1968-1970 - Dr. John Day
1970-1975 - Dr. John Last
1975-1981 - Dr. Campbell Lamont: First official Chair of the Department.
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 of the Department.
2019 - Present - Dr. Clare Liddy

1973 : The Family Medicine Resident Training Program at the University of Ottawa is fully approved by the CFPC. The department accepts 17 residents into the residency program and adopts an 18-month clerkship, with a 6-week Family Medicine rotation.

1975 : The Department of Family Medicine officially becomes a Clinical Department within the Faculty of Medicine.

1977 : A Francophone Residency Training stream is introduced in alignment with the University of Ottawa's academic mission as Canada's first bilingual medical institution outside of Québec.

1988 : The Department of Family Medicine's administrative team is established at the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital to support the growth of the clinical department.

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.