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- March 2025 - From Coast to Coast
March 2025 - From Coast to Coast
Our FMNEA Newsletter and Updates
Letter from the Chair
Dear FMNEA Members,
We’re gearing up for another exciting year at FMNEA! Our professional development series continues to bring engaging topics, our informal coffee chats provide valuable connections, and we’re already deep into planning for the 2025 FMNEA conference.
We have a big update—by popular demand, the Virtual Half-Day Conference is back! This format allows for more flexibility and accessibility, and we’re thrilled to bring it to you again. This year’s session will feature a few high-value professional development topics along with our annual business meeting, ensuring a rich and productive experience for all attendees.
We’re also making strides in how we connect as a community. The FMNEA executive is launching a new platform for our newsletter and introducing a WhatsApp group to foster real-time collaboration and networking.
As we welcome spring, we hope everyone had a fantastic residency match season. Looking forward to another year of learning, sharing, and growing together!
Warm regards,
Marie Parkkari
Chair, FMNEA
FMNEA Award Winners 2024
FMNEA Education Administrator Excellence Award Recipient: Ms. Julianne Uzun
Ms. Julianne Uzun, Senior Education Program Associate at McMaster University’s Brampton Site, is this year’s recipient of the FMNEA Education Administrator Excellence Award. She has excelled in multiple roles, including as an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) partner and committee representative. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, she was nominated for the William Osler “Going Beyond” Values Award, and the Brampton Site created the Julianne Uzun Compassion in Action Award in her honor.
Julianne’s dedication to resident advocacy, program improvements, and EDI has made her an invaluable leader. She is now pursuing a Master of Education in Social Justice Education. Congratulations, Julianne!
Julianne Uzun
2024 FMNEA Team Excellence Award: Prince George Team, UBC
The Prince George Team at the University of British Columbia is this year’s FMNEA Team Excellence Award recipient. Comprising Roghieh Soufinia, Alicia Nicklen, Hilary Therrien, and former member Angela Shymanski, the team administers three unique residency programs: Prince George, Northern Rural, and Rural Immersion.
Managing complex, high-volume training across Northern BC, they demonstrate flexibility, innovation, and collaboration, particularly in developing Canada’s first-of-its-kind Rural Immersion site. Their strong stakeholder relationships, resilience, and dedication to residents set them apart. Congratulations, Prince George Team!
Prince George Team
Welcoming the New FMNEA Executive Committee Members
We’re thrilled to introduce our newest FMNEA Executive members—each bringing unique expertise and passion to the team!
 | 🌟 Kristen Piercey, East Representative |
 | 🌟 Allison Alverto, Enhanced Skills Representative |
🌟 Collette Thiessen, FMF Site Representative
Representing Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba, Collette is gearing up for FMF 2025! With over a decade of experience in Enhanced Skills, she’s a seasoned expert in medical education.
Welcome aboard, Kristen, Allison, and Collette! We can’t wait to see the incredible work you’ll bring to FMNEA. 🎉
Exciting FMNEA Conference Updates! 🎉
Mark your calendars! Our Virtual Conference is happening on Thursday, October 30, 2025, and we’re thrilled to announce some incredible speakers:
🎤 Dr. Isla McPherson – “Feedback for Growth: Nurturing Professional Behaviours in Learning”
🎤 Dr. Joan Chan – “Setting Compassionate Boundaries”
The day wraps up with the FMNEA Annual Business Meeting and Awards of Excellence. 🏆
Our in-person conference on November 4-5, 2025, is shaping up, and we’re excited to welcome Dr. James Goertzen & Dr. Sarah Newbery, presenting their FMF 2024 hit: "Co-Creating Psychological Safety on Administrative Teams."
Psychological safety is essential for high-performing teams, fostering open dialogue, diverse perspectives, and a culture where mistakes can be shared without fear. It enhances innovation, performance, retention, and resiliency.
Building psychological safety requires leaders and team members to create conditions for learning and growth through:
✅ Clear expectations
✅ Situational humility
✅ Expressing appreciation
✅ Destigmatizing failure
Stay tuned—more updates coming soon! 🚀
Call for Presentations & Topics – FMNEA 2025 Conference
FMNEA is now accepting presentation proposals and topic suggestions for our 2025 conference! 🎤✨
Do you have insights, strategies, or best practices to share? We’re looking for engaging, relevant, and thought-provoking sessions that will inspire and support our education administrator community.
📅 Conference Dates:
Virtual: October 30, 2025
In-Person (Winnipeg): November 4-5, 2025
🔹 Submit Your Ideas!
Email Marie Parkkari at 📧 [email protected] with your proposed topic or presentation idea.
Deadline: Stay tuned for submission details! Let’s make FMNEA 2025 unforgettable! 🚀
FMNEA Newsletter: CFPC Corner – March 2025 Excerpt
Family Medicine Forum
Hosted by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), FMF provides the highest quality, expertly vetted, evidence-based education for family physicians in Canada. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and experience FMF—Canada’s largest family medicine conference!
We’re excited to offer a few amazing opportunities for university partners to connect and engage directly with students and residents at FMF. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].
FMF Location: RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg
In Person: November 5-8, 2025
Booths/Exhibit: More information is available on our website and updated regularly
Registration will open in spring/summer 2025
Please share with Physicians in your Network! Need for Physician Examiners to Support the Delivery of CFPC Certification Examinations (Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine)
The CFPC needs physician examiners for the CFPC certification exam. Given your close working relationship with academic family doctors, we wanted to give you a heads up in case this is something you can share! Their commitment includes the availability to attend 1 full training day, and 2 full exam days and some exam content preparation time. Additional Details:
Virtual participation from their location of choice (home, office, other)
Honorarium provided
Mainpro+® certified assessment credits available
Minimum qualification – CCFP designation; experience in examining is not necessary
Learn more here: CFPC Examiner
Have a question? Reach out!
General: [email protected]
Accreditation: [email protected]
Exam: [email protected]
🎉 Get Ready for Fun, Connection & Learning! 🎉
We’ve got some exciting FMNEA virtual events coming your way—whether you’re looking for friendly competition, networking, or professional development, there’s something for everyone!
🧠 Trivia is Back! 🏆
You loved it at past FMNEA conferences, so we’re bringing it back! Join us for some fun, laughs, and brain-teasing trivia.
📅 Date: April 25, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Time
📍 Zoom link coming soon!
☕ Enhanced Skills Coffee Chat 🌍
Calling all Family Medicine Enhanced Skills Administrators across Canada! Let’s check in, say hello, and chat about what’s on your mind. Let us know what topics you’d like to discuss!
📅 Date: May 23, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Time
📍 Zoom link coming soon!
🌎 IMGs & Externs: Educational Session
An informative session on International Medical Graduates (IMGs) & Externs entering residency programs—perfect for those working with IMG pathways and onboarding.
☕Coffee Chats!
Coffee Chats are informal sessions meant for connection, learning, and sharing. If you have any ideas for Coffee Chat topics, please send them to [email protected]
📢 FMNEA WhatsApp Community – Stay Connected Your Way!
We’re excited to launch the FMNEA WhatsApp Community, where you can connect, collaborate, and stay informed through topic-based groups! 🎉  📲 Scan the QR code to join! Let’s build a supportive, engaging, and manageable space together! 🚀 | 💡 Tips for Managing Notifications & Avoiding Overwhelm:
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