The program prepares physicians to become experts and leaders in the field, with particular attention to how social determinants and lived experience influence women's health. It is distinct from obstetrical and maternity care training; residents seeking enhanced obstetrical skills should apply separately to the Enhanced Maternity Skills program.
Women's Health
The Enhanced Skills in Women's Health Program takes a broad view of women's health, extending well beyond reproductive care to address the full range of issues affecting women across the lifespan.
Goals and Objectives
Program Structure
The program is a 12-month, full-time enhanced skills training year, built around a set of core rotations. These are complemented by a large number of selectives and electives, giving residents the flexibility to reflect their own interests while balancing clinical work, research, and advocacy. As the program trains women's health experts grounded in primary care, residents are expected to continue a longitudinal family medicine clinic throughout the year.
Training spans areas such as gender-specific illness presentation, disease prevention and health promotion, reproductive health, mental health, lifecycle issues, cultural diversity, violence against women, advocacy, and research, with an expectation of contributing to medical education and scholarly work along the way.
Most graduates train through the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC); the program has also welcomed Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) trainees, including its first FRCPC Emergency Medicine PGY5 graduate in 2024.
Evaluation
Your time in the program will be evaluated using standardized forms available through the Department of Family Medicine’s one45 system. Field notes allow us to collect direct observation evaluations. Residents will also meet with the Program Director regularly throughout the residency period.
Testimonials
“In the early 2000s, our department saw an opportunity: to build one of the first dedicated training pathways for women's health in Canada. More than 40 physicians have since come through the program, going on to practice, teach, and lead in the field. What's guided us from the start hasn't changed - women's health isn't niche. It's a foundation of high-quality, equity-informed primary care. We're proud of what this program has become - a community redefining women's health at the heart of family medicine.”
Dr Elise Azzi, CCFP WH Graduate 2018-2019, Program Director
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have trained within such a unique, tight-knit Women's Health network in Ottawa, mentored every step of the way by strong leaders in the field. Those connections - both professional and personal - have had a lasting impact on my career, and I still lean on them today.”
Dr Emily Brecher, CCFP WH Graduate 2013-2014
“This program gives you strong roots and room to grow - a solid core, plus the freedom to explore and discover a passion you never knew you had. I left with the skills, confidence, and a solid network - all of which have anchored my career.”
Dr Jennifer Mitchell, CCFP WH Graduate 2022-2023
“This fellowship adapted seamlessly to my clinical background and educational goals, and I learned from an incredible group of physicians and allied health professionals along the way. Bringing Women’s Health skills into my Emergency Medicine practice has shaped the direction of my career and let me pass that knowledge on to colleagues in my department.”
Dr Samara Adler, FRCPC EM WH Graduate 2024-2025
“As a newcomer to both the Canadian healthcare system and to Ottawa, I wasn't sure what to expect - but this program helped me find my footing in both, and gave shape to the vision I came to Canada with: to return home feeling empowered to lead and drive positive change in women's health. Beyond sharpening my clinical skills and exposing me to leading experts in the field, it gave me a genuinely supportive environment to grow, both professionally and personally. I still look back on my time in Ottawa with real fondness!”
Dr. Reem Hamadah, visa-sponsored international trainee (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), WH Graduate 2022-2023
A Tribute to Dr. Christiane Kuntz
In loving memory of Dr. Christiane Kuntz, a true pioneer in women's health. Her mighty legacy of gold shaped generations of women's health and family medicine graduates - and her influence on patient care is still felt far beyond the walls of our program.