Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) continues its important work of training new family doctors as another group of residents begin their final two years of training in the health centre’s Family Medicine Teaching Unit (FMTU).
The program, which is affiliated with the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine, recently welcomed nine new family medicine resident physicians to the FMTU’s residency program.
“These residents will have the opportunity to practice medicine with a full caseload of patients while gaining invaluable knowledge as they work alongside RVH’s many skilled physicians,” says Dr. Christine Stewart, Site Director, Family Medicine Residency Program at RVH. “It is an extraordinary environment in which to learn to become comprehensive and well-trained family physicians.”
“Choosing the Barrie residency program was a natural fit for me” says Dr Thiago Lusvarghi. “The program’s reputation for producing comprehensive doctors aligns perfectly with my career goals. What makes it even more meaningful is the fact that I grew up in Barrie and have strong family ties here. Being able to practice medicine in a community I know and love is a privilege I deeply cherish, and I’m eager to give back to the place that has given me so much.”
Since the program began in 2009, 109 family medicine residents have trained at RVH, with 68 staying in the area to set up their own practices, provide temporary coverage for area physicians or work in the health centre’s Emergency and Hospitalist departments.
“As a teaching hospital we merge education and healthcare excellence to have a significant, positive impact on our community. We are pleased to welcome these new residents,” says Gail Hunt, RVH president and CEO. “Many physicians who have completed their training at RVH have gone on to establish practices in the area which has helped meet some of the demand for family physicians. As we focus our efforts on increasing the teaching and research opportunities available at RVH, we plan to continue growing, and hopefully keeping, exceptional physicians in this region.”
RVH welcomes Drs. Marie Belcourt, Brandon Chan, Doan-Nghi Dam-Le, Nathan Doupnik, Joe Loung, Thiago Lusvarghi, Margaret MacDonald, Jennifer McKinlay, Dhurga Vaikunthan.
In addition to welcoming the new residents, RVH also extends congratulations to the residents who graduated from the program this year including Drs. Fatemeh Bakhtiari, Deidra Carr, Ovina Chow, Jivan Gill, Anshu Jassal, Curtis Kelly, Timothy Lee, Anthony Parrell, Taylor Stanojev and Alis Xu.