1968-1970: The University of Ottawa begins formal reporting to the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) on undergraduate medical education, establishes a second Family Practice Unit at Ottawa General Hospital with a bilingual mandate, and creates an administrative home for Family Medicine within the Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine.

1971: Family Medicine teaching and residency training continue to expand through the Civic and General Family Practice Units as the University prepares for CFPC review and program approval.
 



 

1972: The CFPC conducts an onsite review of the Civic and General Family Practice Units, and the University begins planning for a Family Practice sub-department within the Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, a key step toward establishing an independent Department of Family Medicine.

1974: The University projects the development of five Family Practice Units by 1977, expanding Family Medicine teaching and training beyond the Civic and General hospital sites.

1973: The Family Medicine Residency Training Program receives full CFPC approval, with a recommendation to establish a Department of Family Medicine within five years.

1968-1970 - Dr. John Day
1970-1975 - Dr. John Last
1975-1981 - Dr. Campbell Lamont: First official Chair
1981-1986 - Dr. Walter Rosser
1986-1995 - Dr. John Forster
1996-2005 - Dr. Nick Busing

2005-2012 - Dr. Jacques Lemelin
2012-2014 - Dr. Michael Hirsh (Interim)
2014-2019 - Dr. Dianne Delva: First female Chair
2019-2025 - Dr. Clare Liddy
2025-2026 - Dr. Bill Hogg (Interim)
2026-Present- Dr. Elizabeth Muggah

2006-2011: Adding to three existing teaching sites, (Civic, Bruyère and Montfort), the department establishes five additional sites over five years, strengthening its educational reach and forming partnerships with Ottawa teaching hospitals.

2009: The Faculty Development Program is established to enhance teaching skills, foster leadership, and strengthen collaboration to advance educational excellence in family medicine.

2011: Triple C competency-based curriculum is introduced for Family Medicine residency training based on the CanMEDS-Family Medicine framework, to meet the needs of future learners.

2017: Our department relocates to 600 & 850 Peter Morand Crescent to allow growth and enhance our teaching environment. Closer proximity to the Faculty of Medicine supports our collaborative interests in forming interdisciplinary partnerships within the Faculty.

Impact of Pandemic 2020-2022: Our department responds to the needs of our learners, faculty and staff during COVID-19. We adapt by switching to virtual platforms and providing targeted clinical learning opportunities. We graduate competent learners by redesigning program delivery and evaluation criteria.

2024: Our bilingual medical education curriculum is being reformed to integrate case-based learning applications and digital tools, enhancing accessibility and engagement.

2000: The C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre is a research arm of the DFM established at the Élisabeth Bruyère Research Institute. This center advances primary healthcare research nationally.

2014: The department invests in Global Health initiatives as a priority area. Global partnerships are formed to improve primary care and training opportunities for communities in need.

2021: As a key pillar of the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, supporting research activities and strengthening partnerships is crucial to advancing research excellence and building capacity in both English and French.

2021: A multimedia lab is created to build engagement, disseminate medical knowledge and further the department’s reach through mainstream communication channels, such as podcasts, videos and social media platforms.

2023: The Project Management Office (PMO) is established in 2021 to support the digitalization and redesign of the Family Medicine curriculum. By 2023, the innovation portal is launched serving as a repository for all our educational applications.

2024: Guided by our values, our program is advancing a strong commitment to champion social accountability. In 2024, we focus on two priority areas: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) alongside Indigenous Health.

2024: An introductory rotation is implemented to support the transition of all PGY1s to our Family Medicine Residency Program.



 

2024:  A first-of-its-kind Tribute to Family Medicine video is created to promote the discipline of Family Medicine, and to cultivate a culture of inclusivity and inspire hope for the future.

2025 - Our Ongoing Mandate: Build stronger partnerships with rural & Indigenous communities to enhance educational opportunities for our learners. Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration in alignment with the Faulty of Medicine through teaching, research, community care and outreach. Advance primary care by supporting diverse research programs led by our Research Chairs.