Dr Merrilee Brown is recognized for her commitment to teaching and mentoring rural physicians, and her rural generalist skills.
Dr Brown completed her medical degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1995. She received Certification in Family Medicine from the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 1997 and Fellowship in the College in 2011.
During her time as a medical student, Dr Brown participated in Educating Future Physicians for Ontario (EFPO), a group dedicated to making medical education more responsive to community needs. EFPO nurtured her love for medical education and kick-started her teaching career. Dr Brown is currently a lecturer at the University of Toronto and an assistant professor at Queen’s University.
Dr Brown exemplifies the skills of a strong rural generalist practitioner in the truest sense. Her wide clinical scope includes intrapartum care, emergency medicine, house calls, hospital inpatient care, and palliative care. Dr Brown focuses on advancing her skills to better serve the needs of her patients and community.
Dr Brown is devoted to supporting rural medicine through education and practice. She has worked with the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada since 2006 and serves on the Rural Ontario Medical Programme Foundation’s Board of Directors. Dr Brown’s efforts have won her several prestigious awards.
Canada’s Family Physicians of the Year – the Reg L. Perkin Awards
Since 1972, the CFPC and its Research & Education Foundation have honoured family physician members who exemplify the guiding principles of family medicine. Initially, one award recipient was selected to receive the Family Physician of the Year (FPOY) Award each year. Since 2002, ten family physicians have been recognized annually—one representing each CFPC Chapter.
Canada’s FPOYs are chosen by their peers, other health care colleagues, and community leaders for:
- Providing exceptional care to their patients
- Making meaningful contributions to the health and well-being of their communities
- Dedicating themselves as researchers and educators of future generations of family doctors
FPOY recipients must exemplify the four principles of family medicine:
- Be skilled clinicians
- Be community based
- Act as a resource to a practice population
- Recognize the central importance of the doctor-patient relationship
CFPC Chapters review nominations and select the FPOY for their respective provinces. The provincial FPOYs are honoured at their respective Annual Scientific Assemblies or Annual General Meetings. The national FPOYs are honoured at the annual CFPC Family Medicine Forum.