Paying tribute to the Father of Family Medicine

It is with great regret that the Department of Family Medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry reported the death of Dr. Ian McWhinney, who passed away on September 28, in Saskatoon at the age of 85.

Dr. McWhinney was widely regarded as the father of family medicine in Canada. He came to Canada from England in 1968 and became the first Professor of Family Medicine in Canada and the first Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Western.

Dr. McWhinney laid the groundwork for the establishment of Family Medicine as an academic discipline. He was the founder of the Graduate Studies Program in Family Medicine at Western in 1975. This program has received international acclaim and has graduated numerous Master of Clinical Science students who now work in academic Family Medicine in Canada and around the world.

Find the rest of the Family Medicine Chair's letter on the Department website: www.familymedicineuwo.ca