’s understandable why students are drawn to more lucrative medical specialties,” says Jan Kasperski, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the CFP. “Although the promise of a varied and rewarding practice is enough for many students, initiatives like Nycomed’s scholarship help provide an added financial incentive.”
In 2003, Nycomed (then ALTANA Pharma) and the OCFP sponsored a forum addressing Ontario’s family physician shortage. As part of the solution, the forum’s report called for more encouragement of medical students to go into family medicine. Nycomed (ALTANA Pharma) then rose to the challenge and created the Nycomed (ALTANA Pharma) Family Medicine Scholarship to help put at least 25 more family doctors into the system over five years.
“Motivating students to pursue family medicine is critical to ensuring quality primary care across the province,” says John Suk, president and CEO of Nycomed in Canada. “As acompany we try to make a positive contribution and we hope that the Nycomed scholarship will do just that.”
Nycomed Canada Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of Nycomed GmbH; a European based, privately owned research-based company. Through its innovative products and dedicated people, Nycomed is committed to improving the health of Canadians. In Canada, Nycomed is active in the therapeutic areas of gastroenterology, respirology and dermatology. Headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, the company employs more than 265 people across the country. For more information visit http://www.nycomed.com/.
The Ontario College of Family Physicians is a provincial chapter of the CFPC and is a voluntary, not-for-profit association that promotes family medicine in Ontario through leadership, education and advocacy. The OCFP represents more than 7,600 family physicians providing care for remote, rural, suburban, urban and inner-city populations in Ontario. The OCFP is the voice of family medicine in Ontario. At the heart of the organization is the building and maintenance of high standards of practice and the continuous improvement of access to quality family practice services for all residents of Ontario.