To conclude Season Two, Sister Monique describes the joys and challenges she's found in establishing primary care in Benin, and brings a "sisterly" contribution to the PFD potluck. She also has a story from her soccer playing days! If you're interested in learning more: Further articles here and here describing Sr. Monique's work and life The video of Sr. Monique's "World Cup" soccer match as she describes in the podcast Pics of pets de seour (nun's belly buttons) and a bonus recipe if...

Family docs must adapt themselves to meet the needs of the communities they serve, and Canadian FP Sister Monique Bourget has demonstrated this abundantly through her globe-spanning career.  In Part One of our final episode for Season Two, she shares her journey to becoming a "Doctor Sister", her role in establishing team-based community clinics and patient-centred maternity care in Sao Paulo.

Dr. Kim Yu broadens the concept of ikigai to apply it to team-based care and health systems - what are the components of effective, purpose-driven health care?  She also brings a family favourite to our PFD potluck! If you'd like to read more, here are additional resources featuring Dr. Yu: An AAFP interview with Dr. Yu about Ikigei and the "joy stealers" that take away from the joy of family medicine A presentation on the role community connections play in fostering joy in the family...

Did you have a reason to get up in this morning?  If you do, you may have ikigai! In Part One, American family doc Dr. Kim Yu explains what ikigai is, shares her own journey of finding it, and provides insights on how it can be cultivated in family physicians during their training and throughout their careers.    

In Part Two, Drs. Leon Geffen and Clayton Dyck continue to discuss the future of technology in primary care of the elderly and how AI could inform patient-centred care rather than dictate it.  Dr. Geffen also challenges the perception of the elderly as “technologically challenged.  Finally, he will dig up something from his garden for the PFD potluck dinner! If you'd like to learn more, you can read two studies about the interRAI Check-Up Self-Report tool here and here.  Dr. Geffen has also...

People worldwide are living longer, making it challenging for busy family physicians to provide the best care for elders. In Part One, South African family physician Dr. Leon Geffen joins host Dr. Clayton Dyck to discuss the challenges his country faces with its aging population. He also talks about the use of technology in eldercare and his team's online geriatric assessment tool that helps FPs provide efficient, comprehensive patient care.

Dr. Enrique de Barros and host Dr. Clayton Dyck continue to discuss how a patient-centred approach and “walking the talk” can help motivate our patients to contribute to planetary health.  They also explore the joys and challenges of being a “country doc” who is also an academic family physician.  Additionally, he brings a uniquely Brazilian contribution to the Planet Family Doc potluck!   If you'd like to learn more about what was discussed in this episode: An excellent infographic...

We’re now seeing the effects of climate change on our patients on a daily basis.  What can one family doc do?  Can family medicine guru Dr. Ian McWhinney provide with the answer?   In the first part of this episode, Brazilian family physician Dr. Enrique de Barros shares a patient-centered approach that can bring about positive changes not only for our patients but also for our planet.

Dr. Ichsan Ichsan shares more on how the family physicians in Banda Aceh and his community maintained resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also highlights how a community's shared belief system can aid in maintaining resilience during difficult times.  Let's see what he'll bring to the Planet Family Doc potluck! If you'd like to read more: The role of religion in fostering community resilience after the 2004 tsunami Mental health impacts 10 years after the tsunami The resilience of...

An inspiring conversation with Indonesian family physician Dr. Ichsan Ichsan on how Banda Aceh family physicians and their communities found resilience and growth after the 2004 tsunami, and how this sustained them through the COVID-19 pandemic.  In Part One, Dr. Ichsan shares his personal experience of the tsunami, and how health systems and governments responded to rebuild his community.

Dr. Eric Lee and Henry So continue to explore the challenges and solutions in introducing Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) into training and patient care in Hong Kong, and share their own personal mindfulness practices  Also, it's the Lunar New Year in HK - a great time for the Planet Family Doc potluck! If you'd like to learn more, here's: A link to The TourHeart app discussed in the podcast An interesting study recently conducted at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on the...

How can family doctors help empower medical students to overcome the stress of med school?  Family physician/educator Dr. Eric Lee and aspiring family doc Henry So discuss how Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is being introduced to medical learners and patients in Hong Kong.  In Part One, they explore a mindfulness course Dr. Lee has developed at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and how it is impacting medical students.

Dr. Clayton Dyck and Dr. Michael Kidd continue their conversation about positive outcomes that have emerged from the pandemic and how these are being shared globally. They also discuss those outcomes that we should forget about and the "lessons learned" that Dr. Kidd will personally apply when the next global crisis appears. Additionally, Dr. Kidd brings a very Australian contribution to the Planet Family Doc potluck! If you'd like to learn more about what was discussed in this episode: A...

Is COVID-19 becoming old news? Host Dr. Clayton Dyck is joined by Dr. Michael Kidd, an Australian family physician and public health leader, to discuss what we still need to remember from the pandemic. In the first part of their conversation, they explore the reasons why family doctors are experiencing post-COVID "fatigue" and identify positive outcomes and findings that will help us deal with future outbreaks.

We're back!  Get ready for an informative and entertaining Season 2, where we will sit down with family docs around the globe to get perspectives on global trends, explore innovations in primary care and discover how to find joy and purpose in the world of family medicine

In part two of our season finale, Dr. Clayton Dyck, Dr. Alan Ng and Dr. Aboi Madaki discuss if and how virtual exams can actually measure a family physicians’ readiness for practice, and they share some valuable lessons for those who are developing virtual exams. They also add a few more delicious (and nutritious) dishes to the planet family doc potluck!

Somewhere in their journey to practice, a family physician invariably needs to pass a qualification exam.  What happens when a pandemic disrupts a long-established oral examination process? Could virtual exams be a better alternative? In part one of our season finale, host Dr. Clayton Dyck is joined by Dr. Alan Ng from Ottawa, Canada and Dr. Aboi Madaki from Jos, Nigeria to discuss the move to virtual qualification exams in their countries, the “glitches” they encountered and the feedback...

In part two, Dr. Dorsett continues her journey by applying her "joy recipe" to maintain her own mental well-being and that of her patients.  She also puts some ingredients together for the Planet Family Doc potluck! If you’d like to learn more, here are some wellness resources recommended by Dr. Dorsett:  Balance App https://balanceapp.com/ BetterHelp  https://www.betterhelp.com/ The Five Minute Journal https://a.co/d/cHC5dYL 

Our new generation of global family physicians is more mindful of their mental health, but it can still be challenging to maintain it during medical training and early practice.  In part one, Dr. Brunee Dorsett from the Bahamas shares her experience of burnout during medical school, how she developed a "joy recipe" to take care of her mental wellness, and how her training program provided support to her and her colleagues throughout their training.

In the second part of this interview, host Dr. Clayton Dyck continues his conversation with family medicine trainees - Dr Bigyan Lamichhane from Kathmandu, Nepal and Dr. Rohini Pasricha from Toronto, Canada.  They explore ways to bridge the generational differences between educators and learners, share their favourite things about their programs and discuss the pros and cons of extending the length of training. Don't miss the Planet Family Doc potluck dinner at the end! If you're interested...

Our students do make our best teachers.  As we look to the future of family medicine, we can gain valuable insights from those currently in their journey of family medicine training. In the first part of his conversation with family medicine trainees, host Dr. Clayton Dyck examines the effects of COVID-19 on training, the role of technology in FM education, and the new competencies required to prepare family physicians for practice. His guests, Dr. Bigyan Lamichhane from Kathmandu, Nepal, and...

Are you prepared for the artificial intelligence revolution? In this episode of “The Class of 2024” host Dr. Clayton Dyck explores the emerging use of technology and AI in family medicine training with South African family docs and educators Dr. Klaus Von Pressentin and Dr. Ramprakash Kaswa.  Also, stick around for some tasty recommendations on South African cuisine! Read more about the use of AI and technology in FM education in South Africa at: ...

In the second part of this interview, host Dr. Clayton Dyck continues his conversation with family physicians Dr. Samantha Green from Toronto, Canada and Dr. Mayara Floss from Brazil.  They discuss innovative ways of teaching planetary health, including the value of tree planting. They will also share available resources that lifelong learners can access to develop their planetary health expertise. Lastly, don't miss out on their food choices for the Planet Family Doc potluck dinner! If...

It's literally our biggest “patient” and becoming our sickest, so how can we adequately prepare new family docs to care for (and about) our planet?  In the first two episodes of our "Class of 2024" series, host Dr. Clayton Dyck is joined by family doctors, educators and activists Mayara Floss and Samantha Green to discuss innovative approaches to integrating planetary health in family medicine education in Brazil and Canada.  In the first part of their conversation, they discuss the...