Meet Dr. Ross Moncur - Windsor Family Medicine – Faculty of the Year Award Recipient
Dr. Ross Moncur joined the Department of Family Medicine as an Adjunct Professor in 2012. He is a family physician who tries to maintain a traditional general practice, splitting his time fairly evenly between general office practice, hospitalist work, and long-term care. He has a particular interest in care of the elderly and primary palliative care. We spoke to him following his recent achievement.
Tell us about your background.
I grew up in Kingsville, Ontario, where my wife and I now live and raise our two children. Kingsville is a typical Ontario small town, about 45 minutes outside of Windsor, where everybody knows everybody and kids can’t get away with anything. It was a great place to grow up and develop a sense of community. After high school, I left Kingsville for Ottawa, Hamilton, then Windsor, before returning home and starting my practice.
Where did you receive your medical education?
I received my MD at McMaster University, and then completed my residency at Western in the Windsor Family Medicine program.
Describe your practice and your medical interests.
I’m a family physician, and I try to maintain a traditional general practice. I split my time fairly evenly between general office practice, hospitalist work, and long-term care. I have a particular interest in care of the elderly and primary palliative care.
How long have you been teaching learners? What inspired you to teach?
My teaching career with Western started when I was a resident myself. I volunteered to teach the clinical skills courses to 1st and 2nd year Windsor program students, which I found immensely rewarding because their interest and enthusiasm was contagious. As teaching medical learners so often does, it was a great way to not only stay sharp on my own basic skills, but also keep an appreciation for the intricacies of what we do most days by rote. Since I opened my own practice four years ago, I have been teaching residents and students on a fairly regular basis. Teaching keeps me on my toes.
What inspires you in your work?
I’m continually inspired by people’s abilities to persevere. We see patients, often elderly and usually with chronic illness, who every day overcome adversity that many people can’t even imagine, and many of them do it in a way that makes it seem easy. My goal is to help people continue to maintain their independence, and to ease their suffering whenever possible.
When you aren't working what might we find you doing?
I volunteer a fair bit with United Way Windsor-Essex, an organization I am quite passionate about because their work is an extension of what we as family doctors do every day: helping vulnerable people. Beyond that, you would likely find me playing Lego or Hide-and-Seek with my 4 year-old son and 2 year-old daughter.
