Celebrating our medical residents

Each February, Resident Awareness Week is celebrated across Canada in appreciation for the role of medical residents in the delivery of care. This year’s recognition week takes place Feb. 8-12. 

The week serves as an opportunity to raise awareness of just who medical residents are and acknowledge the critical role these physicians play as health care providers and their commitment to quality care for patients. 

Residents are individuals who have graduated from medical school, have been awarded a medical degree, and are now training in a particular specialty or sub specialty. Within London’s hospitals, there are currently 794 residents working in 16 departments and 70 sub specialties. Beyond London’s hospitals, residents provide care throughout the region in both urban and rural communities. 

“As a part of our frontline patient-centred teams, resident doctors are teachers, trainees, clinicians and researchers,” says Dr. Lois Champion, Integrated Director of Medical Education at London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London. “Many also sit on hospital committees providing input on improvements to quality of care for patients and families, the overall postgraduate training experience, ePractice workflows and technology, and more.” 

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed resident physicians in a unique position where they have demonstrated their resilience and professionalism balancing their duty towards patients, their education and managing their own safety and wellness, adds Dr. Champion. 

“Resident physicians have been instrumental in pandemic planning, have revised patient care to a virtual environment and adapted to changes in their rotations, often missing clinical experience to fill in the gaps in busy clinical areas while maintaining a high level of patient care.”

For all they do, St. Joseph’s would like to recognize and thank our residents for their dedication, achievements and tremendous contributions to excellence in care across our organization.