Dr Ted Osmun is honoured for his commitment to rural family medicine and his dedicated work with First Nations communities. He has served in a variety of rural and remote settings, including Baffin Island, Manitoulin Island, and Mount Brydges, near London, Ontario.
Dr Osmun earned his medical degree from the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in 1979. He received his certification in family medicine from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) in 1991, and became a Fellow of the College in 2004. He also completed a Master of Clinical Science degree from UWO in 1999.
In 2001, Dr Osmun was appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. As a rural-regional program director for the postgraduate program, he has developed several continuing professional development activities to engage rural and regional faculty.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr Osmun provides in-patient and emergency care at Strathroy Hospital. He has also served in all capacities of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee. Throughout his career, Dr Osmun has maintained several professional affiliations, including the Ontario Medical Association and the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada. His work has been published in the areas of clinical care, medical education, and patient-doctor communication.
In 1999, Dr Osmun received the Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award from the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario. In 2002, he was the recipient of the CFPC’s Ian McWhinney Family Medicine Education Award for excellence in resident teaching.
Dr Osmun wishes to acknowledge his wife, Anita, who has supported him throughout his career: caring for their children, building decks and fences, traipsing all over the world, and encouraging him in all his endeavours.
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.